West Delaware senior center Tony Marbach (#52) throws a huge block for senior runningback Alex Boom during the Hawks Class 3A Finals contest against the Harlan Cyclones. Boom rushed for 139 yards against the Cyclones giving him a single season rushing total of 2008 yards. Those 2008 yards are a West Delaware single season record. He also scored 24 touchdowns for the year with his two against Harlan, also a West Delaware single season record. For the year the 2005 team re-wrote many team and individual records on their way to an outstanding 12-1 campaign.

Both teams sported All-State caliber players and coaching staffs that are obviously the two best in Class 3A.

The Hawks first possession of the game lasted just two plays with Harlan intercepting a BJ Hermsen pass.

The Cyclones moved from the Hawk 43 to the West Delaware 21 before their first drive stalled out. They attempted a 38-yard field goal that was no good giving the Hawks the ball back on their own 21.

Following a three-yard run by Alex Boom and a six yard gain by Tony Brown the Hawks faced a third and one from their own 29. That’s when all time leading rusher, Alex Boom burst up the middle, cut to the outside and raced 42-yards down to the Harlan 28 before he was stopped.

Two plays later senior Jett MacTaggert made an outstanding catch of a BJ Hermsen pass at the Cyclone 1/2 yard line. MacTaggert caught the ball while lying on his back just inches from the goal line. The play covered 38-yards and gave the Hawks a first and goal.

After Tony Brown was stopped short of the goal line, Alex Boom scored touchdown 23 of the season to give the Hawks a 6-0 lead with 5:27 left in the first quarter.

Harlan quickly answered the Hawk score with one of their own.

The Hawks Mike Havertape blocked the extra point kick to leave the score knotted at 6-6 with 2:23 left in the first quarter.

The Hawks turned the ball over on their next possession and Harlan scored two plays later to take a 13-6 lead.

West Delaware then put together a huge drive that saw them move from their own 15 to the Harlan 19 before a fourth and six pass fell incomplete to end the drive.

After forcing the Cyclones to punt with 6:56 left in the second quarter the Hawks again put together a long drive.

They moved to the Harlan 12 on the legs of seniors Tony Brown and Alex Boom before the Cyclones picked off their second pass of the first half to end the drive.

Each team would get one more chance before half time but neither would be able to score, leaving Harlan with a 13-6 lead at intermission.

Harlan was able to march 78-yards in 13 plays to start the second half and take a 20-6 lead. That drive consumed just over six minutes off the clock which moved momentum on to their side.

The Hawks first possession of the second half went three and out.

The Cyclones put their second score of the second half on the board when Mark Blum scampered in from five-yards out with 2:32 left in the quarter for a 27-6 Harlan lead.

As they did all season the Hawks did not quit and quickly covered 80-yards in six plays to pull to with in 27-13 when Alex Boom scored his second touchdown of the game on an eight-yard run with :16 seconds left in the third quarter.

Harlan added an early fourth quarter touchdown to make the final score 34-13.

Game stats
vs. Harlan
First downs - Hawks 15, Cyclones 16; rushing - Hawks 42-2-2, Cyclones 43-269; passing - Hawks 5-14-2-75, Cyclones 7-12-0-65; total yards - Hawks 277, Cyclones 334; punts - Hawks 2-37-yard average, Cyclones 3-37-yard average; fumbles - Hawks 1-1, Cyclones 0-0; penalties - Hawks 6-39, Cyclones 8-71.

Individual leaders
Rushing - Alex Boom 24-139, Tony Brown 8-48, BJ Hermsen 8-11, Zach McCool 2-4.
Passing - BJ Hermsen 5-14-2-75 yards.

Receiving - Jett MacTaggert 1-38, Zach McCool 2-23, Brian McWilliams 1-14, Tyler Jackson 1-7.

Tackles - Kyle Topping 1, Seth Wendt 2, Keith Eibey 1, Dustin Jaeger 12, Chris Harbaugh 5, Brian McWilliams 1, Ryan Hauser 2, Nate Lahr 13, Jett MacTaggert 1, Tyler Jackson 9, Jamie Hass 5, Nate Allison 4, Tony Brown 8, Brad McDonald 1, Brett Appleton 1, Tony Marbach 1, Corey Hood 2, Mike Havertape 3, Steven Durey 1, Nathan King 2, Brett Manternach 4.

