Three TDs by Mason Semmel help Hamburg hold off Warrior Run
2023 Berks football coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
By Logan Moyer — MikeDragoSports.com correspondent
TURBOTVILLE — One player steps up one week, another the next.
That seems to be the game plan for Hamburg (2-0), which survived an upset bid by Warrior Run (0-2) Friday night, defeating the Defenders 34-27 at Defender Stadium in a non-league game.
Last week, junior Ty Werley set a single-game program record in receiving yards with 253 yards on five receptions, including three touchdowns. Friday, senior tight end Mason Semmel stole the spotlight, recording 165 receiving yards on four catches, finding the end zone three times.
“It just tells you that any given week, anybody can get you,” Semmel said. “You’ve really just got to watch out for all of us. We’ve got weapons. We’re gonna hurt you every week.”
“He’s been a leader on this team,” said second-year Hawks coach Matt Hoffert said of Semmel. “He’s been a captain for two years for a reason. I mean, when a big play has to be made here at the end, he made a tackle to end the game.”
It wasn’t a pretty win for the Hawks, who were penalized 18 times for 170 yards. They allowed a perceived weaker opponent in Warrior Run to hang around until the fourth quarter due to turnovers and poor offensive execution.
“I’m always negative after a game,” Hoffert said. “There’s so much you have to fix. We actually beat ourselves a lot tonight.”
At times on Friday the Hamburg defense was suffocating. At other times, the exact opposite. One minute, they were wrapping up Warrior Run rushers in the backfield, and then the next they allowed a 40-plus yard touchdown catch.
“(The defense is) absolutely something we’ve got to fix,” Hoffert said. “It’s no secret that we’re young in the secondary. These guys have got to keep growing. We’ve gotta fix it.”
After the Hawks jumped out to a 14-0 lead, the Defenders struck back. Carter Marr found himself open downfield for a 38-yard touchdown grab, putting the hosts on the board late in the first half.
Every time it seemed the Hawks had gained some ground in the proverbial tug-of-war, the Defenders yanked the rope right back.
Right after Semmel recorded his second touchdown, Marr returned the ensuing kickoff for an 82-yard house call. In the fourth quarter, after quarterback Tyler Shuey scored a touchdown on a 3-yard keeper, the Defenders scored on the first play from scrimmage with a 72-yard grab by star wideout Sam Hall.
Up by a single score with under six minutes to play, the Hawks found themselves in quite the dangerous situation. Following a shanked punt, the Defenders were handed the ball on the Hamburg 48-yard line. They worked their way down to the 9, but were faced with a fourth-and-3. Following a low snap, Defender QB Ryan Newton unsuccessfully attempted a shovel pass after being pressured by Semmel, which was batted down by the Hamburg defenders, sealing the win for the Hawks.
The one-score victory is a far cry from one year ago when the Hawks set a single-game program record for points scored, defeating the Defenders 75-21 on Hawk Hill.
“I told these guys that Warrior Run has gotten a lot better,” Hoffert said. “Their coaching staff here does a great job getting these guys going, and I knew it was going to be a fight. They did a great job fighting back.”
Next week, the Hawks will host Fairfield. The Knights are 0-2 following a 40-19 season-opening loss to Juniata Valley and a second-week 32-0 loss to Eastern York.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
| Hamburg | 7 | 7 | 13 | 7 | 34 |
| Warrior Run | 0 | 7 | 13 | 7 | 27 |
Scoring summary
| 1 | Hamburg | Semmel, 16 pass from Shuey (Blatt kick) | 8:33 |
| 2 | Hamburg | Brandstatter, 1 run (Blatt kick) | 10:41 |
| 2 | Warrior Run | Hall, 38 pass from Newton (McCormick kick) | 0:58 |
| 3 | Hamburg | Semmel, 48 pass from Shuey (run failed) | 10:07 |
| 3 | Warrior Run | Marr, 82 kick return | 9:49 |
| 3 | Warrior Run | Hall, 2 pass from Newton (kick failed) | 5:14 |
| 3 | Hamburg | Semmel, 72 pass from Shuey (Blatt kick) | 3:36 |
| 4 | Hamburg | Shuey, 3 run (Blatt kick) | 10:18 |
| 4 | Warrior Run | Marr, 59 pass from Newton (McCormick kick) | 9:59 |
Team statistics
| Hamburg | Warrior Run | |
| First downs | 20 | 13 |
| Rushes-yards | 40-124 | 20-(-6) |
| Passing yards | 303 | 298 |
| Total yards | 427 | 292 |
| Passes | 15-34-1 | 13-31-1 |
| Fumbles-lost | 4-1 | 2-1 |
| Punts-average | 4-37.3 | 6-43.5 |
| Penalties-yards | 18-170 | 14-141 |
Individual statistics
RUSHING
Hamburg: Shuey 19-92, Brandstatter 10-13, Moore 8-19, Oviedo 3-0.
Warrior Run: LeBarron 11-38, Hall 1-2, Royles 1-1, Newton 7-(-47).
PASSING
Hamburg: Shuey 15-34-1–303.
Warrior Run: Newton 13-31-1–298.
RECEIVING
Hamburg: Semmel 4-165, Bentz 3-57, Correll 3-22, Werley 2-42, Horvath 2-13, Brady 1-15.
Warrior Run: Marr 6-202, Hall 6-89, LeBarron 1-7.
INTERCEPTIONS
Hamburg: Bentz.
Warrior Run: Marr
