EMMETSBURG, Ia. — The South Hamilton Hawks football team returns to the gridiron on Friday Night, as they make the drive into northwest Iowa to take on the Emmetsburg E-Hawks in Class 1A, District 2 action at Duane Twait Field. South Hamilton enters at 1-5, while Emmetsburg enters at 3-3. Emmetsburg leads the all-time series 1-0, winning the first-ever meeting between the two schools in 2025 by a score of 37-8.
Emmetsburg enters Friday off a loss to Manson-Northwest Webster in Week 6, while also having wins over South Central Calhoun, Pocahontas Area and Estherville-Lincoln Central. 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 junior quarterback MJ Bay, who’s thrown for 182 yards, while rushing for 207 yards and 3 touchdowns as well. The backfield is solidified by senior Joe Fischer, who has 72 carries for 429 yards and 3 touchdowns, while sophomore Beckham Shirk has 71 carries for 304 yards and 4 touchdowns. Junior Brennan Hasbrouck has added 260 yards and a touchdown at fullback. In the passing game, Bay’s favorite target has been sophomore Vince Nelson, who’s caught 7 catches for 84 yards.
On the defensive side, Emmetsburg has seen solid play from all 3 levels of defense so far in 2026. The E-Hawks linebacking core has stood out, as senior Gage Ditch has 42 tackles and 4 TFL, as Brennan Hasbrouck has 24 tackles, 3 TFL, and an interception, while Clay Shirk has 19.5 tackles and a TFL. The defensive line has held serve, as sophomore Vince Nelson leads the unit with 21.5 tackles, 3.5 TFL and a sack, as junior Wyatt Armstrong-Ricke has 18 tackles. The defensive backfield has seen a number of contributors, as Joe Fischer leads the secondary with 2 interceptions and 6.5 tackles, as Isaiah Helle had a unit-high 18.5 tackles and an interception.
South Hamilton football will look to rally after a tough loss at home against Pocahontas Area, as the Hawks offense performed well in the loss, rolling up over 300 rushing yards despite being down their top 2 running backs. The Hawks defense will have a discipline challenge of slowing down the E-Hawks Sprint T attack.
Kickoff is set for 7 PM from Duane Twait Field on Friday Night.