Episode 2 is now posted at the Podcast site: Chargercomment.blogspot.com
Highlights include:
Spring report
The divide between geeks and football players
Miss Tealizzy's disdain for alumni
Mythbusters: Hillsdale was once a top Playboy party school (Caution: may be crushing news to some)
Dodgeball Champions
Tradition • Character • Service
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Reagan at Hillsdale
Friday, April 14, 2006
Hillsdale Makes Right Choice in New Dean
I could not applaud Hillsdale's choice for their new Dean of Women more!
Diane Philipp, a 1982 Hillsdale grad and Charger track athlete was recently picked to replace the retiring Carol Ann Barker.
What is great about the Philipp hire is that she will be able to approach her responsibilities with the perspective of student-athletes in mind.
Philipp is another example of the leadership skills that Charger athletics teach. She joins Dean of Men Aaron Petersen, admissions director Jeff Lantis, Vice President of Administration Richard Pewe, Vice President of Development John Cervini, and Alumni Relations Director Mike Harner as former Hillsdale athletes now in administrative positions with the College.
Diane Philipp, a 1982 Hillsdale grad and Charger track athlete was recently picked to replace the retiring Carol Ann Barker.
What is great about the Philipp hire is that she will be able to approach her responsibilities with the perspective of student-athletes in mind.
Philipp is another example of the leadership skills that Charger athletics teach. She joins Dean of Men Aaron Petersen, admissions director Jeff Lantis, Vice President of Administration Richard Pewe, Vice President of Development John Cervini, and Alumni Relations Director Mike Harner as former Hillsdale athletes now in administrative positions with the College.
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Berube: Third Hornet to Commit to Chargers
Berube third Hornet to commit to Chargers
Hillsdale senior joins teammates Frosch and Otterbein at Hillsdale College
Hillsdale Daily News
Drew Berube can relax now — kind of.
The Hillsdale senior still has
baseball season and the hoopla that comes with the final months of
one’s senior year in high school, but with his college choice now a
done deal, he can focus solely on those two things.
Berube committed to Hillsdale College and football coach Keith Otterbein Monday night.
“I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders,” Berube, who
chose Hillsdale over Adrian College, said. “I can finally start working
out with some of their programs.”
Berube — a defensive lineman — is the third player from Hillsdale
High School to join the Chargers’ 2006 recruiting class. Quarterback
Brad Otterbein and tight end Gage Frosch signed with Hillsdale on
National Signing Day in early February.
“You’ve got to recruit good players out of your own back yard,”
Keith Otterbein — who is Brad’s father — said. “I was excited watching
them the whole way along. For a long time we knew (Berube) was a guy we
wanted to get to our program.”
Berube is the sixth defensive lineman and third defensive end the Chargers have brought in this year.
He was an honorable mention All–State selection in Class B as a key member of Hillsdale’s district championship team.
He finished the season with 75 total tackles, 19 for loss and seven
sacks. He was also a starting offensive lineman helping pave the way
for a 1,000–yard rusher in Matt English.
“I think he’s got great upside,” coach Otterbein said.
At 6–3 and 240 pounds, Berube was a good–sized defensive lineman in
high school. Combined with his speed and athleticism, he was able to
cause a lot of problems for the opposition.
But he knows that he’s going to have to get bigger and stronger to succeed at the next level.
“I just have to work hard and get a lot stronger,” he said.
But that is something he is ready to do in order to take full advantage of what has been a lifelong dream.
“I get to play college football,” Berube said. “That’s exciting.”
Hillsdale also added two other players to its list of signees. Zach
Rausch, a 6–0 220–pound linebacker from Pickerington, Ohio, and Brad
Weaver, a 5–9 170–pound tailback from Napoleon, Ohio.
The three new signees give the Chargers 29 so far, and it could grow.
“Our staff has really done a good job,” Otterbein said. “This class
will be somewhere between 30 and 35 real good football players.
“Having a big class is a real benefit for us.”
