Hawks soaring into L-L Section 1 opener

New coaching staff. New offense. New lead back. Same results.

The Hamburg Hawks, who started fast last year and ended winning their first district playoff game, are back on top again.

Despite all the transition — new head coach Matt Hoffert brought in Tyler Hartranft as offensive coordinator and installed a new offense — the Hawks are 3-0 and winning big. Their move from a Wing-T offense, which they had run for years, to a Spread sure hasn’t slowed them down.

The Hawks set a program record by scoring 75 points in their second game and are averaging 59 points, third-highest in the state.

“These guys were so focused this summer,” senior tailback Pierce Mason said of his teammates. “Once the coaches came around with the new stuff, they picked it up fast. They really wanted it.”

As soon as Hoffert was hired in January senior quarterback Xander Menapace began huddling with Hartranft. The third-year starter, playing for his third head coach, picked up the nuances of the offense quickly and has run things smoothly through the opening games. He has completed 65 percent of his passes with five TDs for 420 yards and only one interception in 43 attempts.

The Hawks are averaging 412 yards per game, fourth-best in the entire Lancaster-Lebanon League.

“He’s killing it,” Mason said of Menapace. “He is so dedicated to the sport. I swear, that’s all he thinks of.

“He’s really accurate (with his passes), he’s able to move the ball when he’s outside the pocket. . . he’s looking really impressive this year.”

As are the Hawks, one of eight unbeatens in the 37-team L-L.

Hamburg, a preseason favorite in what figures to be a tightly bunched Section 5 race, makes its league debut Friday at Annville-Cleona.

Hoffert is a former Hamburg assistant coach and lineman. That connection is important to him and the players.

He talks to them often about taking pride in the program and playing for the community; that has message has resonated in the locker room.

“They love that I was a Hawk,” said Hoffert, a senior in 2000. “Every time we talk, I tell them: ‘I’ve been through this, I’ve been on this field, in this school,’ and they love that I was part of the same kind of thing years before them.”

“You can relate to someone like that who’s been through everything we’ve been through,” said Mason, a captain along with Menapace, Mason Semmel and Charlie Zettlemoyer. “Football, school, everything. . . He’s one of us. That’s really nice to know. He cares so much about this team. He’s not gonna let you down.”

Despite returning just four starters on offense and needing to replace All-State back Diohnny Ruiz coaches around the league pointed to the Hawks as the team to beat. One of the big reasons is Menapace, who’s 6-5, has a big arm and is a student of the game.

In the Wing-T the quarterback is mostly a game-manager. In the Spread Menapace is a much more imporant piece because he’ll throw more often and has an opportunity to run more, too.

“Xander just does a great job,” Hoffert said. “He’s a leader on the field. He makes some great reads (in the run game); that’s why Pierce is able to run the ball the way he does.”

Mason, a complementary piece to Ruiz last season, is the main man now, and for good reason. He presents a combination of speed and toughness, each of those elements on display last week when he scored four touchdowns and matched the program record with 292 rushing yards in a win over Eastern York. He has scored 11 touchdowns and is averaging 13.6 yards per carry.

“He’s the hardest runner I’ve ever played with,” Menapace said. “Ever since youth (football) he’s always wanted to hit someone. That’s just his mentality.”

Mason is the first to point to his offensive line as a reason for his success. That was an area of concern for the Hawks coming into the season but the unit has quickly come together.

Center Bryce Kamp, guard Zettlemoyer, tackle Chris Brown and tight end Semmel have joined return starters Charles Shepard, at tackle, and Evan Snyder, at guard.

“Our line is really starting to step up,” Hoffert said. “Xander wouldn’t have the time (to throw) and Pierce wouldn’t be able to run the ball if our line wasn’t stepping up.

“The key is attitude and effort,” Hoffert said, “and that’s what I’ve been preaching since Day 1. The coaches and I can teach them everything in the world but they’ve gotta put the attitude and effort out on the field.”

Lancaster Catholic and Annville-Cleona, considered top contenders in Section 5, are also off to fast starts. The Crusaders are 3-0 and winning by nearly three touchdowns a game; the Little Dutchmen have the league’s leading rusher in Phoenix Music (619 yards) and are averaging more than 38 points.

Menapace and Mason aren’t concerned about the other team’s in their section at this point. Their focus is inward and on continuing to improve.

“We’ve been going week by week,” Mason said. “I have a lot of confidence in this team and the work ethic. Once we focus up, it’s hard to beat (us).”