JEWELL — The South Hamilton Hawks football team opened their 2025 regular season on Friday night, as they welcomed in the Saint Ansgar Saints for a non-district battle at Bill Taylor Field in Jewell. Friday’s game was the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
Saint Ansgar entered Friday as the #2 team in Class A and showcased why from the get-go. The Saints scored on the 2nd play of the game on a Korben Michels 56-yard touchdown run to put the Saints ahead 7-0. Following a Hawks punt, the Saints went to the air as Porter Schwiesow hit Korben Michels for a 68-yard touchdown pass to put Saint Ansgar up 13-0. After a South Hamilton fumble, Korben Michels scored his 3rd touchdown of the opening quarter from 18 yards out to put the Saints ahead 19-0. Saint Ansgar would score another touchdown in the first quarter, followed by 3 more scores in the 3rd quarter to take a 46-0 halftime lead.
South Hamilton did start the 2nd half on a positive note, as a Wyatt Gelder 45-yard run set up a 5-yard touchdown run by Titus Herrick to get on the scoreboard as the Hawks trailed 46-0. Following a Saint Ansgar score in the start of the 4th quarter, the Hawks answered with a 9-yard touchdown run from Wyatt Gelder to make the score 53-14. Saint Ansgar’s reserves would score once more before the final whistle as the Saints claimed a 59-14 win.
The Hawks would tally 172 yards on the ground, as Wyatt Gelder led the Hawks with 89 yards and a touchdown on 9 carries, while Titus Herrick filled in at fullback for an absent Jose Babcock and rushed 14 times for 46 yards and a touchdown.
South Hamilton football returns to action on Friday, when they travel to Panora to take on the Panorama Panthers in non-district action with kickoff at 7 PM.