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
June 19 Golf Outing Details Released
From Hillsdale College:
Make your phone calls and get a group together, or let us match you up with a group for an afternoon of Florida Scramble golf, food and fun with Hillsdale College coaches, Charger alums and boosters at the Blackberry Patch Golf Club in Coldwater. Cost for the event is $75 per person and includes lunch, free range balls, steak dinner, greens fees, cart, lots of prizes and beverages. The outing is a four-man scramble format with proximity prizes, a skins game and a hole-in-one contest. Reservations are due by Monday, June 12, 2006. Head Coach Keith Otterbein and his staff will welcome you and give you an update on the Charger football program and the 2006 team.
For more information regarding the outing, contact Coach Otterbein at (517) 437-7364.
Blackberry Patch Golf Course
Coldwater, MI 49036 Phone: (517) 238-8686
website
----------------
Total payment enclosed: $__________
Please make checks payable to Hillsdale College
Return this form to:
Charger Football Golf Outing
Hillsdale College
201 Oak Street
Hillsdale, MI 49242
300 Foursome Please list names below.
$ 75 Individual If more than 1 please list below
$ 30 All-day pass (non-golfer) If more than 1 please list below
Sorry, I am unable to attend.
Enclosed is my contribution of $100 to sponsor a hole
Enclosed is my contribution of $_______ to Hillsdale College football
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Area Standouts Continue Careers in Indoor League
Ed Patino
Daily Telegram Sports Writer
April 7, 2006
The way Dan Musielewicz sees it, he is living a dream with the Fort Wayne Freedom.
The 2000 graduate of Britton High School and former standout at Hillsdale College is a starting wide receiver for the United Indoor Football League franchise.
Musielewicz isn't the only local talent making a name for himself in Fort Wayne. Former Tecumseh High School and Adrian College quarterback Randy Hutchison Jr. signed a one-year contract with the Freedom in early March.
Fort Wayne (2-0) is currently in first place in the East Division of its league. The Freedom began their season March 25 with a 28-23 home win against the Sioux City Bandits, then spoiled the Bloomington Extreme's home debut last Saturday with a 51-28 victory.
“Playing professional football is something many kids dream about, and I'm having the time of my life,” Musielewicz said. “I'm really blessed to be able to do this. Playing indoors, it gets incredibly loud, and it's an experience of a lifetime.”
The team's next game is at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at home against the Ohio Valley Greyhounds. Ohio Valley is also in the East Division. The team's game next Saturday is on the road against the Sioux City Bandits of the North Division. The league also includes a Central Division.
The Patriots play their home games at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, which was built in 1952. The Detroit Pistons played in the building as the Fort Wayne Pistons until the franchise's move to Detroit in 1957. Currently, the Indiana-Purdue University Fort Wayne basketball teams play home games at the facility.
Musielewicz is in his second season in the league. He played with the Peoria Rough Riders last season and caught seven balls for 41 yards as a reserve. However, he said the chance to reunite with several Hillsdale College products sparked the decision for him to switch to Fort Wayne.
Fort Wayne is coached by former Hillsdale assistant Dan Pifer. Other former Chargers on the roster include receiver Keith Recker and quarterback Bill Skelton.
Full Story
Daily Telegram Sports Writer
April 7, 2006
The way Dan Musielewicz sees it, he is living a dream with the Fort Wayne Freedom.
The 2000 graduate of Britton High School and former standout at Hillsdale College is a starting wide receiver for the United Indoor Football League franchise.
Musielewicz isn't the only local talent making a name for himself in Fort Wayne. Former Tecumseh High School and Adrian College quarterback Randy Hutchison Jr. signed a one-year contract with the Freedom in early March.
Fort Wayne (2-0) is currently in first place in the East Division of its league. The Freedom began their season March 25 with a 28-23 home win against the Sioux City Bandits, then spoiled the Bloomington Extreme's home debut last Saturday with a 51-28 victory.
