Another Hornet Becomes a Charger

Caulkins to continue football career at Hillsdale College


RJ Walters, Sports Writer, Hillsdale Daily News
517.437.6022



In what is becoming somewhat of a trend, another Hornet will now down the blue–and–white for years to come.
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On Wednesday, Hillsdale High senior Kyle Caulkins committed to play football at Hillsdale College.

Caulkins started on the defensive and offensive lines for Hillsdale this past year and Hillsdale College head coach Keith Otterbein is excited to add the 6–foot–3, 217 pounder to the mix.

“He’s very similar to (Charger junior) Eric Weber coming out of high school and if we can get him to 240 pounds that will be a big change for him,” he said. “He plays really hard and he fits in perfectly with our guys, which is the icing on the cake for us.”

Otterbein has him slotted at defensive end and said that he will likely redshirt Caulkins, but that has yet to be finalized.

Caulkins said the idea of redshirting doesn’t bother him the least, if that’s what the coaches think is best.

“I could certainly see how it would be beneficial to me and I completely trust the coaches will do whatever is smartest in the long run and I’m just excited to be a part of the program,” he said.

Caulkins also seriously considered Michigan Tech and Butler (Ind.), but ultimately realzied he wanted to experience the Hillsdale College community.

“At first I did kind of have the attitude that I wanted to get out of Hillsdale, but after I toured the campus and talked to some friends there I realized it has a lot to offern and is a whole different community,” he said. “It will be a lot easier for my parents I think since I’m sticking around, but I will be living on campus so I will get the whole college experience.”

Otterbein said he watched Caulkins progress the last few years and knows he’s getting a hard worker who has been coached by a very good staff.

While Caulkins didn’t receive any financial aid from the athletic department, he is receiving some for academics and he is pursuing a biology degree with the possibility of going into pre–med later.

“I’m excited because I know Otterbein is the type of coach who really cares about each individual and I want to be a part of the success the program is having right now,” Caulkins said.

Caulkins will join former Hillsdale High School stars Brad Otterbein, Joe Vear, Miuke Blanchard, Nate English and Gage Frosch on the Charger squad.

Skelton named Peru, Indiana's new Varsity Coach

Bill Skelton, the all-time leading passer in Hillsdale College football history has a new title. He is the head football coach at Peru High School in Peru, IN. Skelton was introduced Monday night. The former minor league indoor football quarterback has been teaching and coaching in the Fort Wayne area since graduating from Hillsdale in 2004.

Greg Silm, Hillsdale's newest addition

Greg Silm of St. Johns High School in St. Johns, MI is the newest addition to Hillsdale's recruiting list. The 6' 1" 180 pound free safety brings 4.5 40 yard dash speed to the Hillsdale secondary. He also played quarterback in high school and led the Redwings three times over the 40 point mark enroute to a 5-4 record.

Silm is a 1 star Scout.com prospect having made the boards of EMU, WMU, CMU, and Grand Valley.

Hillsdale Daily News: Chargers gain 16 commitments

Ken Baraba, Brunswick, OH
Chargers gain 16 commitments

RJ Walters, Sports Writer
517.437.6022

An 8—3 record and national press for some of its’ key players was certainly a big step forward for the Hillsdale College football program in 2007, but head coach Keith Otterbein is hoping for greater things still, including league championships and D—II playoff appearances.
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On Wednesday the program took another step in becoming what Otterbein ultimately hopes it will be in gaining official letters of intent from 16 players.

Otterbein didn’t single out any athlete as being the star of the class, but he did say that he really likes the size of many of the defensive and offensive line recruits who signed.

Of the seven linemen who committed, three of them are listed at 6—foot—4 and they all weigh at least 256 pounds.

“I would say there is a lot of girth in this class, more so than usual. The guys are very well filled out and these linemen are similar to guys in our recruiting class two seasons ago,” he said.

The largest of them is offensive lineman/ defensive lineman Zachary Brown out of Canal Winchester High School in Ohio, at 6—foot—2 312 pounds.

Otterbein said he is extremely happy with his recruits on the line, but he is far from ready to anoint any of them key contributors right away.

He also said he studies his players case by case to determine if redshirting as a freshman is the most sensible option.

“Guys are always going to be better football players the older and more mature they are. Sure we’re going to play a guy if he’s mentally and physically ready, but it’s really case by case,” Otterbein said. “I know that I lined up on special teams as a freshman and was wide—eyed and didn’t hardly know if the football was blown up or stuffed. I’d have traded that season for one as a fifth—year senior in a heartbeat.”

