Football gearing up for final GLIAC season

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Football gearing up for final GLIAC season
Football Joe Reverman
Sophomore Joe Reverman is expected to carry a large load this year (Photo: Anders Kiledal / Hillsdale Collegian)

After a strong finish to the 2015 campaign, the Hillsdale College football team is excited to return to the field.

The Chargers won their final four games last season to finish 5-6. During that four-game stretch, several underclassmen emerged as talented athletes able to contribute. With 17 of last year’s 22 starters on offense and defense returning, the Chargers hope the experience and momentum gained from their strong finish last season will translate to this year.

Hillsdale kicks off its season Saturday at 7 p.m. against the University of Indianapolis Greyhounds at Frank “Muddy” Waters Stadium.

“The desire to want to be good is there. We’ve made improvement,” head coach Keith Otterbein said. “They’re very engaged, very locked in, and together. Their unity is there.”

The Chargers return seven starters on offense and 10 starters on defense. Sophomore quarterback Chance Stewart and sophomore tailback Joe Reverman will lead Hillsdale’s offense. Reverman was named GLIAC Freshman of the Year last season after rushing for 1,083 yards and 10 touchdowns.

“We have pretty high expectations this year because of how we finished last year, and we had a really good offseason,” Reverman said. “Our chemistry is a lot better and that will carry over into the fall.”

Reverman is the opening day starter for the first time in his career, but he hasn’t changed how he prepares.

“I’m still just trying to work as hard as possible, no matter what. I haven’t really changed too much,” Reverman said. “The first game I’m going to get more carries. It’s not going to be a surprise to me.”

Stewart passed for 1,235 yards and 10 touchdowns in six starts in 2015. He transferred to Hillsdale from Western Michigan University prior to last season, so this has been his first full offseason with the Chargers.

“We’re just trying to build  really great chemistry right now. The whole offseason was really key for just building relationships within the team,” Stewart said. “The upperclassmen really set the foundation last year and we’re just trying to go off it.”

Otterbein said the Chargers have made “some subtle Xs and Os adjustments” to their offensive scheme—but their focus will still be on running the ball.

“We’re going to be pretty much the same. When you return the GLIAC Freshman of the Year, you’re going to do a lot of the same things. So you’re going to see a strong dose of Joe Reverman,” Stewart said. “He’s a heck of a football player. We’re excited to have him back.”

Reverman said the Chargers will run more run-pass option plays.

“It’ll be more wide open,” Reverman said. “We still like to run the ball and set up the pass, so that’s our bread and butter.”

In addition to their schematic changes, the Chargers have also made some position changes on offense.

“Particularly at wideout, I think we’ve got some moveable parts there that’ll help us,” Otterbein said.

Sophomore wide receiver Austin Sandusky played defensive back in his freshman season, but transitioned to offense during the offseason. Stewart is excited to have Sandusky as a target.

“Austin Sandusky is going to be a huge part of our offense this year,” Stewart said.

Defensively, the Chargers will depend on their three returning linebackers to make plays—junior Jay Rose, sophomore Dan Shanley, and junior Scotty Penola.

“I’ve been very pleased with the ability up front to manage the offensive line and to control the line of scrimmage. We’ve got a really good group of linebackers,” Otterbein said. “Rose, Shanley, and Penola are all playing at a really high level.”

Rose appreciates playing alongside familiar faces.

“We’re doing better with our assignments,” Rose said. “Playing with the linebackers for the second year, I always trust them and I always know where they’re going to be.”

Otterbein has also seen development in his secondary. Last season, the Chargers gave up an average of 254.1 passing yards per game.

“We’ve got guys coming back from injuries and we’ve got some capable parts there,” Otterbein said. “We’re more confident and more athletic back there spinning off the last four games of the season. Just a better football team in the back end there.”

The Chargers’ experience throughout the roster has already paid off in practices.

“For the guys that have played, the game slows down,” Otterbein said. “The longer guys have been here, the more expertise and knowledge of our offense they have, and the more they’re able to adapt to situations.”

A major part of building experience outside of game days is simulating game situations in practice. The Chargers have been preparing for all types of plays—from pooch punts to goal-line situations. They’ve also practiced their pregame routine.

“One of the things that we’ve done a really good job of is hitting all those game situations,” Otterbein said. “We’re doing whatever we’ve got to do so that the guys—when it happens on game day—have already been there.”

Leading the Chargers as captains this season are Rose, junior defensive lineman Drew Mallery, and junior offensive linemen Danny Drummond and Jake Bull.

“It’s definitely an honor to be a captain but it still doesn’t really change our leadership responsibilities,” Rose said. “There’s still guys on the team that are leaders regardless of being captain or not.”

Rose said it takes more than four leaders to make a good football team. Otterbein has seen leadership throughout his veteran group.

“We’ve had a great leadership group,” Otterbein said. “I’ve even noticed through camp a lot more guys being vocal about positive encouragement and the positive talk of being upbeat and staying locked in.”

The Chargers are entering their final season in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference before Hillsdale College transitions to the Great Midwest Athletic Conference in 2017. In the 2016 GLIAC Preseason Poll, the Chargers were voted fifth of eight teams in the GLIAC North Division. Grand Valley earned the top spot.

“That poll was about what I thought,” Otterbein said. “Top to bottom this conference is good.”

Despite average expectations, Hillsdale has high hopes for the season.

“We definitely want to win the conference and go out with a bang,” Rose said. “We’re capable of it, but we’ve got to stay healthy.”

While there’s no denying the Chargers would love to leave the GLIAC as champions, Otterbein said the Chargers will have “zero discussion” about the possibility. For now, the Chargers are focused on Indianapolis.

“We’re going to be corny and be the way we always have been and worry about them one at a time,” Otterbein said. “We’re just worried about being a better football team and we’ll figure out at the end—come November—whether we’ve done it. It absolutely would be a cool thing.”

Hillsdale will face a familiar opponent in its season opener on Saturday. The Chargers lost to Indianapolis 38-7 on Sept. 26 last year.

“I definitely feel a lot more comfortable based off what they did against us last year,” Rose said. “I think that what we’ve got game-planned is going to work and I’m excited for that.”