2021 All-Great Midwest Athletic Conference Football Teams
A challenging regular season came to a successful close for the Hillsdale College Charger football team on Nov. 13, as the Chargers overcame injuries to finish with a winning record and a share of second place in the G-MAC.
On Monday, the Chargers reaped the benefits of that success, as 11 players earned All-Great Midwest Athletic Conference honors for the 2021 season, including four first-team honorees.
Three of the four receiving first-team honors for Hillsdale were repeat honorees from the Spring 2021 season, led by junior safety Zach Herzog, who joined an exclusive list in Hillsdale history with his third-consecutive first team all-conference honor.
Only four other players in Charger football history were named first-team All-Conference three consecutive years: Tim Mustapha, Tom Korte, Joe Glendening and Brett Pasche. Herzog's final season was certainly deserving of the honor – he finished second on the team and sixth in the G-MAC with 98 tackles, and added a sack, a forced fumble and fumble recovery, an interception and six pass break-ups.
The Chargers' 2021 MVP and another cornerstone of Hillsdale's defense, senior defensive tackle Nate Chambers, also earned first team All-G-MAC honors for 2021 after receiving the honor for the Spring 2021 season as well.
A dominant interior force for the Chargers, Chambers finished in the top five in the G-MAC in both tackles for loss (13.5) and sacks (6.5) while also recording 58 tackles, a strip-sack fumble recovery, two pass breakups and a blocked extra point in his final season with Hillsdale.
Representing the offensive side of the ball, senior right tackle Cole Johnson also earned first-team All-G-MAC honors for the second consecutive season. A four-year starter on the line for the Chargers, Johnson has been a rock and a leader for a young unit the last two seasons, and played a critical role in keeping the offense afloat despite significant injuries at the skill positions throughout the year in 2021.
Last, but not least, among the first team honorees for Hillsdale is senior Alex Anschutz, who was recognized as a linebacker this season after earning second-team honors in 2019 and Spring 2021.
The senior STAR (linebacker/safety hybrid) had a huge final season in a Hillsdale uniform, finishing with 106 tackles, a team high, the second-most in the G-MAC and in the top 15 nationally. Anschutz also contributed four tackles for loss, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, two interceptions, five pass breakups and a blocked extra point as well for the Chargers.
Hillsdale had three players earn second-team All-G-MAC honors. Senior center Jack McCarthy was named to the second team for the second consecutive season after helping guide the Charger offense from a critical leadership position on the line.
Also earning his first All-G-MAC honor of his career was redshirt freshman wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa, who was named to the second team after a break-out season where he led the Chargers with 39 catches for 617 yards and six touchdowns. TeSlaa's performance in a 34-29 road win over Findlay on Oct. 23 included marks of 193 receiving yards and three touchdowns that were G-MAC bests for the season and among the top 10 all-time in Charger history.
Hillsdale's final G-MAC second-team honoree was senior punter Jack Shannon, who graduates as one of the best in school and conference history. Shannon's yards per punt average of 44.8 was third in all of NCAA Division II in 2021, and he led the conference with 23 punts inside the 20 and tied for the longest punt in the conference this season of 69 yards.
Hillsdale also had four players recognized with third-team All-G-MAC honors. Sophomore tight end Michael Harding repeated his third-team honors from the Spring of 2021 with another honor in the fall, recording 24 catches for 195 yards and three touchdowns and serving as an important blocker for the Chargers up front.
Also earning third-team honors for the second consecutive season was senior defensive end Kyle Parran, who finished his career with another strong year. Parran finished with 28 tackles, 5.5 for loss, four sacks, a forced fumble and three pass break-ups on the year.
Two first-time honorees also earned third-team recognition. Redshirt freshman cornerback Jackson Gillock was recognized by the league after breaking into the starting lineup early in the year and recording a team high five interceptions, tied for second-most in the conference. Gillock also added 38 tackles, a fumble recovery and a pass break-up for a Charger unit that led all of Division II in interceptions in the regular season.
Finally, redshirt freshman kicker Julian Lee earned third-team honors after leading the conference in field goal percentage, hitting 7 of 8 with a long of 43, and also going a perfect 29 of 29 on PATs. Lee has never missed a PAT and is 9 of 10 on field goals in his career including the Spring 2021 season.
All 11 players will be in action for the Chargers one more time this season at 1 p.m. CT on Dec. 4, as Hillsdale plays in the America's Crossroads Bowl at the Brickyard in Hobart, Indiana against Truman St. in a rematch of a Sept. 18 contest won by the Bulldogs, 38-24. It's Hillsdale's first bowl appearance since 1960.
Photos by Anthony Lupi '22