Coach – Berks Sports Report

Aaron Anders-Wyomissing

Paul Roberts — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 14:47:59 +0000

The seniors on Wyomissing’s girls basketball team have left a mark that will stand the test of time. Over the past three years, the Spartans compiled a staggering (83-9) record. They won three District 3-4A championships and a pair of Berks County titles. “It was a lot of fun. It was really neat to watch those kids grow,” said head coach Aaron Anders. Amaya Stewart, Alexis Hardy, and Audrey Hurleman were household names along Evans Avenue. They started for four seasons. After missing last year due to a knee injury, Lili Marshall returned to the court this season and was part of a four-guard lineup. Wyomissing didn’t lose a single home game over the past two years. The Spartans reached the state semifinals for just the third time a season ago when they went (31-1). They fell to Philadelphia Catholic League powerhouse Neumann-Goretti 58-45 in the second round of the PIAA-4A playoffs last week. That loss ended a (24-5) campaign, but not before Stewart became the school’s all-time leading scorer. The 6’1 Albany commit finished with 1,904 points. “She’s the best girls basketball player that’s ever come out of here,” stated Anders. Stewart averaged 19.5 ppg. in each of the past two seasons. She broke Rachel Hoffman’s record of 1,886 points. Hoffman is Wyomissing’s girls soccer coach. Stewart, a three-time Berks County Player of the Year, pulled down more than 1,000 rebounds in her remarkable career. “When she first came in as a freshman, you could see the love for the game…Her smile is infectious. Her personality is infectious,” emphasized Anders. Stewart was surrounded by outstanding all-around athletes including Annie McCaffrey, Audrey Hurleman, and Alexis Hardy. McCaffrey graduated in 2024 and is playing soccer at UMass. Hurleman is committed to North Carolina for lacrosse, and Hardy is headed to Delaware for track. She’s won multiple BCIAA and District 3 gold medals in the 100 and 200 meters. Hardy provided 8 points per game this season. Hurleman returned to the basketball team on “Senior Night” in late January after suffering a torn ACL on April 9th. Anders, a former basketball standout at Antietam and Alvernia, is (108-26) over five years. He will never forget his four seniors. “They put on one heck of a show the past three years,” replied Anders with a smile.

Garrett Etzel-Gov. Mifflin

Paul Roberts — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 00:53:44 +0000

It didn’t take Garrett Etzel long to know that he had a team capable of doing big things in his first year as the head coach at his alma mater. In Gov. Mifflin’s third game of the season, the Mustangs took defending District 3-6A champion Cumberland Valley to overtime. Although they came up short 58-51 at the CoBL Winter Classic on December 6th, the Mustangs gained confidence. “The Cumberland Valley game gave us the thought that we can compete with anyone in the District. The kids I think really started believing that,” noted Etzel. Gov. Mifflin went on to win twenty games after finishing (8-14, 3-8) the previous season. “These kids were so dedicated and committed to the game of basketball. It was such a good group of kids on the basketball court and off the court. They did great things for the community and the youth program,” said Etzel. The (20-10, 7-5) Mustangs snapped a six-game losing streak to rival Wilson. They outlasted the Bulldogs 65-59 in double overtime at West Lawn on January 28th. Etzel called that victory their biggest of the year. The tenth-seeded Mustangs upset second-seeded Mechanicsburg 42-38 in the District 3-6A quarterfinals. Gov. Mifflin reached the District 3 semifinals for the first time in program history. The Mustangs fell to Central Dauphin 54-41, but they had already secured their first trip to the state playoffs. Gov. Mifflin ended up in third place in the District 3 tournament. That meant a home game in the opening round of the PIAA-6A playoffs. The Mustangs took down Mt. Lebanon 66-54 for their first win in the state tournament. Gov. Mifflin lost to WPIAL champ Upper St. Clair 50-38 in the second round, ending a historic season. “I’m truly honored and blessed to be back here, especially having this group of kids as my first year. The support from the community is huge. They really gathered around us…People that I haven’t spoken to in twenty-plus years were reaching out,” emphasized Etzel. The 2003 Gov. Mifflin graduate was an All-County pick as a senior when he averaged 19 points per game. He went on to become a 1,000-point scorer at Alvernia. Etzel was named the PAC Player of the Year in 2007. His team this year featured a balanced scoring attack. Matt Koehler, an All-County selection, led the Mustangs at 14 ppg. The 6’3 senior forward hit a team-high 42 triples. Seniors Andrew Galantuomo and Jahmair Johnson made the All-Division squad. They each provided 11 points per contest. Galantuomo, a 5’7 point guard, knocked down 40 shots from beyond the arc while dealing with multiple injuries. “He lives and dies basketball, kid loves playing the game. He’s a very tough kid. In the training room non-stop, but it never got to him. He has a lot of passion for the game,” replied Etzel. Stephen Mayo, a 5’11 senior, was an elite defender. Gov. Mifflin allowed just 49.5 ppg. “Our on the ball defense and our help defense was tremendous,” said Etzel. The Mustangs will have a much different look next season. They had eight seniors on the roster this year. “I’ll miss every single one of them. They’ll go on to do great things. I had a special connection with each one of them,” stated Etzel.

