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.

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.

Hamburg got off to a (5-1) start this fall before finishing (6-5) for the second consecutive season. The Hawks lost in the Eastern Conference Championship Game each of the past two years. North Pocono shutout Hamburg 41-0 to end the 2024 campaign. The Hawks averaged 25 points while allowing 23 ppg. They ended up in fourth place in Section 5 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League with a (4-3) mark.

Hamburg will also be searching for a new quarterback and #1 wide receiver. Tyler Shuey and Ty Werley were two of the ten seniors on this year’s roster. Shuey set a school record with 4,256 career passing yards. As a junior, he established a single-season school record with 2,764 yards through the air. Werley holds the Hawks’ career records with 104 receptions and 1,788 receiving yards.

Hamburg hasn’t had a losing season since 2018. The Hawks reached the District 3 playoffs in 2021 and 2022. Hamburg moved up to Class 4A this year. “Our administration has started the search for new leadership and will make a hire when we find the right person to fit our student-athletes’ needs,” said Menapace.

Bauer didn’t agree with the ruling. “I think it was clear. He was in,” he said. The officials took their time before signaling that Zandier didn’t score. “The explanation to me was no one had it either way,” stated Bauer. That possession began at the 17-yard line with 1:23 left. Hafer, a 6’2 junior who joined the team in early September, hit Carter Redding on a completion near midfield. A targeting penalty moved the football to Conestoga Valley’s 38-yard line. Genuine Stutzman reeled in a 19-yard pass to get the (8-1, 4-1) Eagles in the red zone. Ware’s second touchdown grab of the night pulled Exeter within one point after trailing 14-0 and 21-7. “I couldn’t be prouder. We wanted to see how we’d respond to adversity. I think we faced basically a season’s worth tonight. We never lost faith,” emphasized Bauer. He’s in his 16th year at the helm in Reiffton with a record of (121-57).

The Buckskins started quickly with consecutive 52 and 66-yard touchdown drives. On fourth-and-12 from the 23-yard line, Sawyer Esbenshade connected with JoJo Garcia over the middle for a 7-0 lead. Following a 25-yard pass to Garcia, Esbenshade’s 2-yard run made it 14-0 with three minutes remaining in the first quarter. The 6’1, 175-pound junior finished 19-of-31 for 277 yards and 3 TD. Zandier scored from 1-yard out early in the second period to get the Eagles on the board. They entered the night averaging 45 points per game. Zandier broke free for a 51-yard sprint down the left sideline to set up his 6-yard TD run with 4:21 to go in the half. That came after Esbenshade found 6’2 junior Cordell Bair for a 28-yard touchdown. Ware’s 22-yard TD catch from Hafer tied it at 21-21 with 1:33 to play before halftime. Conestoga Valley went in front 28-21 on a 30-yard pass to speedster Jayden Johnson with just 34 seconds before the break. Johnson, who returned from an injury last week, has offers from Temple, Maine, and Monmouth.

The offensive fireworks came to a halt in the second half. Neither team scored until eight seconds remained on the clock. Seth Frankford came up with an interception of a pass by Zandier on fourth-and-7 with 5:28 to go. Exeter’s defense forced back-to-back punts after that turnover. Bauer noted that the Eagles played more man coverage in the second half. Navy commit Logan Wegman (6’5, 275) injured his shoulder in the third quarter and didn’t return. Exeter was already without junior quarterback Riley Martinez due to a leg injury that occurred earlier this month against Muhlenberg. Zandier and Hafer split time at quarterback on Friday. Zandier piled up 172 yards on 27 carries. “He has amazing body control and he’s so explosive with everything he does,” Bauer said of the 6’2, 180-pound senior.

The Eagles sit one game behind the Buckskins in the Section 2 standings. Exeter visits (2-7) Elizabethtown next week, while Conestoga Valley hosts (3-5) Muhlenberg. Bauer was proud of his team’s effort after an emotional and frustrating game. “They have nothing to be ashamed of. They did everything they needed to do. This is gonna galvanize us,” he said.