Xander Menapace-Hamburg

It certainly wasn’t the start that the Hawks envisioned. They trailed #5 seed Upper Dauphin 14-0 with two minutes left in the opening quarter. Hamburg senior quarterback Xander Menapace remained confident. “There was not a doubt in my mind and anyone else’s mind that we could keep driving down the field and punching it in every single drive,” he emphasized. That’s exactly what fourth-seeded Hamburg did in the third period of the District 3-3A quarterfinals. The Hawks reached the end zone on all four of their possessions in that quarter and went on to win 49-35. The (8-3) Trojans arrived on Hawk Hill with a 7-game winning streak. An interception by Tegan Engle on Hamburg’s first series set Upper Dauphin up at the Hawks’ 45-yard line. 220-pound senior Brandon Snyder capped the drive with a 3-yard run. After forcing a three-and-out, the Trojans quickly marched 56 yards for another score. Alex Hepler’s 1-yard run made it 14-0. Menapace responded with a 4-yard touchdown run with 55 seconds remaining in the quarter. Hamburg evened things up on Pierce Mason’s 22-yard score midway through the second period. The 6’1, 185-pound senior was just getting warmed up. Ricky Clark’s 39-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Upper Dauphin as time expired. The Hawks’ offense shifted into another gear after halftime. Menapace connected with sophomore Ty Werley in the left corner of the end zone for a 27-yard touchdown. Derek Ruiz then picked off Aidan Bingaman’s pass along the sideline and returned it to the 23-yard line. Mason cashed in the turnover with an 11-yard score for a 28-14 advantage. He ripped off a 56-yard touchdown on Hamburg’s next possession. Ruiz raced 62 yards for another score with 34 seconds to go in the quarter. The Trojans found themselves down 42-21. They didn’t go away quietly. Bingaman flipped a 4-yard pass to Landon Mace early in the fourth quarter. The 6’3, 195-pound tight end had four catches for 22 yards and 2TD. Mace entered the game with just seven receptions, but three of them were touchdowns. On fourth-and-three, Bingaman scrambled for an 11-yard score with 6:37 left. All of a sudden, Upper Dauphin was within 42-35. Mason’s 48-yard touchdown run was erased due to a holding penalty. However, the Hawks wouldn’t be denied. Menapace gave a hard count on fourth-and-four from the Trojans’ 43-yard line with 4:33 remaining and Upper Dauphin jumped offside. Mason sealed the victory with an 8-yard run off the left side with 76 seconds to go. It was his fourth rushing touchdown of the night and 35th of his career which tied Vreeland Wood’s school record. Mason racked up 268 yards on 25 carries. “They couldn’t stop him. We knew that so we just kept giving it to him. He’s a beast,” said Menapace. The 6’5, 210-pound quarterback enjoyed playing at home one last time. “We have great fans, great crowd all the time no matter if it’s a District game or a regular game. You were at the Frost Bowl, great atmosphere. I can’t thank everyone enough,” he stressed. Menapace went 13-of-17 for 141 yards and an interception. He threw for one touchdown and ran for another. Menapace set the school record for completions in a career with 229. He also established a new single season record for passing yards with 1,710. Hamburg finished with 516 total yards including 375 on the ground. The (9-2) Hawks allowed 389 yards. Bingaman, a 6’1 sophomore, was 12-of-30 for 156 yards with a touchdown and a pick. Brady Morgan played through an injury and wound up with 74 yards on eleven carries. The 5’8, 160-pound senior also tossed a touchdown pass to Mace late in the third quarter. Morgan ran for a team-high 1,059 yards and 13TD this season. 190-pound senior fullback Branden Fetterhoff provided 65 yards on eleven touches. Eight different players got a carry for the Trojans for 217 rushing yards. This was Upper Dauphin’s tenth appearance in the District 3 tournament. They claimed the Class 2A championship in 2019. Hamburg is in the District 3 postseason field for the eighth time. The Hawks picked up a win for the second year in a row. Menapace talked about a culture shift that has occurred with the team. He replied, “I think it starts with the players. It starts in the locker room. It’s a drive that you want to get up every day and win it for your town, and win it for your program.” Hamburg will travel to unbeaten Wyomissing next Saturday for the District 3-3A semifinals. The Hawks are averaging 45 points per game. Only Manheim Central has scored more points in the Lancaster-Lebanon League. Menapace and I also discussed the Eagles’ Super Bowl chances and his favorite Halloween candy.