2022 Season and Single Game Tickets
College sports are just a few weeks away from returning, and the Hillsdale College football team is back on campus, kicking off fall practice this afternoon as the start of the season looms.
The Chargers also found out where they stand today in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Football Preseason Coaches Poll, which was released this afternoon. Hillsdale was picked to finish fifth out of nine schools in the league in the 2022 season. Defending G-MAC Champion Findlay topped the poll, with Tiffin and Ashland also receiving first place votes. You can find the full poll at the end of this story.
Despite being slated for a middle-of-the-pack finish by opposing coaches, optimism abounds for the Chargers after Hillsdale overcame significant adversity in a successful 2021 season.
Injuries had a massive impact on Hillsdale last season, with several expected starters getting knocked out by injuries either before the season started or early in the campaign, but the Chargers persevered to post a winning regular season record, a 5-2 mark in Great Midwest Athletic Conference play, and qualified for the program's first bowl game since 1960.
While injuries made Hillsdale's life difficult in 2021, they could be a major boon in 2022, as those injured starters return healthy to compete at position groups with players who earned valuable starting experience last season.
That's the case at the always-critical position of quarterback, where the Chargers return three quarterbacks with starting experience in senior Luke Keller and juniors Jake Burger and Garrit Aissen.
Keller has 18 games of starting experience under his belt and guided the Chargers to .500 or better records in both the 2019 and spring 2021 seasons, while Burger was effective in relief in games against Truman State and Missouri S&T in 2021. Aissen led the Chargers to a 5-3 record down the stretch as a starter in 2021 after injuries to both Keller and Burger, and put up one of the best passing performances in program history in a 34-29 road upset of eventual G-MAC champion Findlay.
All three quarterbacks will compete in the fall for the starting job, and whoever wins the competition will have an impressive array of weapons to work with.
The healthy return of senior Michael Herzog, who was anticipated to be the starting tailback last season before an injury in the spring, adds another big play threat to an already strong running backs room that includes 2021 leading rushers Jack Robinson and Logan VanEnkevort, and at receiver Hillsdale has potential stars in sophomores Isaac TeSlaa and Austen Williams to lead a young but gifted corps.
The Chargers can look to two-time All-G-MAC tight end Michael Harding as a red zone threat, as well as returning starting H-Back Nate LaFree. On the offensive line, Hillsdale returns bookend guards in twin brothers Nick and Ben Affholter, as well as left tackle Ben Geno, and will look to camp battles to fill the other two critical positions.
Defensively, the Chargers have big holes to fill from an excellent unit in 2021, including five of the team's six leading tacklers and All-American defensive tackle Nate Chambers.
Up front, Hillsdale will lean heavily on disruptive rush end Kendall Tobin, now a senior, as well as rising seniors Max Torbert and Ryan Sellars, who were important parts of the rotation last season.
In the linebacking corps, senior Kyle Kudla, the team's third-leading tackler in 2021, will be a cornerstone of the Chargers' defensive efforts, with junior Zach Urda and sophomore Zach Pardonnet among those in line for increased playing time.
In the secondary, Hillsdale loses a lot of talent but returns two big pieces at cornerback in All-G-MAC cornerback Jackson Gillock, a sophomore, and senor Josh Peroni. Safeties Sam Zemis, who played significant time as a redshirt freshman last season, and Nick Crum, who missed most of the campaign with an injury, will get an opportunity to play bigger roles.
Hillsdale returns one of the most accurate kickers in the G-MAC in sophomore Julian Lee, but will have to replace All-American punter Jack Shannon, with several contenders battling for the spot.
The Chargers open the 2022 season on Sept. 3 in conference play with a road contest at Lake Erie, looking to avenge a 33-14 loss to the Storm last season. Hillsdale opens its home slate on Sept. 10 with a 7 p.m. Business and Industry Night contest against Walsh, the first of six home games on the season. You can find the 2022 schedule here.
Great Midwest Athletic Conference Football Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Findlay (4) 56
2. Tiffin (3) 54
3. Ashland (2) 52
4. Ohio Dominican 45
5. Hillsdale 42
6. Northwood 22
7. Kentucky Wesleyan 21
8. Lake Erie 16
8. Walsh 16