The Bulldogs beat Reading 8-2. Jack Gabel fired six shutout innings with ten strikeouts. The West Chester commit limited the Red Knights to three hits. He also launched a solo homer. Pat Lengle was 2-for-2 with three runs.

Gov. Mifflin put up six runs in the sixth inning to top Fleetwood 9-5. Gettysburg commit Evan Glucksnis held the Tigers to two earned runs over six innings with eight strikeouts. Charlie Ainge was 3-for-3 with two stolen bases. He scored two runs and knocked in two more.

Twin Valley blew out Conrad Weiser 14-3. Brody Majeski gave up one earned run on four hits in six innings. He struck out ten and walked one. Jayce Oliver had two hits and three runs. He finished with 4 RBI.

Berks Catholic got a strong outing from Henry Pflomm in a 10-2 victory over Wyomissing. An in-depth story will be posted on our website.

Tim Fries tossed a no-hitter with 15 strikeouts as Oley Valley blanked Brandywine Heights 9-0. Fries took a perfect game into the seventh inning before he walked two batters. Vincenzo Fick piled up three hits and scored a couple of runs.

Hamburg doubled up Schuylkill Valley 4-2 on “Hawk Hill.” Isaak Stewart threw a complete game. He allowed one earned run on nine hits and a walk. Stewart helped his cause by going 3-for-4 and driving in a run.

Kutztown pounded out 19 hits in a 12-3 win at Antietam. Kaden Kerecz had a big afternoon. He was 5-for-5 with 3 RBI and two doubles.

Boyertown defeated Wilson 7-3. The Bears took the lead with four runs in the sixth inning. The Bulldogs committed three errors which resulted in three unearned runs.

Gov. Mifflin lost at Dallastown 2-0. The Wildcats scored both runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. RJ Weaver allowed four hits in five and a-third innings with six strikeouts. Both of the runs that he gave up were unearned.

Exeter beat Pottsgrove 7-3. Jake Hafer went 2-for-4 with a walk and a run. He also threw four scoreless innings with nine strikeouts.

Conrad Weiser shut out Hershey 2-0. Carlo Woellner was dominant on the mound. He piled up 14 strikeouts over six and a-third hitless innings.

Oley Valley fell to Upper Perkiomen 22-7. There were 28 combined hits, including 18 by the Indians. Upper Perkiomen blew it open with 13 runs in the sixth inning.

Tulpehocken knocked off Brandywine Heights 5-4. The Trojans scored two runs in the sixth inning and another in the seventh. They were limited to four hits, but drew eight walks.

Hamburg got past Octorara 7-4. The Hawks scored three times in the sixth inning. Jaden Ryan finished with three hits. He drove in a pair of runs.

Twin Valley and Exeter are the top two squads in Division 2 of the Berks League. Shippensburg commit Hailey Kilgore is providing 19 ppg. for the Raiders. Addison Harper, a sophomore for the Eagles, isn’t far behind at 17 ppg. Twin Valley is (3-0) in the league standings, but has dropped all six of its non-league matchups.

Schuylkill Valley hosts rival Hamburg in a key Division 3 battle on Tuesday. The Panthers have a nice one-two punch with Hannah West and Elyssa Sellers. West is contributing a team-high 13.6 ppg., while Sellers adds a dozen points a night.

Oley Valley has won seven of its first ten contests. The Lynx prevailed 29-26 in a defensive tilt against Kutztown in mid-December. Oley Valley has a one game edge over the Cougars in Division 4. The Lynx will be tested on Saturday when they host Twin Valley.

Let’s take a look at how the local teams are doing in the District III power rankings. As you can see, numerous Berks League members need to pick up the pace in order to qualify for the District III tournament. None of the schools in the Berks League fall into Class A or Class 2A.

