As the seconds ticked closer to the 7:30 a.m. start of workouts this offseason, players on the Hamburg football team would scan the room, then reach for their phones.
“It gets close, you see everybody texting and calling people.” Hamburg coach Matt Hoffert said. “So we’ve taken accountability; they want to be better. That’s the way It needs to be going forward. The more accountability they have for each other, the easier it makes my job, but the better we’ll be “
That commitment is one reason why Hoffert is excited about his second season as the head coach at his alma mater.
Not only did the amount of guys in the weight room in the summer exceed past levels, but roster numbers are up from the youth level to the varsity, Hoffert said.
This after the Hawks went 5-2 to finish tied for second in Section 5 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League, 9-3 overall and made their second straight appearance in the District 3 Class 3A semifinals.
The bar — literally and figuratively — has been raised on Hawk Hill.
“You win, you know how it is, everyone always wants more,” Hoffert said. “I think that the expectation is more, but it’s actually the excitement of the community. Now people want to be more involved. I think everything together is going to make us better.”
Hamburg’s players appear to have embraced the challenge of increased expectations.
“Everybody wants to get better than last year,” said senior Mason Semmel, a tight end and middle linebacker. “So with nine wins last year, I mean, obviously we want to make the playoffs. That’s definitely the biggest thing.”
The Hawks lost several big-time contributors from last season’s team, one that averaged 42.3 points per game.
Xander Menapace was the All-Berks first-team quarterback. Running back Pierce Mason ran for 1,374 yards — averaging 10.2 yards per carry — scored 25 touchdowns and was a second-team All-Berks pick even though he missed time due to injury..
Charles Sheppard was the Outstanding Lineman of the Year and the Defensive Lineman of the Year in Section 5. Cornerback Derek Ruiz was on the All-Berks second team.
“It’s hard shoes to fill,” said senior Cohen Correll, a wide receiver and linebacker. “They’re seniors that left a big hole for us, so we gotta step up to the plate.”
Led by Semmel and Correll, the Hawks do have plenty of talent returning.
Semmel made the Section 5 first team at outside linebacker and the second team at tight end. He made 21 catches for 246 yards and five TDs.
Correll was second-team All-Berks at wide receiver after making 39 catches for 545 yards and scoring four TDs last year.
Also earning honors in Section 5 were senior center Bryce Kamp, a first-team selection, and junior wide receiver Ty Werley (35 catches, 462 yards, five TDs), a second-team pick.
“We’ve got a lot of people coming back that were big contributors last year,” Semmel said. “We still have a really good core of people coming back to contribute that did big things last year.”
There will be some newcomers, most notably at quarterback. Junior Tyler Shuey and sophomore Ethan Horvath are competing for the starting job, Hoffert said.
Shuey completed 1-of-2 passes and had 32 yards on six carries as the backup last year.
“They’re so equal at times,” Hoffert said. “One runs a little more than the other one, but we’ll go into a practice and one will have a really good game and we’re like, ‘He’s gonna be it.’ Then the next day it’s the other one. This is gonna really gonna come down to camp and into our scrimmage.”
Juniors Leland Moore and Aidan Readinger look to split time at running back.
“Going for a Pony Express-type thing,” Moore said.
Moore got a chance to show his skills last season when Mason was out with an injury. He ran for 232 yards and two touchdowns on 37 carries in a 48-27 win over Northern Lebanon.
Last year, Hoffert said, Readinger went through the preseason as the team’s No. 1 back before tearing an ACL in the Hawks’ scrimmage.
On defense, the Hawks will have a different look this season. Last season, Hamburg played a 4-2-5 scheme; this year, under first-year defensive coordinator Kevin Smith, it will set up in a 3-5.
“We looked at this lineup and we have all these athletic guys,” Hoffert said. “The DC is like, ‘We gotta get these guys on the field.’ We’re going to move guys around.”
Hoffert said the plan is to be aggressive, bring guys off the edge and “all the good stuff up front these guys get excited about.”
Of course, nothing gets players and the community more excited than winning. It was only two seasons ago that Hamburg won a district playoff game for the first time.
“It was just a huge thing to be a part of,” Semmel said, “and now, my senior year, just like being able to be a part of a team that really, you know, has those capabilities of making the playoffs again year after year. Everybody’s just putting in the work to be better. I mean, it’s definitely a great thing to be a part of.”
A look at the Hawks
Coach: Matt Hoffert, second season (
Last year: 5-2 Lancaster-Lebanon Section 5, 9-3; District 3 Class 3A semifinalist.
PIAA classification: 3A.
Schedule: Aug. 25, Halifax; Sept. 1, at Warrior Run; Sept. 8, Fairfield; Sept. 15, Annville-Cleona; Sept. 22, at Kutztown; Sept. 29, Lancaster Catholic; Oct. 6, Pequea Valley; Oct. 13, at Schuylkill Valley; Oct. 20, Northern Lebanon; Oct. 27, at Columbia.