One player Otterbein did say he hopes to get immediate contributions from is punter Andrew Wilburn out of Rockford, Mich.

The 6—foot—1 187 pound Wilburn will try and fill the void left by the departure of senior Matt VanOver who wasthe GLIAC Punter of the Year in 2007 while averaging a league record 43.4 yards per punt.

“Andy has phenomenal extension and balance. His leg goes so high it reminds you of the classic Ray Guy picture (former Oakland Raiders All—Pro punter ),” Otterbein said. “He’s also a great athlete and played linebacker in high school. I told him to be ready to kick on August 30 (when Hillsdale opens against St. Joseph ).”

Wilburn is the only special teams athlete that signed Wednesday, while five were defensive players, two can play on either side of the line and eight are offensive players.

Of the eight offensive signees, Otterbein had the most to say about 6—foot—4, 183 pound quarterback Anthony Misfud out of Dearborn, Mich.

Misfud is the son of Dave Misfud, a wide receiver on the 1985 National Championship team and Otterbein said he has high hopes for the younger Misfud’s future.

“He has decent speed and decent athletic ability, but his dad’s a high school coach and played and we like guys who have been around football a lot,” he said. “He’s highly intelligent and a big time gym rat which we like.”

Otterbein said Misfud went to a lot camps at MAC schools and generated interest from some D—I programs, but he may just have been a number two guy on the list of a school who only took one or number three on the list of a school that took two.

Also on offense the Chargers signed several lineman, a pair of receivers and a halfback.

Cameron White of Forest Hills Central (Grand Rapids ) is listed as a halfback, but Otterbein may have a different position in mind because he said he didn’t get a tailback in the class, but wasn’t worried.

“Sure we were interested in getting a tailback, but you have to look at what you need most. We offered to some guys, but they went elsewhere and that’s okay because we have good depth and stability at that position, so we didn’t go hunting up that spot,” he said.

Seven of the recruits are from Michigan, six from Ohio, one apiece from Indiana and Illinois and wideout Andrew Young is from Oregon (Oakland High School ).

“Honestly, I’m really happy with what we’ve got and they are very talented,” Otterbein said. “I feel really good about this class and we didn’t settle for anybody; we got who we wanted.”

Hillsdale College Recruiting Blurbs 2/7/08

As more news emerges about the newest crop of Chargers, I will post it here. If you have links to stories or video that I have missed, please email those to losik54@yahoo.com .

Signing Day: Anthony Mifsud has Hillsdale Epiphany

Mick McCabe, Freep.com

February 7, 2008

The roller-coaster recruitment of Dearborn quarterback Anthony Mifsud had hit a snag.

"During the summer, I was all over the place," Mifsud said. "For a week, I thought I was going to Michigan. But everything changes so fast."

By January, Mifsud, 6-foot-4, 183 pounds, wasn't sure where his recruitment was headed, but it was dragging. Several Division I-AA schools were interested in him, but the offers weren't coming.

"This is taking too long," Mifsud thought.

So he visited Division II Indianapolis and loved it. But before he committed, he called Meredith Gatt.

Gatt is a student at Hillsdale. Her father, Matt, and Mifsud's father, Dave, were teammates at Hillsdale more than 20 years ago. Anthony told Meredith he wanted to hang out.

"Her boyfriend is on the football team," Mifsud said. "At first I just wanted to hang out with him and her, but then we were with a bunch of football players."

Sometime during the evening, Mifsud had an epiphany.

"These are the kinds of friends I want to have," he thought.

So Mifsud, the Free Press' Division 1 all-state quarterback, became Hillsdale's biggest catch, much to the delight of his father.

"We're thrilled," said Dave, Dearborn's football coach who was a wide receiver on Hillsdale's 1985 national championship team and held several school records until this season.

"We love the football staff and what they're doing. We just think it's a great place for a kid to go to school. I was hoping it would be the right fit for him."

Sam Holton: Livingston Daily.com
Sam Holton, a two-way player at Howell, was told by Hillsdale coaches they want him to play defensive line next season.

"They said they don't want to redshirt me, so I'll play right away," he said.

Holton says he's thinking of majoring in criminal justice or business.

An Early Look at Hillsdale Football Commitments

Chargerblue.com has learned through a series of sources that following players have made commitments to play football at Hillsdale College.

