Schedule
Findlay (2-1, 1-0 G-MAC) at Hillsdale College (0-3, 0-1 G-MAC) | 4 p.m. ET Saturday, Sept. 23 | Frank "Muddy" Waters Stadium | Hillsdale, Michigan
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Hillsdale Roster | Findlay Roster | 2023 Hillsdale Stats | 2023 Findlay Stats | G-MAC Schedule | G-MAC Standings | Game Notes
Last Week
Hillsdale started off its week three contest at Ashland with a daring and successful gambit on special teams, an onside kick that the Chargers recovered. The Chargers used that possession to score the opening touchdown of the game, as Garrit Aissen connected with Sam Lee on back-to-back pass plays, including a six-yard touchdown pass to take an early 7-0 lead. But Hillsdale was unable to maintain that advantage, as four turnovers allowed Ashland to score 38 consecutive points and seize control of the game. The Chargers got a late touchdown run from Michael Herzog but were unable to climb back into the contest in a 38-14 defeat that drops Hillsdale to 0-3 overall.
Scouting the Opposition
The Findlay Oilers come to Frank "Muddy" Waters this weekend riding high after back-to-back weeks of dominant performances and looking very much like a serious contender for the 2023 G-MAC title.
Bouncing back fully from a tough week one loss to Truman State, Findlay took down Pace and Lake Erie in back-to-back weeks with a ferocious defensive effort and an impressive attack on the ground.
The Oilers have a deep stable of running backs, led by returning 2022 All-G-MAC honoree Garret Clark, who rushed for 923 yards last season. He's flanked by another decorated option in Brian Benson, a first-team All-G-MAC honoree and two-year lead back who's returned after sitting out 2022. Along with those two, quarterback Alec Bornhorst is also a major part of the rushing attack, with five touchdowns on the ground already in 2023.
A part-time starter at QB in 2022, Bornhorst is still figuring things out through the air, with a 58.8 completion percentage and three touchdowns versus five interceptions through three games. Findlay is breaking in new starters at the receiver position but has one of the top tight ends in the nation at the NCAA DII level in senior Mike Rigerman, with 204 yards and two TD catches already.
Findlay also is blessed up front on the offensive line with three returning starters, including a legitimate NFL prospect at right tackle in Michael Jerrell, who's already drawing scouts' attention. Bookend tackle Ta'Jamere Nash and experienced guard Cole Jones also head a strong unit in the trenches.
While Findlay's offense is solid, their defense is the reason they are a G-MAC title contender. The Oilers return eight starters, including two of the G-MAC's best pass rushers in ends Grey Brancifort and Reggie Micheaux. Returning All-G-MAC linebackers Johnny Harris and Sam Weihrauch also add to an intimidating front seven that's helped Findlay lead the G-MAC in total defense so far, giving up just 245.7 yards per game. The Oilers also bring back a pair of starting cornerbacks in Jeremiah Jackson and Brennan Perry.
Findlay lost first-team All-G-MAC kicker Austin Snyder to graduation but might have improved at the position with Valparaiso transfer Brian Bartholomew, who is 3 for 3 on field goals so far with two makes from 40-plus yards. Sam Feldman returns as the punter for the Oilers, averaging 36 yards per punt.
Findlay is led by second-year head coach Kory Allen, who went 7-4 in his first season after taking over for Rob Keys last spring. Before becoming the head coach, Allen spent 16 prior seasons with the Oilers as an assistant coach, and was the offensive coordinator for the Oilers before stepping into the top role.
The Series
The Chargers have a long history with Findlay dating back to the 1960s, and the two programs, separated by less than three hours and the Michigan-Ohio border, have played a number of close, competitive games in what has become a rivalry for both schools over time. Hillsdale has an 18-14-1 edge in the series, but Findlay got the win in the most recent meeting, 41-20, last Oct. 22. The Chargers' most recent win came the year before at Findlay, 34-29, on Oct. 23, 2021.
Other Notes
- Hillsdale is playing its first home game this weekend after a brutal start that saw the Chargers play their first three contests on the road for the first time in at least four decades, and possibly in the history of the program. The Chargers previously had opened the season with back-to-back road games three times – in 1997, 2005 and 2014. Hillsdale is hoping that home field advantage will lead to improved play – in both 2005 and 2014, the Chargers won their first home game of the year after playing on the road the first two weeks.
