The 2024 South Hamilton football team was one that battled adversity as nobly as any program in all of Class 1A the entire season. Injuries, a small roster, the loss of a former teammate, all of that didn’t stop the Hawks from clinching a home playoff game and advancing to the Round of 16 for the 3rd consecutive year. 2025 will have familiar faces in the trenches, but the skill group is nearly brand-new.
Offense
South Hamilton has a now-long established identity of a power run football team with their belly-series wishbone attack. The heartbeat of that unit will be the offensive line, which returns 4 of 6 starters in Gaige Willis, Brody Harris, Parker Stuck, Ben Swenson and Titus Herrick. Expect guys such as Kyler Ziesman, Spencer Davis and Davien Henderson to also fill in, as Lyndon Johnson is the top guy back at tight end. The backfield will be brand new from a starting perspective, as Garrett Johnson appears to be in line to take over as starting quarterback as a sophomore, similar to his older brother, Tjerdan. Jose Babcock is the early leader to slot in at fullback, while Maddux Becker could also see some carries at the spot. The running back spots will likely be filled by Wyatt Gelder and Kaden Dean, both of whom received limited carries in 2024. Depth will be something that needs to be built in the backfield, as the competition will be open to try and fill backup spots.
Defense
A younger group in 2024, the Hawks defensive line looks to be the ones to set the tone for Trev Houck’s defense in 2025. Titus Herrick leads the unit statistically, tallying 3 TFL and 3 sacks a season ago. Ben Swenson is someone who could be in for a breakout sophomore campaign after a promising freshman year, as Gaige Willis will be someone that will see a bigger role as a senior after platooning in 2024. The linebacking core is one that could surprise people, as Jose Babcock leads the unit coming back with 24 tackles, while Brody Harris stepped in halfway through the season and didn’t provide a drop off. Maddux Becker and Parker Stuck are two guys to watch to step in in the linebacking core as well. The defensive backfield will be a rather green one, as Wyatt Gelder is the top athlete back after 16 tackles a year ago, as Garrett Johnson and Kaden Dean are most likely to join Gelder in the secondary.