Ernst will have a lot of familiar faces around him. Hamburg returns seven starters on each side of the ball. Isaac McFadden, a promising young quarterback, is back for his sophomore campaign. McFadden completed 55% of his passes while throwing for 1,214 yards and seven touchdowns. He added 260 yards on the ground and nine more scores. “Isaac has made such an improvement, not just physically, but mentally at the quarterback position. Hopefully, he knows I’ll always have his back anytime he needs it,” noted Ernst.

Alex Soto, Owen Bentz, and Eli Metzler will be the primary targets for McFadden. Soto reeled in 30 passes for 246 yards and one touchdown in 2025. Bentz chipped in with 24 receptions for 253 yards and 3 TD. The Hawks will be without Mason Strunk. The 6’4 tight end opted not to play this year. Strunk averaged 18.6 yards on his 16 catches a season ago.

Bryce Schmeck will join Ernst in the backfield again. The junior running back had a team-high 281 yards on 98 carries last year. Schmeck also made 59 combined tackles, five tackles for loss, and one interception from his spot at linebacker. The Hawks return three starters on the offensive line, as well as senior defensive end Xander Valentino. He finished second on the team with 61 tackles in 2025. Valentino provided 5 TFL. Ernst, who’s a catcher on the baseball team, is expecting Hamburg to be more physical along the line of scrimmage. “The whole team has attacked the weight room harder than I’ve ever seen,” he emphasized.

Tyler Hartranft is entering his second season as the Hawks’ head coach. He was the offensive coordinator at Hamburg in 2022 and 2023 before taking that same position at Pottsville in 2024. The King’s College graduate was previously an assistant coach at his alma mater and McDaniel College. Hartranft will have a running back who’s ready to roll when the season begins at Midd-West on August 28th. “I cannot wait,” replied Ernst.