Skill Players:

Anthony Mifsud, Dearborn, MI, QB, 6'4", 185 lb.,
Division II All-State (offensive captain), son of former record setting Charger receiver, 2 star Rivals.com prospect who was in the mix of possible D1 offers late in the process, Video

Corey Gilbert, Sandusky, OH, WR, 6'2", 180 lb.,
The definition of a playmaker, ran 4.44 40 yrd. dash at Ohio State camp, Rivals.com 1 star prospect, 38 catches for school record 10 tds., Division I All-Northwest District, Division I All-Ohio 1st team,video

Ben Karaba, Brunswick, OH, DB, 5'11", 170 lb.,
Division I All-Northwest Region, All-Ohio special mention, 5th longest TD reception in Ohio history (95 yards), 15 consecutive games with a reception

Cameron White, Forest Hills Central High School, Grand Rapids, MI, HB, 6'1", 215 lb., great possession receiver, had 130 yards receiving in opening season win at Coopersville, leader on FHC basketball team as well

Andrew Young, Oakland, Ore., WR/DB, 6'0", 155 lb.,
2A All-Oregon 1st team, Playing in Oregon East-West Shrine Game Aug. 2

Kevin Tabone, Churchill High School, Livonia, MI, TE, 6'3" 240 lb.,
3 Year starter, Ranked by recruiting expert Jim Stefani as the #4 TE in Michigan, 1st Team all conference, 2nd team Western Metro Detroit as defensive lineman

Nate Wade, Salem, IN Eastern HS, DB, 5'10", 190 lb.
2 way player at DB and QB led Eastern High into its first season of football, had a 60 yard run for a score against Brownstown Central


Linemen

Zach Brown, Canal Winchester High School (Columbus area), OH, OL/DL, 6'2", 312 lb. This kid is a monster at center and defensive tackle. He has surprisingly quick and agile feet for such a big man. Brown plays with a real nasty streak but is a leader on and off of the field. He earned Division III All-Central region 1st team honors and All-Ohio special mention. Check out his YouTube.com video.

Trevor Putnam, Worthington Kilbourne High School (Columbus area), OH, OL, 6'5", 268 lb.
Division I All-Central region 1st team and All-Ohio special mention.

Kevin Cunningham, Olentangy (Columbus area), OH, DT, 6'2", 270 lb.,
Division I All-Central region 1st team and All-Ohio special mention.

D.J. Loy, Westerville Central (Columbus area), OH, OL, 6'4", 265 lb.
Division I All-Central region 2nd Team, All-Metro honorable mention,

Michael Kendrick, Maine Twnshp. South, Park Ridge, IL, 6'0", 256 lb.
selected to Illinois Coaches Association All-Star Game, 3 year varsity player

Jim Plaskey, Brother Rice HS, Birmingham, MI, DT, 6'4", 255 lb.,
Turned down offers from Air Force and Army. Scout.com ranked him as a 2 star prospect and had this to say: "Plaskey has a big frame and a long wingspan, he also plays a mean and aggressive game and has Big Ten and MAC schools looking closer." Ranked as the 93rd senior prospect in MI.

Sam Holton, Howell, MI, OL/DT, 6'2" 280 lb.
Division I first-team all-state, Livingston Community News Lineman of the Year, Columnist Jason Deegan writes about Holton: "The senior tackle led a senior-laden offensive line that allowed the Highlander offense to roll up roughly 300 yards per game, including 200 on the ground."

Linebacker:
Ryan Egnatuk, Rockford, MI, LB, 5'10", 195 lb.
Grand Rapids Press Dream Team, Detroit Free Press Dream Team, From freep.com: "Ryan is one tough, hard-nosed, tenacious, competitive inside linebacker, who is simply passionate about football," Rockford coach Ralph Munger said. "He plays sideline-to-sideline and is a dynamite tackler. And on top of all that, he's a young man with a dynamic personality." Egnatuk totaled 118 tackles and had three sacks. The previous two years, he helped the Rams reach the state finals. Freep.com: Highlights: He had 118 tackles, three sacks and a fumble recovery. Played in state championship game as a sophomore and started the last two years as an inside linebacker.

Punter:

Andrew Wilburn, Rockford, MI, P, 6'1", 187 lb.,
Division I All-State 1st team Linebacker, punted 3 times in 2006 state championship game for 104 yards

Just added: Nate Wade, DB Salem, IN Eastern HS

Signing Day is Here!

Check back for live updates throughout Wednesday February 6.