The Hawks Dustin Jaeger (#7) and Nate Lahr (#18) bring down Williamsburg’s runningback Cody Baethke during early action of the Hawks 34-27 Class 3A semi-final victory over the Raiders. The Hawk defense totally dominated the first half of action and came up with some huge plays during the second half when Williamsburg was clawing their way back into the game. The semi-final win was the fourth straight for West Delaware who has never failed to get to the finals after having made it to the semi-final round. The three previous trips to the semis were in 1991, 1993 and 1995.

Nate Allison forced him to fumble which was recovered by the Hawk Mike Havertape at the Raider 25 yard line.

Tony Brown and Alex Boom rushed the Hawks to the Raider one yard line where Boom scored his second touchdown of the game on a one-yard plunge with 11:32 left in the second quarter for a 14-0 West Delaware lead.

The Hawks ended the first half with that 14-0 lead thanks to some outstanding defense. They allowed the Raiders just 52 net yards of total offense, including a minus 12 in 15 carries on the ground.

West Delaware took advantage of some early field position in the third quarter.

Starting at the Raider 45 it took the Hawks just five running plays, two by Brown for 18 yards and three by Boom for 27 yards, to take a 21-0 lead. Boom finished off the drive with his third touchdown of the game, this time from one yard out.

The Hawks led by 27-points when Zach McCool scored on a 13-yard touchdown pass from BJ Hermsen with 4:56 left in the third quarter.

The Hawks had forced Williamsburg to punt and again took full advantage of great field position.
After a motion penalty set the Hawks back five yards Tony Brown ran for three yards and Alex Boom put together back to back jaunts of 16 and 25 yards to get the Hawks down to the Raider 13.

It was then that Hermsen hooked up with McCool to extend the Hawk lead to 27-0.

The Raiders capitalized on a pair of Hawk fumbles and scored 20 unanswered points in less than three minutes of the third quarter to trail 27-20 with 1:26 left in the third quarter.

The Hawks settled in and upped their lead to 14-points with a eight play, 61-yard drive capped off by Alex Boom’s 13-yard TD run with 9:29 left in the game.

Williamsburg got on the board one more time with 3:11 left to cut the Hawk lead to just seven points at 37-27.

Following the Raider kick-off the Hawks took total control of the final 3:11.

Alex Boom ran for 31 yards to the Hawk 47 and Tony Brown rumbled for seven yards to the Raider 46.

Zach McCool and Boom then ripped off back to back 10 plus yard gains to give the Hawks a first and 10 at the Raider 21.

Facing third and four from the Williamsburg 16, Zach McCool picked up six yards and a Hawk first down at the Raider 10 with 1:10 left.

With no Williamsburg time outs left the Hawks took a knee and ran out the clock.

Boom scored four touchdowns for the Hawks to move his season total to 22. His 258 yards of rushing were both a season and career high. He now has 1869 yards for the season which is a new West Delaware record. His 22 touchdowns are also a record.

The win moved the Hawks into the Class 3A Championship game for the first time since 1995 and the fourth time in school history.

Game stats
vs. Williamsburg
First downs - Hawks 15, Raiders 12; rushing - Hawks 54-381, Raiders 28-61; passing - Hawks 3-10-0-23 yards, Raiders 18-29-0-222; total yards - Hawks 404, Raiders 283; punts - Hawks 4-36.5 yard average, Raiders 6-33.2 yard average; fumbles - Hawks 3-3, Raiders 2-2; penalties - Hawks 7-55, Raiders 4-25.

Individual leaders
vs. Williamsburg
Rushing - Alex Boom 33-258, Tony Brown 14-57, Zach McCool 4-62, BJ Hermsen 3-4.

Passing - BJ Hermsen 3-10-0-23.

Receiving - Alex Boom 2-10, Zach McCool 1-13.

Tackles - Dustin Jaeger 9, Chris Harbaugh 6, Nate Lahr 8, Jett MacTaggert 6, Tyler Jackson 7, Jamie Hass 4, Nate Allison 4, Brad McDonald 4, Tony Brown 9, Tony Marbach 1, Ted Swift 1, Mike Havertape 1, Nathan King 2, Brett Manternach 6, Ted Boeckenstedt 1.