For the first time since 2019, Hillsdale College football is finally back.
The Chargers took the field against Findlay University on Saturday, March 13. Hillsdale and Findlay were tied with just under two minutes to go in the third quarter when Findlay scored the next 21 points to down Hillsdale in the spring opener, 45-24.
“The opportunity to be back playing again was incredible. It was awesome to be back out there with our team and playing in front of our friends and families,” senior tight end and captain Martin Petersen said. “Obviously it didn’t go the way we wanted it to, but we are going to keep getting better everyday.”
Findlay quarterback Matt Winzeler passed for 259 yards, four touchdowns, and only one interception, tipped by Hillsdale’s junior cornerback Matt Harding and picked off by junior linebacker Jonathan Burton.
Sophomore quarterback Luke Keller threw for 206 yards completing 18 passes on 27 attempts, adding one touchdown with another touchdown rushing.
Senior wide receiver Konnor Maloney led the Chargers in receiving, catching six passes for 63 yards. Senior Alexander Giampetro added two receptions for 54 yards while senior Alec Foos caught three passes for 35 yards.
Redshirt freshman tailback Caden Goggins rushed for 59 yards on 12 carries in his first game, adding a 12-yard touchdown in the first quarter.
The Charger defensive line, led by junior Nate Chambers, started the game strong. The line contained the Oiler pass and run game while Chambers added a sack for a six yard loss, and a quarterback hurry that led to an intentional grounding penalty on the Oilers.
The Chargers’ woes began in the second half, primarily stemming from the team’s struggles to control time of possession, turnovers, and penalties. Findlay controlled the ball for more than 35 minutes of the game while the Chargers maintained possession for less than 25.
Head coach Keith Otterbein said he thought the team played hard against Findlay.
“We were prepared mentally, physically, and emotionally,” Otterbein said. “We got up to game speed fast, which is sometimes difficult with not playing a game for so long.”
The Chargers gave up 218 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns as well as Findlay running backs Derek Lynch and Brian Benson who ran for 105 and 74 yards. The team also struggled to contain Findlay receivers Marlin Richardson, who caught three passes for 91 yards including a deep 67 yard touchdown; and Jake Brown who caught six passes for 59 yards.
“We need to improve our third downs on both sides and eliminate the big plays against the defense,” Otterbein said. “After every win or loss, we evaluate the mistakes and we fix the mistakes. Our goal is to be a better team at the end of the semester than when we started.”
Hillsdale has now lost six of the last seven games against Findlay, but still lead the series 17-13-1.
The Chargers will have missed the next to games following the Findlay game. The next game, originally scheduled for March 20 against Kentucky Wesleyan University, was canceled as the Panthers ordered a weeklong pause on all athletic activities due to COVID-19. There are no current plans to reschedule the game. The game scheduled against Lake Erie University for Saturday, March 28, was also canceled due to the Storm having positive COVID-19 cases. The Chargers will now gear up for their next game against Tiffin University on Saturday, April 3.
