Iowa high school football Class 5A semifinals: Southeast Polk holds off Valley, Ankeny wins inter-city battle

CEDAR FALLS – Battle-tested and tough, Southeast Polk continues to win in the margins while emerging as an Iowa large-school football dynasty. 

Class 5A’s two-time defending state champion Rams held off a late rally by West Des Moines Valley and prevailed in overtime, 30-27, Friday night inside the UNI-Dome. Southeast Polk will play Ankeny, a 10-7 winner over Ankeny Centennial, at 7 p.m. next Friday in the 5A title game.

The Rams defeated Ankeny 51-28 in Week 2 and entered this year’s trip to the UNI-Dome with regular-season victories over 5A’s other three semifinalists. SBLive Iowa’s No. 1-ranked Southeast Polk (12-0) denied a two-point conversion attempt to hold off Cedar Falls in the quarterfinal round of the playoffs and has recorded half of this season’s win total by six points or less, including the two victories over Valley (6-6).

“We’ve played the toughest schedule in the state of Iowa,” Southeast Polk head coach Brad Zelenovich said. “Our kids have answered the bell every week. We’ve been in that situation before, overtime, fourth downs, momentum-type plays, and late scores. Our kids just believe.”

PHILLIP DELIVERS FOR SOUTHEAST POLK

Running back C.J. Phillip exemplified the toughness that Zelenovich says his program is built upon during Friday’s semifinal. Playing with a broken toe after missing the previous two weeks, Phillip rushed for 129 yards and three touchdowns, including a go-ahead score with 1:16 left in the fourth quarter and the game-winning run from the goal line in overtime.

“My teammates are everything to me,” Philip said. “It came down to a 1-yard run and I just knew I had to get in.”

Added Zelenovich, “To do what he did tonight was pretty special.”

Phillip, who spent the previous three seasons at West Des Moines Dowling before transferring to Southeast Polk where he attended junior high, is filling a void at running back left by former Rams’ standout and current Iowa State Cyclone Abu Sama.

“He’s been fantastic,” Zelenovich said. “He's fit in well. He knew a lot of our guys by being here earlier in his career. He’s a tremendous young man and obviously a very good football player.”

One year removed from rallying to stun West Des Moines Dowling in the semifinal round, Valley nearly ended Southeast Polk’s championship streak.

Jayden McGregory didn’t bite on a pump fake and recorded the game’s first turnover with an interception inside the red zone that gave Valley possession trailing by seven with 6:48 left in regulation.

Valley quarterback Drake DeGroote then found Jayden Brown on a slant over the middle for a 24-yard gain. A face mask penalty at the end of a 6-yard run by Damon Head advanced the ball to the Southeast Polk 10. Three plays later, Darius Mason broke through for a physical 4-yard touchdown rush that tied the score at 17 with 3:52 remaining.

Southeast Polk answered with a seven-play, 70-yard scoring drive capped by a Phillip touchdown run from the goal line to regain the lead with 1:16 remaining.

But Valley refused to fade.

McGregory made a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch near the pylon for a 15-yard touchdown reception with four seconds left in the fourth quarter. Rico Alvarenga-Servellon’s extra point sent the game into overtime.

“I love our team, and I love the way we fought,” McGregory said, following the heartbreaking loss.

Valley received the ball first in the extra period, advancing the ball to the Southeast Polk 4 before linebacker Caleb Chebuhar came off the edge and met Mason in the backfield for a 5-yard loss that forced the Tigers to settle for a field goal.

“They (Valley) ran an outside zone and we were able to get some penetration,” Zelenovich said. “They did a tremendous job second half running the football. They’re big up front, those backs (Mason and Damon Head) are both good players, and we were able to get a stop there which was huge.”

Phillip found space between the tackles and covered 9 yards on Southeast Polk’s first offensive play in overtime before he punched in the winning touchdown from the goal line.

“Going into overtime, the mindset is that every time we touch the ball we have to score,” Phillip said. “The connection I have with the offensive line, everybody knows what’s going on every play so that helps us come together.”