“Playing professional football is something many kids dream about, and I'm having the time of my life,” Musielewicz said. “I'm really blessed to be able to do this. Playing indoors, it gets incredibly loud, and it's an experience of a lifetime.”
The team's next game is at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at home against the Ohio Valley Greyhounds. Ohio Valley is also in the East Division. The team's game next Saturday is on the road against the Sioux City Bandits of the North Division. The league also includes a Central Division.
The Patriots play their home games at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, which was built in 1952. The Detroit Pistons played in the building as the Fort Wayne Pistons until the franchise's move to Detroit in 1957. Currently, the Indiana-Purdue University Fort Wayne basketball teams play home games at the facility.
Musielewicz is in his second season in the league. He played with the Peoria Rough Riders last season and caught seven balls for 41 yards as a reserve. However, he said the chance to reunite with several Hillsdale College products sparked the decision for him to switch to Fort Wayne.
Fort Wayne is coached by former Hillsdale assistant Dan Pifer. Other former Chargers on the roster include receiver Keith Recker and quarterback Bill Skelton.
Full Story
Sunday, April 09, 2006
Freedom go to 3-0, Skelton Article
AT FORT WAYNE 37, OHIO VALLEY 32 -The Fort Wayne Freedom improved to 3-0 on the season with 37-32 win over Ohio Valley Saturday night in United Indoor Football action. The Freedom hitched their wagon to Rocky Harvey to UIF record 171 yards and four touchdowns. That broke Fred Jackson's 169 in United Bowl 1 last August. Harvey also set a new standard with 38 carries in a contest. Three of Harvey's scores came in the third quarter. The running back also added 101 yards in the second half to power the sputtering Freedom to the win. The Freedom trailed early as the offense was unable to convert on scoring drives.
Skelton’s ability to scamper has Freedom off and running
Monday April 3, 2006
By Stacy Clardie
The Journal Gazette
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Bill Skelton has the prototype quarterback body – 6-foot-3, 210 pounds.
Not necessarily the type you’d expect could hurt defenses running the ball.
But Skelton’s athleticism at the position has provided a nice boost to Fort Wayne’s offense.
Skelton has shown his mobility in both games this season. But perhaps his elusiveness was best shown in the Freedom’s 51-28 victory over Bloomington on Saturday when Skelton rushed for a touchdown and evaded defenders to throw for another.
Late in the third quarter with the Freedom up 30-20, Skelton and running back Rocky Harvey combined to lead the team on an eight-play drive.
Skelton capped it when he was able to buy time in the pocket. He got some pressure up the middle but simply scooted to the left and kept moving to evade defenders until seeing Adrian Reese streak open in the back of the end zone.
Once Skelton saw that, he quickly zipped a pass across the field to Reese for a touchdown.
Against the Extreme, Skelton also rushed for a touchdown on a nice play call.
The Freedom twice ran a no-huddle style of offense in the season opener against Sioux City in which it lined up all four of its receiving options stacked on the right side of the line. From that formation, Skelton tossed the ball to Harvey for a run.
But out of that same formation near the goal line against Bloomington, Skelton kept the snap and ran off the left side for an easy touchdown.
He has rushed for 32 yards on six carries this season, including a long of 16 yards.
“I think that helps me,” Skelton said of his mobility.
“I think that’s a benefit. In the arena league, you’ve got to be able to throw the football, but being able to run is an added bonus, and when you can create plays, it’s always a good thing.”
Full Article
Skelton’s ability to scamper has Freedom off and running
Monday April 3, 2006
By Stacy Clardie
The Journal Gazette
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Bill Skelton has the prototype quarterback body – 6-foot-3, 210 pounds.
Not necessarily the type you’d expect could hurt defenses running the ball.
But Skelton’s athleticism at the position has provided a nice boost to Fort Wayne’s offense.
Skelton has shown his mobility in both games this season. But perhaps his elusiveness was best shown in the Freedom’s 51-28 victory over Bloomington on Saturday when Skelton rushed for a touchdown and evaded defenders to throw for another.
