Preview capsule: Fleetwood vs. Hamburg
Fleetwood (4-3) vs. Hamburg (5-2)
Kick: Friday, 7, at Hamburg.
Berks Football League Section 2 records: Tigers 2-2, Hawks 1-2.
Series: Hawks lead 14-4.
Last season: Diohnny Ruiz scored on a 10-yard touchdown in the fourth overtime period to give Hamburg a 55-49 lead in the longest football game in Berks history. The Hawks then held the Tigers out of the end zone for four plays to clinch it. Earlier, Cameron Harris blocked a field goal in the first OT to keep Hamburg’s hopes alive. Ruiz scored three TDs, one on a kickoff return. Tigers QB Tanner Maddocks threw for 257 yards and five TDs, eight of the passes and three of the TDs to his brother, Owen.
The Tigers: Have won back-to-back games, over Twin Valley and Schuylkill Valley, to pump some life into their District 3 Class 5A playoff hopes… Currently ranked 15th; top 14 qualify… Likely will need to win twice in final three weeks to make the field… Play Upper Dauphin (5-1) next week and Kutztown (2-5) in the season finale… Gavin Morris leads team with 677 rushing yards and 12 TDs… Gage Moyer had a breakout game last week, rushing for 188 yards and four TDs… Tanner Maddocks, a Villanova recruit, leads Berks with six interceptions; he has returned two for scores.
Did you know? Iggy Reynoso scored five touchdowns in Hamburg’s 55-26 win over Fleetwood in 2015; the Hawks have scored 55 points twice in the last four meetings.
The Hawks: Saw fast start interrupted last week with 31-27 loss to Conrad Weiser… Only other loss came to state-ranked Wyomissing, 47-7… Diohnny Ruiz scored a pair of fourth-quarter TDs last week to give his team a chance, but Hawks couldn’t recover late onside kick… Xander Menapace completed 11-of-15 passes, two for TDs, last week… His 64.8 percent completion rate is second in Berks… Ranked third in District 3 Class 3A power ratings… In strong position to make the district playoff field for the first time since 2015… By winning two of final three games could secure a first-round home game… Class 3A field was expanded to eight teams, from six, for this season.
Fast fact: The Tigers have won three of the last six meetings in the series after starting 1-11 in the series.