In addition to Phillip’s contributions, Southeast Polk quarterback Connor Moberly passed for 192 yards, including a 79-yard scoring strike to Carson Robbins on the Rams’ first play.

Valley trailed 14-0 at halftime before Head capped a 60-yard drive with a 21-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter. The teams traded field goals prior to Gregory’s interception that set the thrilling final sequence.

Valley’s DeGroote passed for 152 yards and a touchdown. Head rushed for 133 yards on 24 carries. Mason added 41 yards and one score on 10 attempts.

BATTLE OF ANKENY

Ankeny’s defense did just enough for the Hawks to prevail in a rematch from a Week 1 rivalry game that Centennial won in overtime, 39-38.

“It was a gritty win tonight,” Ankeny first-year head coach Jeff Bauer said. “We didn’t play our best on offense by far tonight. The defense just kept battling.”

Centennial outgained its crosstown rival, 196-83, and ran twice as many plays during the first half of Friday’s nightcap that finished tied at 7. Braeden Jackson’s 8-yard, first-quarter Centennial TD run was answered by a 3-yard scoring run by Ankeny’s Daniel Larmie at the end of a 10-play, 80-yard drive with 1:25 remaining in the second quarter.

Ankeny used three interceptions to keep Centennial out of the end zone in the second half. The Hawks had opportunities to find separation, but the first two picks led to just three points.

Ankeny’s Kinnick Vos recorded the first big play of the second half when he high-pointed an interception to record the game’s first turnover with 9:37 remaining in the third quarter. Hawks’ quarterback Luke Anderson then connected with Evan Irlmeier for a 45-yard gain to the Centennial 31.

Ankeny eventually settled for a 44-yard field goal by Ryan Harrington to take a 10-7 lead at the midway point of the third.

Jacob Mohrfeld, whose blocked field goal in the first quarter proved pivotal, later jumped a passing route and returned an interception 61 yards before he was pushed out of bounds at the Centennial 3. The Hawks’ drive stalled, and Harrington’s 23-yard field goal attempt missed at the start of the fourth quarter.

Safety Nolan Dalton later corralled a deep-ball interception at the Ankeny 7 with 5:11 remaining, but the Hawks were unable to run out the clock. Centennial quarterback Trenton Smith’s third-down shot to the end zone from the 22-yard line with time winding down was caught out inches of bounds. The Jaguars’ attempt to tie the game with a field goal from 39 yards out missed as time expired.

Ankeny (9-3) won despite punter Devon Akers’ total of 201 yards surpassing the offense’s total of 172 yards on 40 plays. Larmie led the Hawks’ rushing attack with 77 yards and a score on 15 carries.

Centennial (7-5) was paced by Jackson’s 96 yards on 27 runs. Smith passed for 144 yards but completed just 13 of 26 against Ankeny’s strong back five.

Scoring summaries

SOUTHEAST POLK 30, VALEY 27, OT

West Des Moines Valley;0;0;10;14;3 - 27

Southeast Polk;7;7;0;10;6 - 30

SEP – Carson Robbins 79 pass from Connor Moberly (Hunter Chanthaphon kick)

SEP – C.J. Phillip 4 run (Chanthaphon kick)

Valley – Damon Head 21 run (Rico Alvarenga-Servellon kick)

Valley – Alvarenga-Servellon 33 field goal

SEP – Chanthaphon 30 field goal

Valley – Darius Mason 4 run (Alvarenga-Servellon kick)

ANKENY 10, CENTENNIAL 7

Centennial;7;0;0;0 -7

Ankeny;0;7;3;0 - 10

Centennial – Braeden Jackson 8 run (Ryan Bendezu kick)

Ankeny – Daniel Larmie 3 run (Ryan Harrington kick)

Ankeny – Ryan Harrington 44 field goal

--Nick Petaros

Southeast Polk running back C.J. Phillip scores a touchdown late in the fourth quarter during Friday’s overtime victory against Wes Des Moines Valley. (Photo by Nick Petaros)