Snip Esterly-Berks Catholic

Paul Roberts — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 14:15:22 +0000

Berks Catholic picked a good time to play one of its best games of the season. The top-seeded Saints blew out fifth-seeded Susquehanna Township 61-42 to earn a trip to Hershey. “It’s absolutely unbelievable. I love the place,” said longtime coach Snip Esterly. Berks Catholic will face second-seeded Eastern York in the District 3-4A championship. They meet at 4:30pm on Thursday at the Giant Center. The (20-5) Saints came out on fire against the (15-8) Indians. Kingston McKoy and Jackson Kozik each knocked down a 3-pointer and Johnny Giesa hit a pair of jumpers. Carmelo Harper provided instant offense with six points in the first quarter. The 5’10 freshman finished with ten points. “Melo came off the bench and gave us a heck of a spark…He loves the game. He has the passion for the game,” emphasized Esterly. Harper had a career-high 15 points in the District 3-4A quarterfinals versus Bishop McDevitt. Susquehanna Township, which had won eight straight games, found itself down 18-8 late in the opening period at Lloyd Wolf Gymnasium. Harper pulled down an offensive rebound and found Zach Suski for a layup right before halftime. Berks Catholic was in control 32-18 at the break. Esterly noted that facing Reading helped them immensely to prepare for the Indians’ up-tempo style. “The three times we played Reading, it got us ready for this,” he replied. The Saints continued to roll in the third quarter. They outscored Susquehanna Township 15-6 in that period. Suski came alive with seven points, including a three-point play that made it 47-24 with 26 seconds left. He added another three-point play with 4:20 remaining to put Berks Catholic on top 55-32. Twelve of Suski’s 17 points came in the second half. “He does everything. He’s a sneaky offensive player. First of all, he has a great outside shot. He gets a lot of offensive rebounds. He cuts and he gets easy layups,” explained Esterly. The Saints’ defense was outstanding again. Brady Altimar limited junior guard Mekhi Slappy to seven points. Slappy is averaging nearly 15 ppg. and he’s made 69 triples this season. The Indians were held to 24 points through 24 minutes on Monday night. They committed ten turnovers in the first half. Susquehanna Township was 10-for-16 from the free throw line, while Berks Catholic went just 8-for-19. Jahkai Sloane-Marks led the Indians with 17 points. The 6’6 freshman had 25 points and 11 rebounds in a 65-60 quarterfinal victory at Wyomissing. Alfonso Burnett, a 6’2 senior, chipped in with a dozen points against the Saints. McKoy led everyone with 21 points. The 6’2 junior guard was responsible for three of Berks Catholic’s five treys. “Kingston was Kingston,” stated Esterly. Berks Catholic gets a chance at some redemption on Thursday at the Giant Center. Eastern York defeated the Saints 51-44 in the semifinals last year. Berks Catholic is searching for its sixth District 3 crown.