Late in the third quarter with the Freedom up 30-20, Skelton and running back Rocky Harvey combined to lead the team on an eight-play drive.
Skelton capped it when he was able to buy time in the pocket. He got some pressure up the middle but simply scooted to the left and kept moving to evade defenders until seeing Adrian Reese streak open in the back of the end zone.
Once Skelton saw that, he quickly zipped a pass across the field to Reese for a touchdown.
Against the Extreme, Skelton also rushed for a touchdown on a nice play call.
The Freedom twice ran a no-huddle style of offense in the season opener against Sioux City in which it lined up all four of its receiving options stacked on the right side of the line. From that formation, Skelton tossed the ball to Harvey for a run.
But out of that same formation near the goal line against Bloomington, Skelton kept the snap and ran off the left side for an easy touchdown.
He has rushed for 32 yards on six carries this season, including a long of 16 yards.
“I think that helps me,” Skelton said of his mobility.
“I think that’s a benefit. In the arena league, you’ve got to be able to throw the football, but being able to run is an added bonus, and when you can create plays, it’s always a good thing.”
Full Article
Sunday, April 02, 2006
Freedom Gets Win #2
Former Chargers played big roles in The Ft. Wayne Freedom's 2nd win in as many tries. The Freedom move to 2-0 with the 51-28 UIFL win.
From the Bloomington Pantagraph:
April 2, 2006
Randy Rheinhart
"Fort Wayne scored the first 21 points of the second half en route to its second victory in as many games.
"We talked at halftime that we have to learn to put people away," Freedom coach Dan Pifer said. "We had a big tendency last year to get a 10-, 17- point lead and let everybody hang around. We came out with a lot more intensity and it showed."
Fort Wayne assumed a 44-20 lead on touchdown runs of 7 and 8 yards by former University of Illinois running back Rocky Harvey and a 3-yard scoring pass from Bill Skelton to Adrian Reese.
"They whipped us in every phase of the game the second half," said Schmitz. "This is the best team in the league, and I wanted to evaluate us against these people. I thought at halftime we were right there with them. By the end of the season, I would like to play these guys again in the playoffs and see where we stand."
Bloomington's final touchdown - and the third of Burk's three TD tosses - was a 10-yard pass to Craig Kastning with 1:25 remaining.
"We just weren't meshing as well as we should have been," said Kastning, the former Illinois Wesleyan player who caught five passes for 48 yards. "The second quarter, Dusty got us going. We started catching balls and making blocks. We came out the second half and it was like we were dull. You can't play two quarters. You have to put the whole game together."
Fort Wayne hit the Extreme with a steady dose of Harvey, who rushed 22 times for 130 yards and three touchdowns behind an offensive line of Jamarkus Gorman, Remele Penick and Noah Swartz that weighs a combined 980 pounds.
"They are as good as you're going to find in this league up front," Pifer said. "They are playing together for the second year. They talk. They can make adjustments. We wanted to establish the run and build off that. We did that early and that helped us set the tone."
Bloomington defensive lineman Eric Johnson said Harvey's ability to change direction was difficult to defend.
"It was really hard for us to adjust to what they did. He's a really, really good cutback runner," said Johnson. "With a three-man front, if somebody cuts back it's easy to get outnumbered that way. But no excuses in conjunction with the fact we didn't play very well."
Fort Wayne took a 7-0 lead on the opening drive as Harvey scored from a yard out. Bloomington then drove to the Freedom 4 before Scott Heighland intercepted Burk.
A 1-yard run from Skelton put Fort Wayne ahead 14-0 before a 22-yard field goal from Peter Christofilakos produced Bloomington's first points.
A 22-yard touchdown connection from Burk to Kastning over the middle cut the Extreme deficit to 17-10. But proving it's tough to be a Freedom fighter, Fort Wayne struck on the next play with a 39-yard TD bomb from Skelton to Reese.
Bloomington pulled within three on a 24-yard pass from Burk to Dwayne Smith at the 15-second mark of the opening half.
