Courtesy | Walsh Athletic Department
The Hillsdale football team beat Walsh University 23-20 Nov. 8 to improve to 5-5 overall and 4-4 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.
Sophomore quarterback Colin McKernan completed 23 of 28 passes for 242 yards and three touchdowns, receiving the GMAC Offensive Player of the Week.
“The pass game felt great,” McKernan said. “Guys were getting open like we expected and they ran the coverages we expected.”
Head coach Nate Shreffler said McKernan and freshman quarterback Eli Boyce made good reads on option plays.
“The quarterbacks have done a nice job taking what the defense is giving us,” Shreffler said. “In the run-pass option game, they have made the right reads and made the easy throws look easy. Most of Saturday’s throws were high percentage throws, so if everyone is doing their job, the results should look like that.”
After Hillsdale and Walsh traded touchdowns in the first quarter, the Chargers took the lead for good in the second quarter when freshman kicker Dylan DeDario hit a 24-yard field goal to make the score 9-7.
Hillsdale extended their lead to 23-10 in the third quarter after McKernan connected with sophomore receiver Tutt Carrico for a 48-yard touchdown pass. Walsh pulled to within three points with eight minutes left in the game, but the Chargers got a stop on Walsh’s next possession, sealing the win.
“The offense started fast, which is always helpful to build momentum early,” junior receiver Shea Ruddy said. “We also played with physicality and determination. Our quarterback play was particularly good this week, which is always great to see from those guys.”
Ruddy picked up 102 receiving yards, 89 return yards, and 11 rushing yards. Ruddy is first in the GMAC in all-purpose yards this season with 1,304, and is 199 yards ahead of second-place Ronald Blackman of Tiffin University.
Ruddy credited Wide Receivers Coach Ryan Stokes with his success.
“I really enjoy kick return yards because it is such a hard unit to succeed in,” Ruddy said. “It takes all 11 guys to do their job. If even one guy messes up, the play does not work. The schemes can get quite complicated, but Coach Stokes does a great job getting us prepared and demands excellence from us.”
Shreffler expressed admiration for Ruddy’s play.
“Shea is a very versatile athlete,” Shreffler said. “We move him around quite a bit on offense and try to put him in the best spots to make plays. Defenses have to be aware of him, and when he’s not getting the ball, he still has an effect on the defense and helps open up other guys. He’s obviously proven to be a big weapon in the return game, and Coach Stokes and the rest of that unit have done a great job executing the game plan each week to produce the big plays.”
Shreffler said the team’s second-half performance has been strong in recent games, including Saturday.
“Starting field position always plays a role,” Shreffler said. “Obviously, we want to score points, but as long as we are taking care of the ball and kicking at the end of each series, we’ll be OK. Defense has done a great job keeping teams out of the end zone the past few weeks in the second half, and we’ve made big plays when we’ve needed to make them.”
Sophomore receiver Andrew Konieczny said the team is confident going into the season’s final game.
“We’re feeling good about our final game and are looking to keep this momentum from the last few weeks and finish the season off on a good note,” Konieczny said.
The Chargers will conclude their season by celebrating their Senior Day at home against Ohio Dominican University Nov. 15.
