Team of the Day: Hamburg Hawks
2024 Berks football coverage
presented by UECU
It’s been said life begins at 50. That’s been true for the Hamburg Hawks. After some trying days in their infancy the Hawks — who debuted in 1969 — are enjoying life these days.
Three years ago, in their 53rd season, they won their first District 3 playoff game. In 2022 they cracked the state Top 10 rankings for the first time and won their first home district playoff game en route to a 9-3 finish.
They finished with a winning record again last season, marking the first time in program history the Hawks have record three straight winning seasons.
Life in Section 5 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League has been good for Hamburg.
The wins were much tougher to come by at the beginning.
The Hawks were a newcomer in the Inter-County League, going against established and successful programs at Holy Name, Central Catholic, Conrad Weiser, Lansdale Catholic, and Exeter.
The Hawks debuted with four straight winless seasons and 38 consecutive losses — a Berks record for futility. It wasn’t until their fifth season that they won a game; by Year 9 they had a winning record.
Hamburg claimed its only Inter-County League championship in 1985, setting a program record by winning 10 games under the late Bill Sakusky, the winningest coach in program history and a staple around the program for years after he stepped down as head coach.
Tyler Shuey sparked last season’s winning effort with a monster season at quarterback. He set program records by throwing for 2,762 yards and 25 touchdowns; no other Hawks passer has topped 2,000 yards in a season.
Before that Xander Menapace rewrote the passing portion of the Hawks record book during his efficient three-year run at quarterback.
There’s one record neither Menapace or Shuey were able to top, the one for passing yards in a game: Matt Deibler has owned that since throwing for 416 yards against Schuylkill Valley in 1998. That remained the Berks record for 10 years, before Daniel Boone’s Jon Monteiro topped it.
To find more about Hamburg football history, including the newly expanded team records page, click on the Hawks Team Page.
You can find this season’s schedule, the Hawks series record against all their current opponent, results from the 2023, 2022, and 2021 seasons and team rushing, scoring, and passing records you won’t find anywhere else.
Each day during the preseason, MikeDragoSports.com will feature a different Berks team.
Up next: Kutztown Cougars.