Burk completed 14 of 34 passes for 141 yards, and topped the Extreme with 42 yards rushing.
"We didn't capitalize on our opportunities and they capitalized on theirs," said Burk. "There were a few bad passes here and there, a few missed open receivers and a few dropped balls. Once we get our execution down and get our timing the way we want it, those are things we can easily correct."
Pifer was impressed with Bloomington's expansion team.
"They're good, especially their offense. That quarterback is real good," said the Freedom coach. "They are going to win some games for sure. They've got some talent on both sides of the ball. They could be around when the playoffs come around."
From the Bloomington Pantagraph:
April 2, 2006
Randy Rheinhart
"Fort Wayne scored the first 21 points of the second half en route to its second victory in as many games.
"We talked at halftime that we have to learn to put people away," Freedom coach Dan Pifer said. "We had a big tendency last year to get a 10-, 17- point lead and let everybody hang around. We came out with a lot more intensity and it showed."
Fort Wayne assumed a 44-20 lead on touchdown runs of 7 and 8 yards by former University of Illinois running back Rocky Harvey and a 3-yard scoring pass from Bill Skelton to Adrian Reese.
"They whipped us in every phase of the game the second half," said Schmitz. "This is the best team in the league, and I wanted to evaluate us against these people. I thought at halftime we were right there with them. By the end of the season, I would like to play these guys again in the playoffs and see where we stand."
Bloomington's final touchdown - and the third of Burk's three TD tosses - was a 10-yard pass to Craig Kastning with 1:25 remaining.
"We just weren't meshing as well as we should have been," said Kastning, the former Illinois Wesleyan player who caught five passes for 48 yards. "The second quarter, Dusty got us going. We started catching balls and making blocks. We came out the second half and it was like we were dull. You can't play two quarters. You have to put the whole game together."
Fort Wayne hit the Extreme with a steady dose of Harvey, who rushed 22 times for 130 yards and three touchdowns behind an offensive line of Jamarkus Gorman, Remele Penick and Noah Swartz that weighs a combined 980 pounds.
"They are as good as you're going to find in this league up front," Pifer said. "They are playing together for the second year. They talk. They can make adjustments. We wanted to establish the run and build off that. We did that early and that helped us set the tone."
Bloomington defensive lineman Eric Johnson said Harvey's ability to change direction was difficult to defend.
"It was really hard for us to adjust to what they did. He's a really, really good cutback runner," said Johnson. "With a three-man front, if somebody cuts back it's easy to get outnumbered that way. But no excuses in conjunction with the fact we didn't play very well."
Fort Wayne took a 7-0 lead on the opening drive as Harvey scored from a yard out. Bloomington then drove to the Freedom 4 before Scott Heighland intercepted Burk.
A 1-yard run from Skelton put Fort Wayne ahead 14-0 before a 22-yard field goal from Peter Christofilakos produced Bloomington's first points.
A 22-yard touchdown connection from Burk to Kastning over the middle cut the Extreme deficit to 17-10. But proving it's tough to be a Freedom fighter, Fort Wayne struck on the next play with a 39-yard TD bomb from Skelton to Reese.
Bloomington pulled within three on a 24-yard pass from Burk to Dwayne Smith at the 15-second mark of the opening half.
Burk completed 14 of 34 passes for 141 yards, and topped the Extreme with 42 yards rushing.
"We didn't capitalize on our opportunities and they capitalized on theirs," said Burk. "There were a few bad passes here and there, a few missed open receivers and a few dropped balls. Once we get our execution down and get our timing the way we want it, those are things we can easily correct."
Pifer was impressed with Bloomington's expansion team.
"They're good, especially their offense. That quarterback is real good," said the Freedom coach. "They are going to win some games for sure. They've got some talent on both sides of the ball. They could be around when the playoffs come around."
Spring Football Calendar
Spring Football has begun for the Chargers. You can view and subscribe to my 30 Boxes calendar here.
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