Class 6A (16 teams qualify)

8. Wilson

16. Gov. Mifflin

18. Reading

29. Muhlenberg

Class 5A (14 teams qualify)

10. Exeter

17. Conrad Weiser

22. Twin Valley

25. Daniel Boone

Class 4A (8 teams qualify)

11. Berks Catholic

12. Schuylkill Valley

14. Hamburg

19. Wyomissing

20. Fleetwood

Class 3A (6 teams qualify)

4. Oley Valley

5. Kutztown

10. Tulpehocken

11. Brandywine Heights

12. Antietam

Player of the Year-Drew Engle

Offensive Back of the Year-Drew Engle

Receiver of the Year-Ben Grundy

Offensive Lineman of the Year-Greyson Miller

Defensive Lineman of the Year-Greyson Miller

Linebacker of the Year-Lucas Myers

Defensive Back of the Year-Justice Hardy

Coach of the Year-Brett Myers

Offense:

QB-Alex Aletras, Maverik Foster

RB-Drew Engle, Justice Hardy, Mason Sherry

Athlete-Owen Schalk

WR-Ben Grundy, Alex Gehret, Ethan Horvath

TE-Diamante Strong

OL-Noah DiGiacomo, Greyson Miller, Eric Bennethum, Anthony Zatorski, Astian Reppert

Kick Returner-Ben Grundy

Kicker-Alex Reali

Long Snapper-Nathan Malone

Defense:

DL-Faith Zudie, Astian Reppert, Greyson Miller, Andrew Bresnahan

LB-Lucas Myers, Chase Eisenhower, Tyler Niedrowski, Keenan Munn

DB-Justice Hardy, Drew Engle, Mason Mace, Grant Moser

Punter-Keegan Maher, Alex Reali

The offenses took center stage in the first quarter. Brandon Pyle’s 14-yard touchdown run capped the Panthers’ opening 50-yard possession. The Hawks responded by going 59 yards for a score. On fourth-and-6, freshman quarterback Isaac McFadden hit Owen Bentz for a first down to the 42-yard line. A defensive holding penalty on fourth-and-7 kept the drive alive. McFadden finished it off with a 1-yard touchdown run, but the extra point was no good. Pyle, a sprinter on the track & field team, ripped off a 60-yard run down the left sideline on the ensuing series. That set up a 3-yard TD pass from Alex Aletras to sophomore Anthony Batista along the right sideline. Hamburg answered almost immediately. McFadden raced 65 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown with ten seconds left in the first quarter. The Hawks trailed 14-13 after twelve minutes.

Harbach, who was inducted into the PSFCA Hall of Fame this year, had a very clear message to his players at the break. “Let’s play physical football, come out and control the line of scrimmage. Our kids listened at halftime and that’s what we did,” he said. Hamburg recovered an onside kick to begin the third quarter. However, Ervin Ortiz came up with an interception on fourth down at his 16-yard line. Pyle then took a shovel pass from Aletras and sprinted 84 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown. “That play really wasn’t run for about 3-4 weeks,” noted Harbach. The quick strike made it 21-13 with 8:55 remaining in the third quarter.

McFadden was sacked and fumbled at his 14-yard line a few minutes into the fourth quarter. The Panthers turned that takeaway into a 28-yard field goal by Reese Wamsher with 5:13 to go. An interception by Alex Gehret gave Schuylkill Valley the ball back at the Hawks’ 44-yard line. Ortiz went 25 yards up the middle for a 31-13 advantage with 2:15 left. Vogel picked off backup quarterback Isaak Stewart on the final play. The (5-3, 4-1) Panthers were +4 in turnover differential.

Schuylkill Valley outgained Hamburg 404-to-295. Aletras was 13-of-19 for 249 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The 6’, 175-pound junior added 59 yards on 13 carries. “In the past two weeks, we instituted the quarterback run game. He’s done real well with it,” explained Harbach. Pyle ran 13 times for 67 yards. The 5’10, 170-pound senior racked up 145 yards on three catches. Gehret chipped in with six receptions for 86 yards. The Hawks dropped to (2-6, 1-4). McFadden ended up 13-of-21 for 122 yards and 2 INT. The talented freshman ran for 66 yards and 2 TD on ten carries. Bryce Schmeck, a 205-pound sophomore, grinded out 73 yards on 20 touches.

