Hawks have to keep scoring to hold off no-quit Cougars

By Mike Drago Last updated Sep 21, 2024

Hamburg quarterback Tyler Shuey fires against Kutztown. (PhilMarPhoto)

2024 Berks football coverage presented by

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By Josh Micsky — MikeDragoSports.com correspondent

When Matt Hoffert sees Kutztown on the schedule he knows his team is in for a battle.

“The fight in them is never-ending,” the Hamburg coach said after the Hawks held off the Cougars 34-25 in a wild Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 5 game Friday night. “It was the same way when I was (head coach) there.”

The visiting Cougars (0-2, 0-5) trailed by 14 and 15 points in the first half but never stopped battling.

When Ryan Walters raced 90 yards with a kickoff in the fourth quarter the Cougars were within a two-point conversion of a tie. Hamburg’s Daniel Brady made sure they didn’t get it, stopping a conversion run to preserve a 27-25 lead.

Hamburg quarterback Tyler Shuey proved to be the difference maker, completing 17-of-23 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns; he also led the Hawks with 85 rushing yards and a TD.

“When you run a spread offense you first need a guy that stays calm in the pocket, and who can read the field,” Hoffert said. “He does a great job at both. He’s also great at delivering what he sees on the field to me so we can fix it and get better.”

Shuey put the Hawks up 14-0 with two early TD passes; his 2-yard run made it 21-6 midway through the second quarter.

Just when it looked like Hamburg (2-0, 4-1) might run away with a victory on Homecoming weekend Kutztown got a spark by way of a 73-yard kickoff return by Walters. Three plays later, Jayden Swoyer found the end zone and the game was on.

“Our special teams have been really good this year, but we had some guys filling in this week,” Hoffert said. “Some guys were running at bad angles and opening up holes. I can’t wait to see the film this week and get these guys coached up so it doesn’t happen again.”

Cougars’ Ryan Walters eludes Hawks’ kicker Eli Blatt on way to touchdown. (PhilMarPhoto)

Kutztown used its familiar run-heavy offense to grind away the clock and keep a potent Hamburg offense on the sideline.

“That’s a killer and they did a great job at it,” Hoffert said.

Kutztown pulled the Cougars within 21-12 just before halftime on a sweet one-handed catch by Colten Mathias for a 13-yard touchdown.

Kutztown got the opening kickoff of the second half and had a promising drive going before Ty Werley stepped in front of a Wyatt Stoess pass, the first of four turnovers and three interceptions in the game.

At that point it looked again like Hamburg would control of the game but Kutztown made a fourth-down defensive stop deep in its own territory, setting the stage for one of the crazier fourth quarters either team will see this season.

The Cougars went on a 12-play, 78-yard drive with Mathias’s second receiving touchdown, from 29 yards out, to pull within 21-19 with 11:09 to play.

Blaise Ernst’s 3 yard rush touchdown for Hamburg made it 27-19.

Leland Moore closed it out for Hamburg with a 30-yard TD run with 5:58 left.

Hawks’ Daniel Brady snares a pass. (PhilMarPhoto)

	1	2	3	4	Final
Kutztown	6	6	0	13	25
Hamburg	14	7	0	13	34

Scoring summary

1	Hamburg	Ernst, 14 pass from Shuey (Blatt kick)	10:36
1	Hamburg	Moore, 38 pass from Shuey (Blatt kick)	5:52
1	Kutztown	Swoyer, 2 run (kick blocked)	4:28
2	Hamburg	Shuey, 2 run (Blatt kick)	6:25
2	Kutztown	Mathias, 13 pass from Stoess (run failed)	2:30
4	Kutztown	Mathias, 29 pass from Stoess (Undercuffler kick)	11:04
4	Hamburg	Ernst, 3 run (pass failed)	8:42
4	Kutztown	Walters, 90 kickoff return (run failed)	8:31
4	Hamburg	Moore, 30 run (Blatt kick)	5:58

Team statistics

	Kutztown	Hamburg
First downs	12	17
Rushes-yards	37-160	30-179
Passing yards	123	222
Total yards	283	401
Passes	5-16-4	17-23-0
Fumbles-lost	0-0	1-0
Punts-average	1-34	1-34
Penalties-yards	7-50	12-95