For 131 seasons, the Hillsdale College football team has had a reputation for excellence in the classroom as well as on the gridiron.
The most recent Chargers squad is no exception, as Hillsdale placed the maximum of eight players on the College Sports Communicators' Academic All-District team for the 2023 season.
The CSC Academic All-America® program began in 1952 and has awarded teams since then, seeking out student athletes with an impressive blend of academic and athletic success. Being named to an All-District team is the first step in the process, and requires an athlete holds a 3.5 or better GPA and is an important contributor on the football field. Receiving the honor this season are seniors Garrit Aissen, Trevor DeGroote, Drew Ransom, and Sam Zemis, as well as juniors Ben Affholter, Bart Bixler, Ty Williams and Riley Tolsma.
All eight players played significant roles for the Chargers in 2023, either as starters or key subsitutes, meeting the nominating requirement of playing in at least 10 games for Hillsdale or starting in seven of them over the course of the 2023 season. Aissen was Hillsdale's leading passer and started nine games at quarterback for the Chargers, while Affholter was a starter at guard and Ty Williams the team's starting H-Back offensively.
On the defensive side of the ball, Tolsma led the Chargers in tackles for loss and sacks as a starting defensive end for the team, earning first-team All-G-MAC honors for his play. In addition to being named to the All-District team, Tolsma was selected by CSC for consideration for Academic All-American honors, to be announced in January. Along with Tolsma, key starters DeGroote, a defensive end, and Zemis, a safety, were also recognized, as were Bixler and Ransom, who both started games as well for the Chargers and who played important roles on special teams and in the secondary.
All eight players have been impressive in the classroom throughout their careers at Hillsdale, consistently earning Academic All-G-MAC honors and winning a variety of awards in the classroom. In order to be considered for the award, all eight players had to maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher, no easy task at a school with the reputation for academic excellence and rigor that Hillsdale holds.
CSC will announce its Academic All-Americans for 2023 on Jan. 23, 2024. Candidates were selected for consideration from the pool of Academic All-District honorees and will be voted on by the national body of CSC members. First, second and third-team honorees will be awarded.