Snip Esterly-Berks Catholic

Paul Roberts — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 15:04:25 +0000

Everyone in Lloyd Wolf Gymnasium knew who was taking the last shot for Berks Catholic. “We just wanted to spread it and let Kingston go to work because he’s so hard to cover. He can go either left or right,” said Saints’ coach Snip Esterly. McKoy went behind his back, used a hesitation dribble, and then drilled a pull-up jumper from the left side of the lane with five seconds left. The 6’2 junior guard gave Berks Catholic a thrilling 51-49 win over Wilson. McKoy finished with a game-high 22 points including seven in the fourth quarter. “He’s so patient and under control. It’s a joy just to watch him play,” replied Esterly. The longtime coach improved his overall record to (826-225) in 36 seasons. The Saints led 17-10 after the opening quarter thanks to a 3-pointer at the buzzer by Gavin Welker. They scored the first four points of the second period to build a 21-10 cushion. The Bulldogs battled back and went on a 16-to-4 run. They were in front 26-25 at halftime. Wilson entered the evening as the #1 seed in the District 3-6A power rankings. Berks Catholic was on top of the District 3-4A rankings. This Division 1 battle lived up to expectations. The (15-3, 6-2) Bulldogs were up 36-34 after the third quarter. Bryce Gumby came off the bench and splashed a top of the key trey with six and a-half minutes left. The football standout gave the Saints a 39-38 advantage. Zach Suski, Berks Catholic’s quarterback in the fall, hit a triple from the right corner with 2:45 remaining. The Saints’ 46-43 lead didn’t last long, however, as Madyx Gruber made a pull-up jumper to even the score at 46-46 with 2:22 to go. McKoy connected from beyond the arc on the right wing with 1:50 to play. Correll Akings answered with a 3-pointer of his own from the top of the key with 55 seconds left. It was 49-49 until McKoy sank the go-ahead shot over the hand of Tommy McFadden in the final seconds. McFadden is Wilson’s best defender and an Albany soccer commit. The Bulldogs called a timeout down 51-49. Gruber raced up the right side of the court and took an off-balance 3-pointer. It hit the backboard and bounced off the rim as time expired. Gruber ended up with a team-high 16 points. The 5’11 senior reached 1,000 career points in a victory over Harrisburg on Saturday. Akings added 14 points. They each made three treys. Akings, a 5’10 junior, provided eight points in the first quarter. Wilson has had issues this season at the foul line. The Bulldogs were 6-of-12 on Tuesday, while Berks Catholic went 2-for-3. Each team connected seven times from long range. McKoy and Welker hit two triples apiece. Welker chipped in with ten points and freshman guard Carmelo Harper had eight off the bench. The (11-3, 6-2) Saints defeated Wilson for the second time this season. “It gives us confidence because we know Wilson is a darn good program. I think they’re one of the favorites to win District’s,” stated Esterly. Berks Catholic took the first meeting 54-49 in West Lawn on December 9th. Life in Division 1 of the Berks Conference isn’t easy. “I’m not liking it too much,” joked Esterly. The Saints committed just five turnovers and ended the Bulldogs’ nine-game winning streak. “It’s always a battle. Every night there’s a good game out there,” he said.

Matt Flowers-Muhlenberg

Paul Roberts — Fri, 17 Jan 2025 17:13:41 +0000

Exeter put up 69 points in a 17-point win over Gov. Mifflin on Tuesday. The Eagles upset Berks Catholic last week at Lloyd Wolf Gymnasium. Muhlenberg head coach Matt Flowers knew he was facing a hot team on Thursday night in Reiffton. The Muhls’ pressure defense forced 19 turnovers in a 59-50 victory. “Everything was triggered by our uptempo pace on the defensive end. We weren’t fouling. We were playing team defense which is what we preach,” explained Flowers. The Eagles committed 13 turnovers in the first half and trailed 27-17 at the break. Eli Hemmings provided a spark in the third quarter with nine points. The 6’3 sophomore finished with 13 points and was a key figure on defense. “He’s one of our go-to guys and he’s been trending in the right direction. His shot wasn’t going down in the beginning of the season, but he put in more work and more work and now it’s going down,” said Flowers. Exeter was within 37-32 in the third period, but Muhlenberg closed the quarter on a 9-to-2 run. A three-point play by Shermar Killen made it 51-38 with 4:07 left. The All-County guard scored a game-high 22 points including eight in the fourth quarter. “He utilizes his body very well. He’s a rebounding machine. He can get downhill. He can knock down the 3. He’s a really good all-around player…and he took pride in the weight room,” stated Flowers. A layup by 6’4 sophomore Braylon Reinert brought the Eagles within 53-48 with 1:45 remaining. That basket capped a 10-to-2 run by Exeter and got the crowd back into the game. Jayden Ware’s layup made it 55-50 with 53 seconds to go. After Jayden Kantner went 1-for-2 from the free throw line, Ware’s pull-up jumper rattled out. Killen sank a pair of foul shots with 27 seconds to play to increase the Muhls’ advantage to 58-50. The (7-8, 4-2) Eagles committed their final turnover on the ensuing possession. Aidan Dauble came alive in the second half. The 6’2 junior jammed eleven of his eighteen points into the third quarter. Dauble was 9-for-15 from the free throw stripe. He worked tirelessly on the glass to get second chance opportunities. Exeter ended up 16-of-25 from the line, while Muhlenberg was 10-of-13. Brady Murray, a 6’2 senior guard, added 14 points and Reinert provided eight for the Eagles. Michael Miller contributed ten points to the (11-4, 4-3) Muhls. “He’s been Mr. Consistent all season. He does things that need to get done,” noted Flowers. Muhlenberg committed 13 of its 18 turnovers in the second half, but went 7-of-9 from the foul line in the fourth quarter to hold on. Jadin Perez came off the bench and hit two of the Muhls’ three triples in the first half. Murray drilled three of Exeter’s four 3-pointers. He has 46 treys this year. Carter Redding, who was averaging 10 ppg., batted foul trouble and was limited to one point. The Eagles remain atop the Division 2 standings. Muhlenberg is in a tight race in Division 1 with Wilson, Berks Catholic, and Gov. Mifflin. The Bulldogs are in first place with a (6-1) league record. “It’s wide open,” emphasized Flowers.

