Hamburg ends season on five-game losing skein
2025 Berks football coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
(This story was produced by LNP/Lancasteronline, and published in partnership with MikeDragoSports.com.)
By Michael Pollis — LNP/Lancasteronline
COLUMBIA — Coming into Friday night’s game with a 4-5 record, Columbia knew what it had to do to keep alive its District 3 playoff hopes: Just win.
| Final | |
| Columbia | 34 |
| Hamburg | 6 |
And the Crimson Tide did just that, clawing and fighting their way to a first-half lead before pulling away in the third quarter for a convincing 34-6 Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 5 victory over Hamburg.
The Hawks (1-6, 2-8) end their season with five straight losses and their first losing record in five seasons.
The Tide’s offense set the tone on the game’s first drive, running the ball on eight straight plays, moving it inside the 5-yard line. Chase Marley opened the scoring with a 3-yard run.
Columbia (4-3, 5-5) emphatically put the game away in the third quarter thanks to a big play on defense. First the Tide stopped a Hamburg receiver just inches short of a first down on third-and-long. On the next play, Columbia’s defensive line collapsed the Hawks’ offensive line, bringing down the ballcarrier 3 yards into the backfield to set the Tide offense up just 39 yards from the end zone.
From there, Columbia put the game away with three quick scores. Quarterback Cameron McClair reeled off an impressive 12-yard scramble to set up a 7-yard touchdown run by Tyler Brommer.
On Hamburg’s next possession, McClair did his damage on defense with a 12-yard sack that pinned the Hawks deep in their own territory, leading to a snap over the punter’s head and out of the end zone for a safety.
Minutes later, Columbia virtually put the game on ice when Kareem Nichols took an end-around 23 yards around the left side for a touchdown and a 26-6 lead.
In the fourth quarter, Nichols found Oliver Green on a screen pass at the 11, and Green did the rest, eluding some tacklers and running over others on his way to the end zone.
Columbia’s tackling was on point. On the game’s first drive, defensive end Gage Wolf crushed a ball carrier in the backfield. He and his linemates continued that trend throughout the night.
The Hawks were able to complete numerous short passes, but Columbia’s linebackers and secondary were up to the task, with defenders flocking to the ball and bringing down Hawks’ receivers consistently. The Tide also intercepted a pass and forced a fumble in the first half.
With the tide clinging to a 6-0 lead midway through the second quarter, Ty Brommer cleverly picked up a bouncing punt and sprinted down the left sideline for 40 yards to set up the Tide at the Hamburg 12. A few plays later, Nichols barreled into the end zone from 2 yards out to put Columbia ahead 12-0.
After struggling to move the ball throughout the first half, Hamburg struck for a big play just before halftime when quarterback Isaac McFadden threw a bubble screen to Owen Bentz, who did the rest, breaking multiple tackles and racing down the left sideline for a touchdown.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
| Hamburg | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Columbia | 6 | 6 | 14 | 8 | 34 |
Scoring summary
| 1 | Columbia | Marley, 3 run (kick missed) | |
| 2 | Columbia | Nichols, 2 run (run failed) | |
| 2 | Hamburg | Bentz, 39 pass from McFadden (kick missed) | |
| 3 | Columbia | Brommer, 7 run (run failed) | |
| 3 | Columbia | Nichols, 23 run (run failed) | |
| 4 | Columbia | Green, 11 pass from McClair (Nichols, pass from McClair) |
Team statistics
| HAMBURG | COLUMBIA | |
| First downs | 9 | 15 |
| Rushes-yards | 17-22 | 39-194 |
| Passing yards | 148 | 78 |
| Total yards | 170 | 272 |
| Passes | 14-25-2 | 5-11-0 |
| Fumbles-lost | 2-2 | 1-0 |
| Punts-average | 3-31 | 5-40 |
| Penalties-yards | 5-40 | 7-80 |
Individual statistics
RUSHING
Hamburg: Johnson 12-32, McFadden 5-(-10).
Columbia: Marley 10-58, Nichols 9-57, Brommer 8-36, Rahman-Simms 4-26, Ocasio 3-17, McClair 10-8, Reese 2-6.
PASSING
Hamburg: McFadden 16-25-2–147.
Columbia: McClair 5-11-0–78.
RECEIVING
Hamburg: Horvath 5-32, Strunk 4-45, Soto 3-25, Bentz 2-44, Johnson 2-1.
Columbia: Ocasio 2-28, Morris 1-27, Nichols 1-12, Green 1-11.
INTERCEPTIONS
Columbia: Green, Nichols.