- Senior tailback Michael Herzog is off to a great start in 2023, putting up back-to-back 100 yard games on the ground against excellent run defenses to open the campaign, then adding 73 yards and a touchdown against a tough Ashland defense last week. Herzog had a breakout season last year, putting up 940 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground and earning first team All-G-MAC honors. Now, he's aiming to be the first Chargers running back to go over 1,000 yards in a season since All-American David Graham in 2019. The dynamic back gets plenty of help up front, running behind an experienced offensive line that returns all five starters from last season's squad, led by All-G-MAC center Nick Affholter.
- Junior captain Riley Tolsma was a revelation in 2022, becoming Hillsdale's most effective pass rusher at defensive end in his first full season as a starter with team highs in sacks (7.5) and tackles for loss (11). Tolsma's 7.5 sacks were the most by a Charger in a single season since current Los Angeles Ram Zach VanValkenburg had 8.5 in 2018. The junior will be a major player up front for the Chargers in 2023 along with veteran nose tackle Zachary Tokie and defensive end Trevor DeGroote, both of whom played significant roles in 2022.
- The Chargers have a recent tradition of star receivers, including Trey Brock, K.J. Maloney and Isaac TeSlaa, and redshirt freshman Sam Lee looks like the next in line after a strong start. Lee's 6-foot-6 frame and athleticism make him a tough matchup for opposing defenders, and his 223 yards and two receiving touchdowns in three games are in the top five in the G-MAC among all receivers so far. A star at Toledo Central Catholic in high school, Lee signed with the Chargers last season along with his twin brother, Josh, who also sees the field for Hillsdale at tight end.
- 2018 graduate Zach VanValkenburg made his NFL debut with the Los Angeles Rams as a linebacker on Sept. 10, seeing the field in the Rams' 30-13 win over the Seattle Seahawks. VanValkenburg was the G-MAC Defensive Lineman of the Year in 2018 while leading the Chargers in sacks and helping Hillsdale win a 2018 G-MAC title and make the NCAA DII Playoffs. After graduating from Hillsdale, VanValkenburg went on to play two seasons at the University of Iowa while getting his masters degree. He was signed by the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022 but did not make the final roster. In January, he was signed by LA and made the 53-man roster for the 2023 season in August, becoming the first Charger since Jared Veldheer's retirement in 2021 to appear in an NFL game last Sunday.
- The Charger football program continued to shine academically this past season, with five players earning College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors, including Harding and Tolsma. In addition, 51 Hillsdale football players received Academic All-G-MAC honors for posting a 3.3 or better cumulative GPA through the spring 2023 semester.
- The Charger football program has long been known for its strong family tradition, and that continues in 2023 with multiple sets of brothers on the roster. On the offensive line, twin brothers Nick Affholter and Benjamin Affholter (Quincy, MI/Reading) will hold down interior line spots for the third straight season, and are joined on the roster by younger brother Zac Affholter, a true freshman lineman. All three are sons of Brad Affholter, a multi-year starter on the Charger offensive line in the mid-90s and an assistant coach with the team in 2023. There are several other sibling duos on the team – twin brothers Josh Lee and Sam Lee (Toledo, OH/Central Catholic) return as sophomores this season, as do junior tight end Ben Hinrichs and his younger brother, Christian (Escondido, CA/Classical Academy). Also in 2023, Hillsdale sophomore wide receiver Corban Creason (Coppell, TX/Founders Classical Academy) is joined by his younger brother, Christian, and sophomore offensive lineman John VanOpstall (Jenison, MI/Jenison) is joined by his younger brother, Chris. Along with those sibling pairs, several other players on the roster have older brothers, fathers or grandfathers who suited up for previous Charger teams.
- Hillsdale's longest-tenured assistant coach received a prestigious honor in the offseason as Offensive Coordinator Nate Shreffler was named the American Football Coaches Association's NCAA DII Assistant Coach of the Year for 2022. Shreffler is entering his 25th season with the Chargers and was recognized for both his outstanding contributions to Hillsdale's success on the field, and his work running the Chargers' "Guys With Ties" program that helps teach elementary school kids confidence and proper etiquette through interactions with players on the football team.
- With 127 wins to date, Otterbein is third all-time in career coaching victories at Hillsdale, trailing two Charger Athletics Hall of Famers in Frank "Muddy" Waters (138) and Dick Lowry (134). If he maintains his current career pace of wins per season, Otterbein would pass Waters for the all-time record in the fall of 2024.