The South Hamilton Hawks football team returns to action on Friday night, as they make the trip into northern Dallas County to take on the Woodward-Granger Hawks in Class 1A, District 7 action at Uthe Field in Woodward. South Hamilton enters at 3-3 , while Woodward-Granger enters at 5-1. South Hamilton won last season’s meeting in Jewell 50-0, as the Hawks lead the all-time series 14-7.
Woodward-Granger enters Friday with a 5-1 record with wins over Madrid, Interstate 35, Nodaway Valley, Ogden and Grand View Christian, and a lone loss in non-district play to Pleasantville. The Woodward-Granger offense has been directed by junior quarterback Talan Fuson, after stepping in halfway through 2023, has thrown for 1,065 yards and 13 touchdowns, while rushing for another 578 yards and 10 touchdowns. CJ Petersen has run the football well, rushing for 365 yards and 4 touchdowns, while Ethan Dunlavey and Oscar Potter have both run for over 100 yards. Max Dalton has been Fuson’s favorite target, catching 29 passes for 473 yards and 4 touchdowns. Kane Mahler-Moreno and Chandler Drake have been explosive in the passing game, as Mahler-Moreno has 11 receptions for 397 yards and 5 touchdowns, and averages 36.1 yards per reception. Chandler Drake has caught 6 passes for 139 yards and 4 touchdowns, averaging 23.2 yards per reception.
Defensively, the Hawks front seven has been stout from the stat of the season. Kane Mahler-Moreno leads the defensive line, tallying 28.5 tackles, 12 TFL and 5 sacks on the season. Brady Seeman has held anchor in the interior with 7.5 tackles, 4 TFL and 1.5 sacks. Oscar Potter is the teams leading tackler at linebacker, with 31 tackles, 6 TFL and 1.5 sacks. Max Dalton has made big plays at outside linebacker with 19 tackles, 8 TFL and 2 sacks. The back seven has made big plays for the Hawks as well, as CJ Petersen and Max Dalton are tied for the team lead with 2 interceptions each, as Dalton has a pick six. Junior linebacker Owen Dunlavey also has a pick six on the season, as CJ Petersen leads the secondary in tackles with 20.
South Hamilton will have all hands on deck after Kolby Hodnefield sat out Week 5 against Ogden for precautionary measures. Nick Severseike had a big week against Ogden with over 200 yards and 2 touchdowns and will be happy to share the load with his backfield mate. Braden Young will be an X-Factor in how well he is able to move the football on the ground and through the air as well. Defensively, the Hawks will need to find ways to contain Talan Fuson, while also slowing down the Hawks passing game after a tough 2nd half against Ogden’s throw-heavy offense.
Kickoff is slated for 7 PM on Friday Night at Uthe Field in Woodward.