The South Hamilton Hawks football team returns to action on Friday night, as they welcome in the Grand View Christian Thunder in Class 1A, District 7 action at Bill Taylor Field in Jewell for senior night. South Hamilton enters Friday with a 3-4 record and 3-1 in district play, while Grand View Christian enters at 5-2 and 2-2 in district play. South Hamilton won the first-ever meeting between the two in 2023 by a score of 60-0.
Grand View Christian enters Friday contest with a 5-2 record, which includes wins over Martensdale-St. Marys, Colfax-Mingo, Southwest Valley, West Central Valley and Nodaway Valley, with losses to Ogden and Woodward-Granger. The Thunder showcase a pass-heavy offense, led by junior quarterback Judah Lock, who’s thrown for 1,610 yards, 15 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Lock’s favorite target has been junior receiver Brayden Hoben, who’s caught 37 passes for 742 yards and 6 touchdowns. Slot receiver Austin Jordan has put up good numbers as well, catching 34 passes for 457 yards and 7 touchdowns, while junior Cam Curren and senior Anthony Keasey each have over 100 receiving yards. When the Thunder do run the ball, junior running back Jake Albright is the main ballcarrier, rushing for 288 yards and 7 touchdowns, while Lock has run for 3 scores himself.
Defensively, Brayden Hoben leads the way as he does on offense, amassing a team-high 54 tackles, 6 TFL, a fumble recover and 2 interceptions with one returned for a score. Fellow linebacker Luke Jordan has 35 tackles and 3 TFL, as well as a team-high 4 picks and a pick 6. Jake Albright also has 38 tackles and 2 TFL, while Isaiah Miguez plays at the line of scrimmage as a backer, tallying 17.5 tackles, 3 TFL, 2 sacks and a pick. Up front, Gabe Burg leads the defensive line with 15 tackles and 2 TFL, while Rafael Doran has 10 tackles and 3 TFL. Defensive end Cam Curren has 14.5 tackles, 3 TFL and a sack as well. The defensive backfield is led by junior Coen Folkers, who’s tallied 3 interceptions, while fellow defensive back Daniel McCloud has 2 picks on the season.
A year ago, Grand View Christian had schematic troubles slowing down the Hawks offense in their loss. South Hamilton could very well stick to the basics and depend on a young-but-fledgling offensive line. Defensively, the back seven will need to put in a good rebound effort to slow down the Thunder’s overwhelming passing attack.
Kickoff is slated for 7 PM from Bill Taylor Field on Friday night.