The South Hamilton Hawks football team returns to action on Friday night, when they travel down to the Des Moines metro to take on the Thunder of Grand View Christian in Class 1A, District 7 action at Saydel High School in Des Moines. South Hamilton enters at 6-1 and 4-0 in the district, while Grand View Christian enters at 4-3 and 2-2 in the district in this first-ever meeting between the 2 schools.
South Hamilton enters Friday’s matchup as one of the hottest teams in Class 1A, outscoring their district opponents by a grand total of 208-22 and averaging 423.2 rushing yards in those 4 games. The Hawks are still the leading 11-man rushing attack in Iowa, with 2,773 rushing yards, which is good for #2 in the state all-classes, only behind 8-man Clarksville. Nick Severseike has a chance to crack the 1,000 yard mark with a 170+ yard performance against the Thunder, as he currently sits at 828 yards and 16 touchdowns. Defensively, the South Hamilton defense has stepped up big in the last 2 games, shutting out perceived district contenders Ogden and Woodward-Granger, as the Hawks secondary recorded 3 interceptions last week.
Grand View Christian’s first season in 11-man football can very well be seen as a genuine success, with the Thunder having already locked up a playoff spot, whether or not they are the #3 or #4 seed will be determined by other outcomes on Friday. Noah John has led the Thunder offense with 1,205 passing yards and 12 touchdowns, while rushing for another 529 yards and 11 touchdowns., but John has thrown 7 interceptions and is only completing 50% of his passes. John’s favorite target has been junior receiver Austin Jordan, while only 5′ 7″, Jordan has caught 30 passes for 518 yards and 6 touchdowns. Other top targets include sophomore Brayden Hoben, who’s caught 23 balls for 342 yards and 2 touchdowns, as well as senior JaMarcus Bradley-Norman, who’s caught 19 balls for 153 yards and 4 touchdowns. The rushing attack is led by senior back Kaeden Burger, who’s rushed for 374 yards and 3 touchdowns off 84 carries on the season.
Defensively, the Thunder defense is led by Kaeden Burger at linebacker, as he’s recorded a team-high 57 tackles on the year, with 10 tackles for loss and a sack. Sophomore Brayden Hoben has also put up a big year at linebacker, with 50 total tackles, 4 tackles for loss and 2 fumble recoveries. Brexton Jordan and Drew Ackelson round out the linebackers in the Thunder’s 3-4 scheme, as Jordan has 19.5 tackles, 3 tackles for loss and 2 sacks, while Ackelson has 34.5 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 3 sacks and a fumble recovery. Up front, Noah John has done the most damage at defensive end, with 24.5 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries and a scoop and score. Miguel Vasquez-Sanchez has also put up solid numbers, with 29.5 tackles, 1 sack and 4 tackles for loss on the season. In the defensive backfield, cornerback Gabe Miguez leads the unit with 32.5 tackles and 2 interceptions, while his counterpart Austin Jordan has 22 tackles and 2 interceptions as well.
Kickoff is slated for 7 PM on Friday night from Saydel High School, and can be heard on 95.7 KQWC or online at kqradio.com.