Schedule
Hillsdale College (3-5, 2-4 G-MAC) at Thomas More (0-8, 0-6 G-MAC) | 12 p.m. ET Saturday, Nov. 1 | Republic Bank Field | Crestview Hills, KY
 
Follow/Watch
Live Stats | Webcast | Tickets
 
Additional Info
Hillsdale Roster | Thomas More Roster | Hillsdale Stats | Thomas More Stats | G-MAC Schedule | G-MAC Standings
 
Last Game
Hillsdale got back on track in a big way with a dominant 35-10 home victory over Lake Erie, scoring all 35 of its points in the first half to coast to victory. The Chargers scored on four of their first five possessions and added a kickoff return touchdown by Shea Ruddy to take an insurmountable lead into the half, while holding Lake Erie to just 151 yards of offense for the game. Quarterback Colin McKernan was 11 for 14 for 173 yards and touchdown passes to Ruddy and Andrew Konieczny while adding a third touchdown on the ground, and backup QB Eli Boyce added a touchdown pass to Tutt Carrico as well. Evan Bienick finished with nine tackles, 3.5 for loss and 1.5 sacks to lead the Chargers defensively, Drake Badger added 1.5 sacks and Colin Morrow picked off a pass.
 
Scouting the Opposition
A tough non-conference schedule and missed opportunities in G-MAC play have the Saints still looking for their first victory of the 2025 season in week nine. Despite the record, Thomas More has given some teams tough games and won't necessarily be an easy win playing on their home turf.
 
Offensive production has been a struggle for Thomas More so far, as the Saints rank ninth in the G-MAC in points per game and have exceeded 15 points just once in eight contests. An injury to starter Griffin Scalf has left freshman Ben Chesser as the starter in each of the last two games, and the first-year player has held his own, completing 58.9% of his passes for 467 yards, and four touchdowns vs three interceptions. Veteran Chase Crone is the backup, assuming Scalf doesn't return this week.
 
The Saints have had better success through the air, with second-year starter Duncan Bradley and sophomore Javion Bostic both putting up solid numbers so far. Thomas More has had to lean on the passing game due to struggles rushing the ball – their ground attack ranks ninth in the G-MAC and the Saints have yet to score a rushing touchdown. Eli White is the top back for Thomas More, with Davay Hill and Demetrick Welch, Jr. as his backups.
 
Junior and returning All-G-MAC honoree Cam Weil is a returning starter on a veteran line for the Saints, with all five starters in either their fourth or fifth year of collegiate eligibility.
 
Thomas More also has struggled defensively, giving up 37 or more points in six of the eight contests they've played. The Saints can hang their hats on holding a prolific Northwood offense to 10 points in an early season meeting and will look to duplicate that performance this week.
 
Elijah Manning and Tofa Luani lead the Saints in tackles, and Japhia Kennedy is a disruptive player against both the run and pass for a Thomas More team that leans heavily on its linebacking corps. Tahj Meadows and Obadiah Commodore are veteran anchors on the line, and Avery Bodner and Christian Rice are the same in the secondary. Thomas More must find a way to generate more drive-killing negative plays – the Saints have only two interceptions and two fumble recoveries on the season, and the team's 10 sacks rank ninth in G-MAC play.
 
The Saints traditionally have strong special teams. Kicker Luke Iden returns as one of the best in the G-MAC and is 7 of 9 on the season, and punter Jackson Trombley is averaging 40.27 with 10 punts inside the 20. Josh Kennebrew and Jevan Rivers return kicks for the Saints, and Duncan Bradley returns punts. 
 
The Series
As a recent addition to the G-MAC and NCAA DII, Thomas More has a short history of contests with Hillsdale. The Chargers have won both meetings, beating the Saints 35-33 in Crestview Hills in 2023, and winning 38-17 at home last year.
 
