After battling through several close losses last fall, the Hawkeyes enter the 2026 season prepared to play fast, finish games and compete against another demanding schedule
Hamilton football opened practice this week with a noticeably different feeling surrounding the program.
Head coach Zach Harbison is back for his second season leading the Hawkeyes after taking the job in April 2025. A Zeeland East High School graduate, Harbison returned to West Michigan after spending several years coaching in Florida.
Compared with the whirlwind surrounding his arrival last year, Harbison said the program now benefits from familiarity and a full offseason together.
“It’s a lot different,” Harbison said. “We’re not moving a family with a three-month-old 1,600 miles, so that’s been smooth. The kids know a lot more in terms of what we’re doing systematically and scheme-wise.
“I was just talking to the coaches and saying how I’m joyful this year. I’m not stressed about whether we’re in the right spot. Our kids were awesome all summer long, and we’ve had a full year in the system. I’m excited to get rolling in year two.”
Hamilton finished 2-7 last season, but the record does not fully reflect how competitive the Hawkeyes were throughout Harbison’s first year.
Four of Hamilton’s losses were decided by one possession. The Hawkeyes fell to St. Johns by eight points, Thornapple Kellogg by one, Grand Rapids Christian in overtime, 29-28, and Zeeland East by seven in the season finale.
“At the end of the day, you’re only as good as your record, right?” Harbison said. “We lost some heartbreakers. We were in the games, but that doesn’t count at the end of the day.
“We definitely grew from it, and our kids battled every game. If you came to any of our games, you realized Hamilton was going to play for a full 48 minutes. This year is about overcoming that and finishing those games a little stronger. The effort was there and the ability was there, but I think we now have the confidence going into the fourth quarter that we can pull it out.”
The Hawkeyes plan to operate with a fast-paced, up-tempo style this fall. Sophomore Nolan Schrock will take over at quarterback and will be entrusted with making decisions within an offense expected to incorporate more run-pass options.
“He’s knowledgeable about the game,” Harbison said. “We’ll use more RPOs to protect our run game, and we believe Nolan will make the right decisions to get us into the right spot.”
Hamilton also returns experience along its defensive front, which Harbison considers one of the team’s greatest strengths.
“Our defensive line is a strength this year,” he said. “We bring everybody back from a good unit last year... Coach Buresh is over there celebrating, so that group should be good. Then we have some skill guys and rising juniors that we’re excited about.”
Among those athletes is Garner Hulst, who will contribute at wide receiver, cornerback and safety in addition to returning kicks and punts. After watching Hulst excel during basketball season, Harbison is eager to see what he can accomplish on the football field.
“You'll be hearing Garner's name a lot, we believe he’s one of the best athletes in the area," Harbison added.
Hamilton will once again face a challenging schedule featuring seven teams that qualified for the playoffs last season: St. Johns, Thornapple Kellogg, Holland Christian, Spring Lake, West Catholic, Grand Rapids Christian and Zeeland East. Five of those opponents won at least one playoff game.
The addition of Holland Christian to the nonconference schedule also renews a matchup between two neighboring communities.
“It’s great for our communities to play each other every year, in my opinion,” Harbison said. “It’s a really tough schedule, but it’s great for our guys. We want to play the best in the area because we believe we can compete with them. It’s a great conference and a great league.”
Hamilton opens the 2026 season at home against St. Johns at 7 p.m. Thursday, August 27. Find a full athletic schedule on our new athletic website here.