Matt Coldren-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Tue, 14 Jan 2025 14:35:41 +0000

Central Dauphin and Wilson held the top two spots in the District 3-6A power rankings entering Monday. Their battle in West Lawn went down to the wire. The Bulldogs knocked off the Rams 59-53 in a potential playoff preview. “In my opinion, that’s the best starting five in our district…I think we proved ourselves a little bit tonight,” said Wilson coach Matt Coldren. All-County guard and All-State football player Madyx Gruber is comfortable playing in big games. The 5’11 senior poured in 27 points and knocked down six 3-pointers. “He was really fantastic. He was feeling it early. When he’s feeling it, we pretty much don’t run stuff. We let him do his thing,” noted Coldren. Gruber exploded for 19 points and hit five triples in the first half. He’s up to 958 career points. The (11-2) Rams trailed 25-15 in the second quarter. Standout sophomore Shakur Starling got his third foul midway through that period. The 6’2 guard finished with ten points and seven rebounds. A breakaway dunk by Wayne Fletcher II in the final seconds of the half tied it at 32-32. The 6’3 Navy commit ended up with a team-high 18 points and seven boards. “He’s a great player. He’s the best player that we have faced this year. He’s a tough matchup. He’s a 3-level scorer,” stated Coldren. Fletcher II has 1,046 career points. His father is in his seventh season as the head coach at Central Dauphin. Like Coldren, he also played basketball for Kutztown University. Gruber drilled a trey from the right wing to end the third quarter and expand the Bulldogs’ cushion to 50-42. That lead quickly evaporated as the Rams scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter. Gruber drove to the basket and found Luke Levan for a layup to make it 54-51. A putback by Jelani Easter got Central Dauphin within 55-53 with 52 seconds remaining. Easter, a 6’5 junior, provided 15 points, five rebounds and five assists. Tommy McFadden sank a pair of free throws with 47 seconds left. After Khalil Roberts missed a layup, McFadden went 2-for-2 again at the foul line with 12 seconds to go. The Albany soccer commit played great defense and converted at the charity stripe when the rest of the team was struggling. Wilson was 9-of-18 from the free throw line, while the Rams went 8-of-9. The (13-2) Bulldogs did an outstanding job of taking care of the ball. They only committed four turnovers and had none in the second half. “To have four turnovers is pretty amazing so kudos to our guys. They stepped up to the occasion. I’m super proud of them,” said Coldren. Correll Akings added a dozen points and made two of Wilson’s eight 3-pointers. Levan, a 6’6 senior, chipped in with ten points. “It was a great team effort. Every guy that played for us contributed in big ways. That’s what you need to do when you play good teams,” emphasized Coldren.

