The Hillsdale College football team snapped a four-game losing streak to start the 2023 season with a dominant 40-18 win at home over Northwood on Saturday, and junior defensive end Riley Tolsma played a big part.
A captain for the Chargers, Tolsma was all over the field for Hillsdale in the victory, recording 11 tackles, three for loss, and two sacks and doing significant damage to the Timberwolves' offensive gameplan.
Both of Tolsma's sacks -- one on third and five in the first quarter, and another on a critical fourth and seven in the fourth -- were drive-killers for Northwood, ending promising forays and helping the Chargers to pull further ahead in the contest.
Along with those two sacks, Tolsma also was the driving force behind Hillsdale's first recorded safety since 2006. With Northwood backed up at their own three yard line in the third quarter, Tolsma knifed through the line and wrapped up Northwood quarterback Jacob Kelbert, who had just recovered a fumble off a bad snap, in the end zone to score two points for Hillsdale and get the ball back.
An impact player as a sophomore for the Chargers with 7.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss in 2022, Tolsma has carried that game-wrecking ability into his junior season. He currently has three sacks and six tackles for loss for the Chargers in five games in 2023, ranking in the top 10 in the G-MAC in both categories, and also has 22 tackles on the year.
Tolsma and the Chargers will look to build off their strong performance against the Timberwolves in a challenging road contest this Saturday, as Hillsdale looks to pull an upset of undefeated G-MAC leader Tiffin at noon. That game will be available to watch on the Great Midwest Digital Network.
Photo by Anthony Lupi