The South Hamilton Hawks football team returns to action on Friday Night, as they welcome in the E-Hawks of Emmetsburg to Bill Taylor Field in Jewell for Class 1A, District 2 action on homecoming night. The Hawks enter at 0-6 and 0-3 in district play, while Emmetsburg enters at 4-2 and 2-1 in district play. Friday’s game is the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
Emmetsburg enters Friday off a loss to Manson-Northwest Webster in Week 6, while also having one possession wins over Pocahontas Area and South Central Calhoun in district play. The E-Hawks offense has one of the most instantly recognizable identities in the state, as their “Sprint T” offense dates back over a half-century to the start of Duane Twait’s run as Emmetsburg coach and winning 8 state titles. The E-Hawks offense is directed by senior quarterback Tyce Jenness, who’s thrown for 230 yards and 4 touchdowns, while rushing for 374 yards and 9 touchdowns as well. The backfield is solidified by senior Brayden Yates, who sits 3rd in 1A in rushing yards with 844 and 7 touchdowns, as sophomore Brennan Hasbrouck has added 346 yards and a touchdown. In the passing game, Jenness’s favorite target has been senior Ryan Wirtz, who’s caught 9 passes for 109 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Krayton Rutledge has 4 catches for 92 yards and 3 touchdowns.
On the defensive side, Emmetsburg has seen solid play from all 3 levels of defense so far in 2025. Ryan Wirtz leads the E-Hawks defensive front with 25 tackles, 5 TFL and a sack, as Nick Saxton has added 16 tackles, 4 TFL and a sack. The linebacking core has played well, as senior Bradyen Yates leads the unit with 24 tackles, 5 TFL and a forced fumble. Gage Ditch has made a number of plays as well at linebacker, with 23.5 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 forced fumble, 2 fumble recoveries and an interception, as Brennan Hasbrouck has 24.5 tackles, 4.5 TFL, a sack and an interception. The defensive backfield has seen a number of contributors, as Jack Wilcoxon leads the unit with 23.5 tackles, a forced fumble and 3 interceptions. Tyce Jenness and Drake Heim have also tallied interceptions in the back end.
South Hamilton will try to finally get over the hump as the Hawks have been close to getting in the win column in their last 2 outings with close losses to East Sac County and Pocahontas Area. The Hawks offense has found a bell cow in running back Wyatt Gelder, who leads 1A in rushing with nearly 900 yards. The defense will be more comfortable facing a run first attack, but will need to be wary of the E-Hawks ability to drop back and throw when needed.
Kickoff is slated for 7 PM on Friday Night at Bill Taylor Field at 7 PM and can be heard on 95.7 KQWC or streaming online at kqradio.com.