Jeff VanGorder-Exeter

Paul Roberts — Fri, 10 Jan 2025 21:07:18 +0000

Exeter’s boys basketball team hasn’t enjoyed smooth sailing during the 2024-25 campaign. The Eagles’ game at Berks Catholic was a microcosm of the season. Exeter overcame adversity and shooting woes to beat the Saints 48-40. The (6-6, 3-1) Eagles outscored Berks Catholic 35-to-19 in the second half. “I told our guys stick with it, we’re gonna be fine. Guys are learning on the fly. This was a big growing up moment. I’m excited moving forward,” said head coach Jeff VanGorder. He had to replace three starters who each averaged double digits, including All-County selection Kevin Saenz. Exeter was scoreless for four and a-half minutes on Thursday evening at Lloyd Wolf Gymnasium. The (8-3, 3-2) Saints jumped out to a 9-0 advantage. The Eagles didn’t score for the first three minutes of the second quarter and found themselves in a 18-6 hole. Aidan Dauble provided a much-needed offensive spark when he banked in a half-court shot at the buzzer. Berks Catholic was on top 21-13 at the break. Kingston McKoy’s three-point play made it 30-25 with 1:09 remaining in the third quarter. McKoy, a 6’2 junior, had 16 points after 24 minutes. The All-State guard was limited to one point in the final period. Exeter used a 3-2 zone defense with Jayden Ware in the middle. “Our goal was to make him see black jerseys everywhere. We were gonna have to live with some other guys on their team making some shots…Jayden just blanketed him,” explained VanGorder. Brady Murray drilled a 3-pointer from the right wing to give the Eagles their first lead at 35-32 with 5:10 left. VanGorder mentioned that Murray had been fading away on his jumper because McKoy was guarding him. “He stepped into that one. Right when he stepped into it, I go ‘bang.’ It was a Jay Wright moment. I’m really proud of him for sticking with it,” added VanGorder. Carter Redding followed Murray with another triple to increase the margin to 38-32. Meanwhile, the Saints went scoreless for five minutes in the fourth quarter. A layup by Ware made it 40-37 with 1:31 to go. Gavin Welker’s trey from the right corner popped out on the ensuing possession. Dauble and Dylan Donate then went 4-for-4 from the free throw line. Exeter had seized control at 44-37 with 44 seconds to play. Welker connected from beyond the arc with 14 seconds remaining, but Berks Catholic was still down 46-40. That was the Saints’ first field goal of the quarter. Welker, a 6’2 junior, provided eight points while Zach Suski was held to six. Suski had been averaging 14 ppg. Redding led a balanced Eagles’ attack with ten points. Murray contributed nine points and 6’4 sophomore Braylon Reinert chipped in with seven. Reinert provided a presence inside and helped on the glass. He’s one of a handful of football players in VanGorder’s rotation. Dauble and Ware had eight points apiece. They helped Exeter reach the District 3-5A football championship game during the fall. The Eagles sealed the victory by going 15-of-18 from the foul line. The Saints were 7-of-11 from the charity stripe. Each team made three 3-pointers. Exeter got key contributions from everyone who stepped on the floor. “I told them at the start of the fourth quarter, no matter what happened, I was the most proud of a group that I’ve ever been based on circumstances,” said VanGorder.

Matt Coldren-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 15:09:50 +0000