Other Notes

• There will be a new streaming home for Hillsdale College athletics in the 2025 season as the Great Midwest Athletic Conference has agreed to a media rights deal with FloSports. All Hillsdale home and conference contests will stream with FloSports as a part of its FloCollege brand. FloSports is a subscription-based livestreaming service that hosts 40,000 contests and has deals with over 20 conferences in the NCAA. You can find out more information and sign up to watch the Chargers at this link.
• Hilllsdale head coach Nate Shreffler is entering his second season as the man in charge, and the veteran coach is no stranger to the sport and to Hillsdale. Shreffler is entering his 27^th season as a coach for the Chargers, including successful stints as the team's offensive line coach (1999-2009) and offensive coordinator (2010-2023). Hillsdale's all-time leading passer, rusher and receiver all played in offenses led by Shreffler, and he was the position coach of Hillsdale's most recent NFL draft pick, Jared Veldheer. A 1993 graduate of Hillsdale College, Shreffler was a three-year starter on the offensive line and an important part of the team's 1992 conference title. The Chargers finished with a 6-5 record in Shreffler's first season in charge, making him the first Hillsdale coach to finish above .500 in his debut season since Hillsdale Hall of Famer Dick Lowry in 1980.
• With his 90 yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Lake Erie on Oct. 25, Shea Ruddy tied the Hillsdale career kickoff return TD mark of 4 set by Chad Gurica from 2002-05.  In 2024, Ruddy was the first Hillsdale College player in the NCAA DII era to be named both an All-American and an Academic All-American in the same season after setting a G-MAC record by averaging 33.3 yards per return, while ranking second in the nation in kickoff return yardage (732) and fifth in All-Purpose Yards (1,779). He's continued to be one of the best in the nation in 2025, putting up similar numbers in the return game this year, while also serving as one of the team's leading receivers with a 74-yard touchdown reception against the Storm as well. He also ranks in the top 10 in Hillsdale College history in career receiving touchdowns with 15.
• True freshman tailback Ben Ngishu has been one of the biggest and most pleasant surprises for the Chargers in 2025, seizing the starting job just two months into his time at Hillsdale and currently leading not just the Chargers but the G-MAC as a whole with 595 rushing yards. A native of Wylie, Texas, just outside of Houston, Ngishu had back-to-back 100 yards games against Ashland and Kentucky Wesleyan and ranks second in the G-MAC in yards per carry and rushing touchdowns. Ngishu is on pace to have the best performance by a Chargers freshman tailback since GLIAC Freshman of the Year Joe Reverman in 2015.
• Junior Jacob Vance had a career first against Tiffin on Oct. 4, returning an interception for a touchdown for the first time in his three years as a starting linebacker for the Chargers. Vance remains a linchpin of the Hillsdale defense, leading the team in tackles as both a freshman and a sophomore, and he's near the top again with 43 tackles through eight games, currently second, along with 4.5 tackles for loss. A 2024 first team All-G-MAC and All-Super Region 1 linebacker, Vance was a preseason All-American to D2Football.com and should be in line for more recognition at the end of the season if he stays healthy and continues to produce.
• Junior Colin Morrow was slowed by injuries in each of his first two seasons, but has taken off in 2025 with better health. He currently leads the Chargers with 44 tackles while playing the STAR position, a hybrid linebacker/safety, and has added two interceptions, a forced fumble and fumble recovery for a touchdown.
• Along with Ngishu, Hillsdale's gotten breakout seasons so far from a variety of sophomore receivers. Tutt Carrico leads the Chargers in all categories with 25 catches, 470 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns, while fellow sophomore Ryan Skura has 206 yards and two scores, and tight end Andrew Konieczny adds 238 yards and three touchdowns as well. The trio have combined to catch 10 touchdown passes, helping fuel a career year to date from another important sophomore, quarterback Colin McKernan, who's now in his second season as the starter.
• The Chargers defensive line has overcome injuries to become a major player for Hillsdale this season. Along with a six-sack performance at Findlay on Oct. 11, Hillsdale also recorded four sacks and seven tackles for loss, mostly from the defensive line, in the win over Lake Erie on Oct. 25. Defensive ends Drake Badger (4.5 sacks) and Jayden Njoroge (4 sacks) are leading the way, while defensive tackle Evan Bienick has a team-best 9.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks as well.
• Defensive lineman Hunter Sperling was honored as Hillsdale's nominee for the William V. Campbell trophy, awarded by the National Football Foundation. Considered the "Academic Heisman", the award goes to a senior college football player who makes major contributions on and off the field while also excelling in the classroom. Sperling, an active volunteer in several charitable endeavors and an Economics major with a 3.86 GPA, is also a team captain in his third year as a starter, with 83 career tackles, 13.5 for loss, and 7.5 sacks in 35 games played at defensive tackle.
• Hillsdale has another major award nominee in senior wide receiver Connor Pratt, who is a contender for a spot on the Allstate Good Works team. Pratt, who started and was one of the team's most productive targets as a junior, has been active in a wide variety of community service projects, including Hillsdale's Victory Day, Guys With Ties, and Be The Match Bone Marrow Registry drive fundraisers, as well as several solo volunteer efforts.
• Hillsdale has selected three captains for the 2025 campaign – Vance, Sperling and Carter Cushman, a three-year starter at right tackle for Hillsdale. All three captains are veteran players with significant contributions on the field and as leaders of the program.
• The Charger football program continued to shine academically this past season, with six players earning College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors, including returners Sperling and Ruddy. In addition to making the All-District team, Ruddy went a step further, becoming just the ninth football player in Hillsdale College history to be named a CSC Academic All-American as a special teams player. In addition, 40 Hillsdale football players received Academic All-G-MAC honors for posting a 3.3 or better cumulative GPA through the spring 2024 semester.