Hillsdale Ink

Davignon Nominated for All State - AFCA Good Works Team

While a handful of Chargers are making noise as selections to pre-season All-American teams for on-the-field success, Hillsdale College offensive lineman Phil Davignon is being recognized for what he does away from the football field.

Davignon, a 6' 7" 300 pound senior from Ypsilanti is one of 26 nominees vying for 11 spots on the Division 1AA through NAIA Good Works Team sponsored by All State insurance and The American Football Coaches Association.

According to a release from All State today, the award recognizes players who stand out amongst their peers in terms of charitable and community involvement.

Through a partnership announced this week, Allstate has teamed with the AFCA to honor the college football players whose involvement with charitable organizations and community service contributions stand out among the more than 50,000 student-athletes participating in the sport at all four-year collegiate institutions. From among the 71 nominations submitted by sports information directors on behalf of their team, a special selection committee assembled by the AFCA and Allstate will select two 11-player Good Works Teams(R) - one composed of players competing in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (I-A) and a combined team representing players competing in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (I-AA), Divisions II, III, and the NAIA.

Davignon is the only GLIAC player nominated.

When asked what types of activities Phil was involved in, he listed an impressive slate of involvement, "Coach Otterbein nominated me last spring for the Good Works Team, while at Hillsdale I've been involved with Big Brothers/Big Sisters, and the Salvation Army youth program. I've also volunteered at Hillsdale Preparatory Academy and I've helped out with the youth group at my church, St. Anthony's."

The complete release and list of players nominated is available to read here.

NFL Draft Bible Tabs 3 Chargers as All-Americans

More pre-season love for the Chargers, and this time it comes from one of the most respected sources in D2 football.

Josh Buchanan, pro prospect writer for D2football.com and small school specialist for the NFL Draft Bible has named tackle Jared Veldheer and linebacker Tom Korte to his pre-season Division II All-American first team. Hillsdale tight end Matt Patillo is a second teamer.

Full List

Coaches pick Hillsdale 5th

The 2008 pre-season GLIAC coaches’ poll is out and the Chargers are starting to garner a little bit more respect.

Hillsdale is picked to finish 5th as voted by the league head coaches. The Chargers tied Michigan Tech in the poll revealed this afternoon in Frankenmuth.

Head Coach Keith Otterbein and the other coaches addressed the media once the results were shared by GLIAC director of media relations Jeff Ligney.

“We’re very excited about our football team,” Otter said. “This is the most speed and athletic ability we have had here since I arrived.”

“Defensively, we have one of the premier defensive players in the league in Tom Korte who is heading into his senior year. He and Eric Weber are going to drive our defense. We have a big void to fill in the fact that we lose league MVP Mark Nicolet. If we can replace him with a guy who can just do his job, we feel like we are going to be a good football team and Troy Weatherhead is the leading candidate to take over that position. We have a good core in Tight End Matt Patillo, and four wide receivers: AJ Kegg, Andre Holmes, Mike Blanchard, and guy who scored 18 touchdowns last season, Aaron Waldie.”

Otterbein went on to talk about the returning offensive linemen Jared Veldheer, Phil Davignon, and Josiah Swartz as key ingredients up front. He finished saying he is very excited to have the kids return on Thursday.

I did record Otter’s comments, but I learned that I shouldn’t type while recording. Instead of hearing the Charger coach, you mainly hear me banging on the keyboard.

No shocker in that Grand Valley was once again voted #1. Ashland followed at #2 and Saginaw Valley was 3rd. Northwood gained the #4 spot.
The rest of the poll is as follows:
7. Ferris State
8. Indy
9. WSU
10. NMU
11. Findlay
12. Tiffin

Dead Blogging: GLIAC Media Day

Well, I went to GLIAC Media Day in Frankenmuth and tried my best to bring it to you live.

Due to wifi issues, I wasn't able to pull off my first attempt at using Coveritlive.com.

Oh well, here is my set of raw notes from the day.

GLIAC

Tom Brown opens.
10 game schedule, no open dates, 6 games per weekend
New alignment : RMAC, NSC, GLIAC, Independents, should open more playoff opportunities for league schools.

New rule: Earned access changes to top 8 instead of top 10 in regional rankings.

