Bruce happy to be back on the field

It’s been a long time coming for Iowa commit Arland Bruce IV to step back on the football field.

The future Hawkeye has sat out for the past five weeks after being denied eligibility by the IAHSAA in August following a transfer to Ankeny from Olathe North in Kansas.

As it turned out, Olathe North would play football before Bruce, as Kansas decided to bring high school football back.

But on Friday, Bruce found his way back to the field. It was a big deal both for him and his teammates.

“I FaceTimed him right after I found out,” fellow Iowa commit and Ankeny teammate Brody Brecht said. “He was crying. We were all excited for him. I’m just super blessed to get on the field with him.”

And right on cue, Bruce made a tremendous difference for the Hawks in their 49-0 dismantling of Johnston.

The hybrid running back/wide receiver finished with 56 yards rushing to go along with his first two touchdowns in the state of Iowa.

It took a while for Bruce to find his groove, but he put his shiftiness on display the whole time. First, a big gain was called back for a holding penalty. Then, a 16-yard gain with multiple dekes showed what he could do.

Finally, he found the end zone. Midway through the third quarter, Bruce bounced a run outside and hit the corner from three yards out for the score.

But he wasn’t done. Shortly after, Bruce hauled in a pass from two yards out to light up the scoreboard even more.

Two touchdowns in his first football game in more than a year.

“It felt good, man,” Bruce said. “I haven’t felt that way in so long.”

For a while, it seemed as if it would never happen.

The IAHSAA declared Bruce ineligible on the day of what should have been his first game in the state of Iowa.

The Hawkeye program stuck with Bruce through it all.

The all-around athlete said wide receivers coach Kelton Copeland talked to him about why he was ineligible and then was one of the first people to text him when it was announced he could play again.

Copeland wasn’t the only Hawkeye with him through it all, though. Brecht can also be included on that list.

Brecht played a role in Bruce’s transfer to Ankeny after Kansas initially canceled its fall football season.

Because of his role in the situation, it wasn’t easy for Brecht to watch what happened to his teammate for the first five weeks of the season.

“I was feeling pretty bad about it at first when he was getting denied,” Brecht said. “Because I was the one who was like, ‘Hey, come up here. We can get it figured out.’ So, I was feeling pretty bad. When he got the news, I was really excited. Our friendship goes beyond the field, so we’re really close.”

And of course, both made plays on Friday. Brecht also put up solid numbers, hauling in six passes for 56 yards and the game’s first score.

The duo helps form one of the most explosive offenses in the state. With quarterback Jase Bauer and running back Colin Kadolph in the mix, the Hawks seem to be peaking at the right time.

“We have so many weapons,” Bruce said. “I just don’t know how someone can stop us.”

The feeling is mutual.

“We’ve been talking all year that we want to be the best offense the state has ever seen,” Brecht said. “We just want to keep putting up points. It’s fun playing with all those guys; you’ve got so many playmakers.”

Now, it’s onto Indianola before the playoffs begin.

Ankeny didn’t seem too concerned with integrating Bruce into the offense. Despite his stats, there were times when Bruce didn’t see the field for an entire possession.

That may change in the coming weeks. After all, the Hawks will need their best players on the field for the most important part of the season.

“I just feel like we don’t want to show everything on film,” Bruce said. “Use it more for the playoffs. So, they kind of got my feet wet.

“I was a little out of shape.”