It’s not how you start, but how you finish that matters. Coaches in all sports have often used that old adage. Wilson head coach Matt Coldren had a different opinion after a tense 44-41 win at rival Gov. Mifflin. “I think getting off to the great start won us the game,” said Coldren. A 3-pointer by Madyx Gruber gave the Bulldogs a 9-0 advantage with 4:39 left in the opening quarter. The Mustangs went nearly four minutes without scoring. Gruber finished with a game-high 19 points and went 5-of-6 from the free throw line. “What stood out to me was he didn’t press. They were denying him a lot. He didn’t have as many touches as he normally does. He’s a gamer. He makes shots that most guys can’t make,” noted Coldren. Wilson was in front 17-6 after eight minutes and 24-13 at halftime. The Mustangs trailed 36-26 entering the fourth quarter which is when things heated up. Gov. Mifflin went on a 12-to-3 run and pulled within 39-38 on a triple by Matt Koehler with 1:50 left. Koehler had a team-high 17 points, including a dozen in the second half. “His game has really evolved. Last year I thought he was strictly a 3-point shooter, much easier to guard. He’s taking advantage of his size now. He’s kind of a tough matchup for us,” explained Coldren. Koehler, a 6’3 senior, missed a 3-pointer that would have given the Mustangs their first lead with 50 seconds remaining. Correll Akings sank two clutch foul shots with 31 seconds to play to extend the Bulldogs’ cushion to 41-38. After Stephen Mayo missed a layup, Gruber made two more free throws for the (5-1) Bulldogs. Gov. Mifflin senior point guard Andrew Galantuomo banked in a 40-foot shot to make it 43-41 with two seconds to go. Gruber then went 1-of-2 from the charity stripe. The Mustangs’ inbounds pass was deflected by Cam Zullinger at half-court and fittingly ended up in the arms of Gruber. Akings chipped in with nine points and Tommy McFadden added six. Wilson starts four seniors and brings three more off the bench. “We’ve been there. We’ve got a lot of guards who have been in this situation before,” emphasized Coldren. The Bulldogs are the defending BCIAA champions. After going (15-29) over the past two seasons, the Mustangs are back on track under first-year head coach Garrett Etzel. They beat Muhlenberg and Berks Catholic last week. “I’m a Garrett Etzel fan. I think he was a great player…and I have a lot of respect for him. I’m happy for him,” said Coldren. There are ten seniors on Gov. Mifflin’s roster. Ian Fleming, the lone junior in their starting lineup, contributed twelve points. The (4-2) Mustangs were 5-of-9 from the free throw line, while Wilson went 12-for-16. The Bulldogs connected four times from beyond the arc. Gov. Mifflin splashed just two 3-pointers and one was the long range bomb by Galantuomo before the buzzer. The attendance in Shillington was 1,150 for this Division 1 battle in the Berks Conference. “Our division is gonna be a dog fight every night,” stated Coldren.

“I’ll be Back”-Doug Dahms

Paul Roberts — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 13:14:38 +0000

Doug Dahms has been a mainstay at Wilson High School for many years. Dahms confirmed to me that he will be back as the Bulldogs’ head football coach in 2025. He holds the school record for wins with a mark of (196-44) over 19 seasons. Dahms has the highest winning percentage (81.7%) in Berks County history.

Wilson finished (11-2, 6-0) this fall. The Bulldogs earned their record 29th Section 1 championship by winning 34-16 at Manheim Township in Week 10. Both teams were ranked in the top 10 in the state in Class 6A at the time. Wilson advanced to the District 3-6A championship game before falling to Harrisburg 42-14.

Wilson’s football program has been a model of consistency. The Bulldogs hold the state record with 49 consecutive winning seasons. They haven’t had a losing year since 1963. Dahms started as an assistant coach in West Lawn in 1976. He was part of 264 victories as an assistant before becoming the head coach.

Hamburg finds new Football Coach

Paul Roberts — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 21:42:06 +0000

It didn’t take Tyler Hartranft long to find his way back to “Hawk Hill.” Hartranft was Hamburg’s offensive coordinator in 2022 and 2023. He was unanimously approved last week as the Hawks’ new head football coach. “Coach Hartranft has a proven track record of both playing and coaching football at a high level. His knowledge of the sport, energy, work ethic, and ability to build positive and lasting relationships will be invaluable to developing our student-athletes for success both on and off the field,” said Hamburg Superintendent Dr. Chris Beissel.

Hartranft is a graduate of King’s College. He was the wide receivers coach there from 2015-18. He went on to become the passing game coordinator at McDaniel College in Maryland. Hartranft then returned to the high school gridiron as the quarterbacks coach at Spring-Ford in 2020. After one season as the running backs coach back at King’s College, he was hired as the offensive coordinator at Hamburg. The Hawks reached the District 3 semifinals in 2022. They set school records for points and yards per game that year. Hartranft helped quarterback Xander Menapace set 14 program records.

Hartranft takes over for Matt Hoffert who stepped down after three seasons. Hoffert guided the Hawks to a (21-13) mark. They went (6-5) this fall and lost to North Pocono 41-0 in the Eastern Conference 4A championship. Hamburg finished in fourth place in Section 5 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League. Hartranft wasn’t far away. He was a little farther north on Route 61 at Pottsville High School. Hartranft served as the offensive coordinator under Mike Brennan. The Crimson Tide lost to Southern Lehigh in the District 11-4A semifinals this year.

Hamburg hasn’t had a losing season since 2018. Hartranft works at the high school as a special education teacher. “We are excited about Coach Hartranft’s vision for the program and know he will be a tremendous asset to our school community,” said Beissel.