The Panthers have won four of their last five games. They travel to Annville-Cleona next Friday. The Dutchmen and Berks Catholic are tied atop Section 5 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League with (5-0) league records. “It’s been more parity than most years. I call it the fun section. I guess it comes down to how healthy are you at the end of the year,” said Harbach.

The young quarterback finished 17-of-32 for 240 yards. Mason Strunk, a 6’4, 205-pound junior, had four catches for 128 yards and a touchdown. “He’s a great tight end. He can catch any ball I throw to him. He’s a really big weapon for us,” emphasized McFadden. He also utilized wide receivers Alex Soto and Ethan Horvath. They combined for eleven receptions and 105 yards. Soto, a 6’ junior, has a team-high nine catches for 93 yards and a score through two games. The (1-1) Hawks lost their top running back, Blaise Ernst, to a broken leg early last Friday night. Sophomore Thomas Johnson filled in with 16 carries for 41 yards. His 1-yard touchdown made it 21-14 with 4:22 left. Hamburg’s defense allowed just 239 total yards. Sophomore linebacker Bryce Schmeck leads the squad with 24 total tackles. Senior defensive lineman Astian Reppert (6’3, 235) is second with 19 tackles.

The Hawks gave head coach Tyler Hartranft his first career victory. “He’s a really great coach. He’s a very smart guy,” remarked McFadden. Hartranft returned to Hawk Hill after serving as the offensive coordinator at Pottsville a season ago. He was Hamburg’s OC in 2022 and 2023. The King’s College graduate coached at his alma mater from 2015-18. He then became the passing game coordinator at McDaniel College. In the offseason, McFadden works with former Wilson High School and Michigan standout Chad Henne. He spent fifteen years in the NFL with the Dolphins, Jaguars, and Chiefs. “He’s won two Super Bowls so I learned a lot from him,” said McFadden.

The Hawks host Bristol this Friday. The Warriors fell to Palisades 21-15 before defeating Pottstown 14-8. McFadden has completed 59% of his passes for 304 yards and 2 TD. He hasn’t thrown an interception. Hamburg’s offensive line includes a freshman and two sophomores. There are only nine seniors on the roster. “We have a lot of young guys on our team that start. They’re gonna build off of that as they get older. I feel like we’re gonna be a very good football team in the future,” replied McFadden.

Hartranft is a graduate of King’s College. He was the wide receivers coach there from 2015-18 before becoming the passing game coordinator at McDaniel College. Hartranft spent 2020 as the quarterbacks coach at Spring-Ford. He then helped Xander Menapace set numerous school records at Hamburg. The Hawks soared to the District 3 semifinals in 2022. This year they have to replace two of the top players in program history. Tyler Shuey set school records with 4,256 career passing yards and 37 touchdown passes. His go-to guy also graduated. Ty Werley established program records with 104 career catches and 1,788 receiving yards. Junior Isaak Stewart and freshman Isaac McFadden are competing for the quarterback position. McFadden is a name that you will want to remember. Blaise Ernst should get a heavy workload at running back. The 5’8, 170-pound junior has been getting carries since his freshman campaign. Mason Strunk (6’4, 205) is another junior to keep an eye on. “He should be on people’s radar. He’s gonna be one of the best tight ends in the league this year. I’m pretty confident in that,” stated Hartranft. Ethan Horvath, Owen Bentz, and Alex Soto will be the targets on the outside for either McFadden or Stewart. Astian Reppert (6’3, 235) and Cayden Mason (6’, 220) will be counted on in the trenches.

Section 5 is expected to be extremely competitive this fall. Schuylkill Valley won the section title outright a season ago. The 51st Frost Bowl is set for October 10th in Leesport. The Panthers won the rivalry matchup 30-21 last year. They lead the all-time series (25-24-1). “It’s extremely important…It’s been a couple years since Hamburg has had the trophy. Schuylkill Valley proudly displayed it at their basketball game and our guys didn’t forget that. That one is circled,” noted Hartranft. The Hawks will host Berks Catholic following the contest with Schuylkill Valley. Lancaster Catholic will also be a tough out in Section 5. “It’s really gonna be tough each and every week. I think it’s a great league overall,” said Hartranft. His debut as a head coach comes on August 22nd at Octorara.

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.