The South Hamilton Hawks football team returns to action on Friday night, as they host the Denver Cyclones in the first round of the Class 1A Playoffs at Bill Taylor Field in Jewell. South Hamilton enters with a record of 7-1 and a 5-0 district record, while Denver enters at 5-3 and a 2-3 record in District 3.
Denver enters Friday matchup as the 4-seed out of the toughest district in Class 1A this fall, as the Cyclones spent plenty of time ranked throughout the regular season. The Cyclones offense is one that gets it down on the ground, similar to South Hamilton, as their star has been senior running back Micah Grier. Grier has rushed for 1,288 yards and 14 touchdowns on the season, averaging 8.6 yards per carry. Evan Dorn has also provided a solid second option, with Dorn rushing for and additional 506 yards and 5 touchdowns, running behind a beefy offensive line. When they do go to the air, quarterback Jaxon Sanderson is the one who distributes it, as Sanderson has thrown for 467 yards and 7 touchdowns, but has thrown 4 interceptions and completed just 47.3% of his passes. Sanderson’s favorite target has been senior Keaton Rothmeyer, who’s caught 14 passes for 182 yards and 3 touchdowns, while junior Ethan Reiter has caught 10 balls for 140 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, the Cyclones heartbeat has been senior linebacker Evan Dorn, who’s collected a team-high 63 tackles, with 9 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries and an interception. Fellow linebacker Jackson Olmstead has added 34.5 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks, and Jackson Schoville has contributed 28.5 tackles and a fumble recovery. The defensive line has been a force for the Cyclones in 2023, with senior Alex Moran leading the way with 28 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. Cody Koepke has been productive with 24.5 tackles, 8 tackles for loss and 3 sacks, while Logan Beaty has added a unit-high 29.5 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and 2 sacks. The secondary has been a big-play unit for the Cyclones, as Ethan Reiter leads the group with 4 interceptions, while Keaton Rothmeyer has 3 interceptions and 2 pick sixes on the season. Jaxon Sanderson also has 3 interceptions on the year.
South Hamilton enters with the task of having to play the toughest 4-seed in the 1A field, but the Hawks are entering playing their best football of the year. For the 2nd time in 2023, South Hamilton averaged 20+ yards per carry in their 60-13 win over Grand View Christian. Nick Severseike is the Hawks leading rusher with 889 yards and 17 touchdowns, while Kolby Hodnefield has rushed for 575 yards and 6 touchdowns. Fullback Noah Gunderson has rushed for 487 yards and 7 touchdowns for the Hawks as well. South Hamilton will present a challenge for the Denver front, with a quick, athletic defensive line as Owen Duns and Carter Stolee dominated a week ago, while Owen Renaud presence is enough to thwart attempts to run the ball to his side.
Kickoff is slated for 7 PM on Friday night from Bill Taylor Field in Jewell.