Schedule
Hillsdale College (4-5, 3-4 G-MAC) at Walsh (6-3, 4-3 G-MAC) | 12 p.m. ET Saturday, Nov. 8 | Larry Staudt Field | North Canton, OH
 
Follow/Watch
Live Stats | Webcast | Tickets
 
Additional Info
Hillsdale Roster | Walsh Roster | Hillsdale Stats | Walsh Stats | G-MAC Schedule | G-MAC Standings
 
Last Game
The Chargers scored points on each of their first four drives to build a big lead, then held on with a great second-half defensive effort to pick up a 24-10 road win at Thomas More and improve to 4-5 overall. Quarterback Colin McKernan rushed for 82 yards and two touchdowns and Shea Ruddy added a three-yard rushing score as Hillsdale piled up 250 yards on the ground. Defensively, the Chargers forced three turnovers and sacked Thomas More quarterbacks five times, led by an impressive three-sack performance from Drake Badger. Jacob Vance added 10 tackles and Neal Likens two sacks as well for the Chargers, while Colin Morrow picked off a pass.
 
Scouting the Opposition
In 2024, Walsh had the program's best season since joining the NCAA in 2012. After the Cavaliers were battered in the transfer portal, many expected Walsh to take a step back this season, but instead, the Cavaliers have cemented and built on their 2024 achievements by locking up the program's first winning season since 2010, and with two weeks still to play.
 
What's been especially impressive is Walsh's resilience in the face of injuries and departures. The Cavaliers lost 2024 star quarterback TC Molk to the transfer portal and week one starter Hayden Wickard to injuries, but true freshman Cole Norris has stepped in and kept the train rolling with solid play at a critical position. Norris has a deep cast of targets with five different players with multiple touchdown receptions and seven with double-digit catches, led by another true freshman, wideout Austin Knowles. William Butler and Trey Martin have played significant roles as well.
 
On the ground, Jake Gill has emerged as a true star and one of the best tailbacks in the league, effectively replacing 2024 starter Cam Macon and overtaking presumed starter Dante Walker. Gill ranks fourth in the G-MAC in rushing yards, averages 4.7 a carry, and has four rushing touchdowns. Walker is also a solid contributor in relief of Gill, and Norris is dangerous with his legs as well, rushing for four touchdowns on the season. The Cavaliers have a veteran offensive line to aid matters, with four returning starters and a top backup from 2024 all in place.
 
Defensively, the Cavaliers have replaced 2024 G-MAC Defensive Player of the Year Cam Hollobaugh by committee, getting effective contributions from a number of players to fill in the gap. Walsh is stout against the run, with linebackers Mike Howman-Williams and Ed Nichols taking charge, along with safety Martin Konkle and big bodies Koty Henry and Kyler Larosa up front.
 
While Walsh has been great against the run, the Cavaliers' Achilles heel has been its pass defense. Walsh is giving up a G-MAC-worst 263.8 yards through the air but has so far been able to cope thanks to disruptive plays from star edge rusher Chris Jones, and 11 interceptions on the season. Still, if there's an area to exploit on an otherwise solid team, this is clearly it.
 
Jarrad Kerekes handles both kicking and punting for the Cavaliers and is 9 of 13 on field goals on the season and an impressive 3 for 3 from beyond 40 yards with a long of 44. He also averages a respectable 39.4 yards per punt with seven punts of 50 yards or more. Gill and Dalys Jett handle returns for Walsh.
 
The Series
Historically speaking, Hillsdale has dominated the series with Walsh, winning eight straight games, and all by double digits, from the start of the series in 2016 through 2023. But the Cavaliers broke that streak in 2024 with a 36-35 win in overtime at Hillsdale and are looking to make that victory into a streak of their own this season.
 
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.
• Junior Drake Badger continued an impressive 2025 campaign with an epic three sack, 4.5 tackle for loss performance at Thomas More on Nov. 1, the first three sack game since by a Hillsdale player since Kyle Parran did it against Tiffin in 2018. Badger has been a prolific pass rusher throughout his career at Hillsdale, and his 16.5 career sacks rank 10^th all-time with a full season of eligibility left. His 7.5 sacks this season are tied for second-most in the G-MAC, and his 12 tackles for loss rank third in the conference. His performance, along with strong pass rushing from Evan Bienick and Jayden Njoroge, among others, have helped the Chargers rank second as a team in the G-MAC in total sacks.
• 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 not just leading the Chargers but ranking second in the G-MAC as a whole with 660 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 at the top of the list again with 53 tackles through nine games, along with 5.5 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 is second on the Chargers with 48 tackles while playing the STAR position, a hybrid linebacker/safety, and has added three 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 28 catches, 492 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.
• 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.