Muhlenberg, Hamburg headed to Eastern Conference playoffs
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Muhlenberg is returning to the postseason for the first time in seven years after claiming a spot in the Eastern Conference Class 5A/6A championship game.
Hamburg, which missed out on a district playoff spot, will play in the Eastern Conference Class 4A championship game. The Hawks (6-4) will travel to North Pocono Friday.
The Muhls (3-7) went just 1-9 last season but started fast this season, with three early wins under first-year coach Rob Flowers.
Muhlenberg will take a six-game losing streak into Friday’s game at William Allen (3-7). The Canaries snapped a seven-game losing streak by beating Dieruff 20-14 in overtime in its regular season finale.
The Hawks closed their regular season with a 59-0 win over Columbia. They finished 12th in the District 3 Class 4A power ratings; the top 10 qualify for districts.
The Eastern Conference playoffs are for teams which miss their district playoffs. There are four classifications, and one round of playoffs. The team with the higher power rating hosts.
Muhlenberg hasn’t played in Week 11 since 2017 when it beat Conrad Weiser 26-23 in overtime to win the Eastern Conference Class 4A title.
An 11th game will give Muhlenberg running back Cameron Small a chance to top the program rushing record of 1,883 yards, set by Jason Reinhart in 1998. Small, the Lancaster-Lebanon League’s rushing leader with 1,842 yards, went for 290 yards in a 52-22 loss to undefeated Conestoga Valley.
This will be the Muhls’ fourth appearance in EC play; they won semifinal games in 2003 and 2012 before losing in the championship each year.
Hamburg played in the Eastern Conference Class 3A championship vs. Berks Catholic last season, losing 40-21. This will be the Hawks’ sixth appearance in the Eastern Conference playoffs. They won a championship in 2019, beating Big Spring.
The Hawks’ opponent, North Pocono (4-6), won its first three games this season before stalling out in league play, where it went 1-6 in Division 1 of the Lackawanna Football Conference.
Eastern Conference pairings
- Class 5A/6A: Muhlenberg (3-7) at William Allen (3-7)
- Class 4A: Hamburg (6-4) at North Pocono (4-6)
- Class 3A: Pequea Valley (5-5) at Tamaqua (6-4)
- Class 1A/2A: Holy Cross (3-6) at Old Forge (4-6)
