In a game that felt more like a track meet than a football contest, the Warren Lumberjacks and Hamburg Lions combined for 121 total points Friday night, with Hamburg emerging victorious 67–54 in a wild 8-4A showdown at Lions Stadium.
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Fast start for Hamburg, but Warren strikes back
Hamburg wasted no time making a statement. On the first play from scrimmage, the Lions pulled off a reverse pass that went 81 yards for a touchdown. Their two-point try was good, putting the home team ahead 8–0 just seconds into the game.
Warren answered with poise, driving 63 yards and capping the possession with a one-yard touchdown plunge from Aaron Davis. Jacarlos Marquez converted the extra point to make it 8–7 with 8:43 remaining in the opening quarter.
Moments later, Aaron Woodard recovered a Hamburg fumble at the Lions’ 36, but the Jacks couldn’t cash in on the takeaway. Hamburg quickly regained momentum behind its quarterback, who scored on a 23-yard draw at the 4:54 mark, extending the lead to 15–7. Less than two minutes later, the Lions broke another big run—this one for 47 yards and a touchdown—to stretch it to 22–7.
Warren cut into the deficit late in the quarter when Jackson Denton found Tayshawn Edwards for a 12-yard touchdown. The two-point conversion failed, and Hamburg led 22–13 after the first.
Big plays define a wild second quarter
Hamburg struck again with 8:29 left in the second, connecting on a 17-yard touchdown pass to make it 29–13. But the Lumberjacks continued to fire back. Denton hit Josiah Steen on a 9-yard slant for a score, and the Jacks converted the two-point try to close within 29–21.
Hamburg responded with an 11-yard touchdown run at the 2:20 mark to go up 36–21, but Warren immediately answered in dramatic fashion. Facing third-and-19 from their own 11, Denton dropped back and found Steen streaking downfield for a stunning 91-yard touchdown, cutting the Hamburg lead to 36–27 after the failed conversion.
The Lumberjack defense forced a three-and-out on the next possession, and Bleyze Fellows returned the ensuing punt to the Hamburg 29. However, Warren fumbled it back to the Lions with 40 seconds left in the half. Hamburg capitalized by drilling a 45-yard field goal with 12 seconds remaining, taking a 39–27 advantage into halftime.
Trading blows in the third
The second half picked up right where the first left off—fast and furious. Warren threw an interception on its first drive, and Hamburg turned that mistake into points at the 9:24 mark to push ahead 46–27.
Davis powered Warren’s next response, scoring from six yards out with 6:59 left in the quarter to make it 46–33. Hamburg countered again with a 30-yard rushing touchdown less than a minute later, restoring a 20-point margin at 53–33.
Davis refused to let Warren fade, punching in another rushing touchdown—this one from four yards out—with 4:01 remaining. Marquez’s kick made it 53–40 heading into the fourth.
Offensive fireworks to the end
Hamburg opened the final period with a 4-yard touchdown run at 11:55 to extend the lead to 60–40. Denton then answered yet again, connecting with Fellows for a 32-yard touchdown strike. Marquez’s extra point pulled Warren within 60–47 with 10:24 to play.
Hamburg continued its relentless rushing attack, adding a 12-yard touchdown run at the 7:12 mark to make it 67–47. Davis found the end zone for the fourth time of the night with a 2-yard score at 5:15, bringing the final tally to 67–54.
Looking ahead
Despite the loss, Warren (4–2, 2–1 in 8-4A) showed offensive explosiveness throughout, with Denton and Davis leading the charge in a relentless back-and-forth battle.
The Lumberjacks return home next Friday, October 17, for their Homecoming game against Star City, where they’ll look to bounce back and continue their push in conference play.
