A winning tradition continued on a cold, windy, but sunny Saturday afternoon at Frank "Muddy" Waters Stadium.
Junior quarterback C.J. Mifsud got his first career start, and came through with a terrific game in leading the Chargers to a 24-17 win over Saginaw Valley State University. The win snapped Hillsdale's five-game losing streak and improves the team's record to 3-6 overall and 3-5 in the GLIAC.
Hillsdale wraps up its home schedule next weekend by hosting Northwood University at 1:00.
Mifsud is the third member of his family to suit up in the Charger blue, joining older brother Anthony and father David. Like the two who came before him, Mifsud played with poise and executed the team's offense effectively throughout the game.
He completed eight of his first nine passes and finished the game 21-for-28 for 172 yards and one touchdown. But beyond his passing numbers, he engineered several key plays in clutch situations.
On the team's final touchdown drive of the day, he helped the offense convert three straight third-down conversions, the biggest being a 26-yard completion to junior wide receiver John Haley on a third-and-10.
Hillsdale was 12-for-18 on third-down conversions in the game, compared to 6-for-13 for the Cardinals.
It was all Chargers in the first half, as they jumped out to a 17-0 lead, their biggest lead in any game this season. Tailback Bennett Lewis got the team on the board with a nifty 14-yard run with 4:24 left in the first quarter. The score was set up on an interception by defensive lineman David Galginaitis, who was basically Superman in this game.
Getting his first start of the season, Galginaitis not only picked up his first career interception, he had two sacks and a team-high 8 total tackles. He finished with 2 1/2 tackles for loss and was a disruptive force in the SVSU backfield the entire game.
Sophomore kicker Steven Mette booted a 23-yard field goal, and Mifsud connected with Haley on a 6-yard scoring pass to finish off the first half scoring.
Junior tailback Wade Wood scored a crucial insurance touchdown on a 1-yard plunge with 8:30 left in the game to restore the Charger lead to two touchdowns. The Cardinals answered with a touchdown with 3:39 left, but Hillsdale executed the four-minute drill to perfection, generating three first downs on seven plays to run out the clock.
The Chargers had a 16-minute advantage on time of possession and committed just one penalty. The Hillsdale defense limited Saginaw Valley State to just 185 yards of total offense, a season-best total.
Sophomore Jack Wiseman had a team-high 43 yards on the ground, while Lewis had 40 and Wood 39. Tight end Mike Carter had a strong game with five catches for 39 yards. Haley added three receptions for 41 yards.
Senior Tim Moinet had 8 total tackles, while senior Butch Herzog came back from injury to post 5 total tackles.
Photo by Sheridan Markatos