Despite a late fourth-quarter surge, the Hillsdale football team dropped its third straight game this season, losing at home to their Great Midwest Athletic Conference rival Ashland University Eagles 24-21 on Saturday, Sept. 21.
“Even with the loss, our discipline as a team has definitely improved,” senior running back Kyle Riffel said. “We’re getting better on both sides of the ball, and we were right there against Ashland. I feel very confident going into the rest of the season.”
After facing a 21-6 deficit at halftime, sophomore quarterback Colin McKernan led Hillsdale down the field late in the third quarter, finding junior wide receiver Connor Pratt for a 40-yard touchdown score to cut the Ashland lead.
In the fourth quarter, an interception by senior defensive back Vince Francescone gave McKernan the opportunity to hit redshirt freshman Zach Tetler for a 15-yard score. A two-point conversion tied the game at 21.
On the next drive, the Eagles drove down the field and kicked a 30-yard field goal to take a 24-21 lead. The Chargers would turn the ball over on downs on their last drive, ending the game.
Riffel and Tetler split time in the backfield against Ashland, combining for 61 total rushing yards. McKernan was responsible for both of Hillsdale’s offensive touchdowns in his first career start, completing 19 of his 32 passing attempts for 183 yards.
In addition to Pratt, redshirt freshman tight end Andrew Konieczny played a huge role in the passing game for the Chargers with 48 yards on 7 catches. Konieczny now leads Hillsdale with 13 total receptions. Receivers Jonathan Metzger, Joseph Schmidt, and Tutt Carrico each had receptions as well.
Defensively, junior linebacker Jacob Vance once again led Hillsdale with 13 total tackles, including one tackle for loss. Vance now has 26 total tackles, which places him at fourth individually in the G-MAC.
“We have the talent as a unit, but it’s always going to come down to the little details,” Vance said. “We have a great coaching staff, it’s just up to us to get to that next level.”
The lone Hillsdale touchdown in the first half came from a pick-six by senior linebacker Carson Ingram, who took the ball 68 yards to give Hillsdale six points going into halftime, and recorded his second career interception.
Additionally, Francescone and senior defensive backs Jack Trachet and Will Whims each had six tackles and combined for two tackles for loss. Vance, Francescone, and Trachet are the top three leading tacklers for Hillsdale, respectively.
“I think we’ve gotten much better as a defense at eliminating the big plays, which is something that we’ve struggled with in past years,” Whims said. “There’s still one or two that get past us now, and what that comes down to is basically consistency and just being where we need to be when we need to be there.”
With this loss, the Chargers fall to 0-3 this season heading into their first G-MAC road trip. They face off against the Findlay University Oilers in Ohio on September 28 at 2 p.m.