League SID Jeff Ligney reveals polling results:
12. TU
11. UF
10. NMU
9. WSU
8. Indy
7. FSU
5. HC/MTU
4. NU
3. SVSU
2. AU
1. GVSU

Tiffin: Wikoski, media probably knows more about our kids than I do. 30 seniors with a chance to be winningest group of Tiffin players ever.
Matt Rue, 5th year senior QB, Deshawn Edwards WR

Findlay: Waufford, 6-1 out of conference, but still trying to be a team that conference teams worry about. 6 seniors, very young. Depth will be key.

NMU: Bernie Anderson “After being picked 10th, all I have to do is finish 9th and my AD will be happy.” Freddie Wells is one of the best receiver in the conference. Randy Awrey will help NMU be a better defense.

WSU: Paul Winters “You can talk all you want about the league being tough, but we didn’t hold up our end of the bargain.” Joique Bell is up 225 pounds and Darrell Graham pushes him every day. Sophomore receivers have grown up and should help us a lot.

Indy: Joe Polizzi, Proud and excited to be part of the best Division II conference in the country. Anything can happen in this league. Every year there is a story about a team that people pick low in the poll but knock on the door and make it to the playoff. Leonard Bush is a guy at linebacker who can make things happen. Maxwell Frempong moves to OLB from Safety. 4 starters return on the offensive line. Injured guys return.

Ferris State: Jeff Pierce, 11 opportunities to improve over last season. Thanks the media for supporting all of the teams. 100th year of football. We have high expectations. 40 guys have stayed all summer to work out together. New faces on the staff. Eric Rozinski at QB had a great spring but with 3 guys right on his heels. Defense will be the strength. Jake Visser, 1st team All-American at Dline enters final season.

MTU: Tom Kearly, excited about 08 team, 6 seniors, 5 returners on offense. Very athletic but young on defense. A lot of red shirt freshmen playing in the secondary.

HC: Most speed and talent since returning to Hillsdale. Defense will be strong suit. Korte and Eric Weber must make the defense go. Big void with Nicolet but need to replace Mark with someone who can do their job, not be Nicolet. Weatherhead is the leading candidate. Great receiving corp. Jared Veldheer leads the offensive line.

NU: Mike Sullivan, excited to represent Northwood. 4 senior offensive line that are foundation type players. 9 defensive starters.

SVSU: Jim Collins, excited about the new challenge. Feels he inherited a good football team. Recruited coaches and kids that can are up to the challenge of playing at this level. Lots of competition at a lot of positions should help. Strong defense with 8 starters and a lot of other guys who played a lot of football. 4 out of 5 offensive linemen.

Ashland: Lee Owens, 2nd place recognizes what we did last year. We had a special year. Should be able to score a lot of points. “We lost a lot of guys on defense and that might be a good thing with the way we played on defense.” Excited to play Bloomsburg, a good out of conference PSAC team.

GVSU: Chuck Martin, lost some good players off a great football team. Excited about the nucleus we have returning. Lost both coordinators and the offensive line coach. Skuta and Richard up front should help the defense a ton. Smolen and Breziek back on offense. 3 linemen anchored by Eisenhart at center. Iciek: super smart, super savvy, great person. Get through this league you can play with anybody in the country.
New GLIAC.org will relaunch soon. Presto sports will provide live stats.

RJ Walters Gets Inside the Hiring of Don Brubacher

Here is a great article compiled by RJ Walters of the Hillsdale Daily News on the hiring of Don Brubacher as Hillsdale's newest athletic director. RJ talks to a former player and colleague to learn more about he man who will lead Hillsdale College Athletics for the foreseeable future.

By RJ Walters, Sports Editor
Hillsdale Daily News
Posted Aug 01, 2008 @ 08:00 PM
Hillsdale, Mich. —

Don Brubacher is using words like “marvelous” “extraordinary” and “blessing” to describe Hillsdale College—and rightfully so considering where he’s been and where he’s headed.

Hillsdale College President Arnn announced the appointment of Brubacher as the new director of athletics Wednesday, filling the void left by the departure of former Chargers AD Mike Kovalchik earlier this year.

Brubacher, a native of Hesston, Kan., has a 30-year track record of success at Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kan. (NAIA D-II) where he held many roles including the AD chair for the past nine years, but late last year Tabor decided to realign his role and take away some of his duties of strictly overseeing the athletic department.

Read full article

Waldie Welcomes the Challenge

When I went to Hillsdale, I spent my summer life guarding at a pool that very few people actually visited. It was perfect; start work at 10, eat sunflower seeds, invent your own version of homerun derby with a broken umbrella post and a tennis ball, and glance at the occasional piece of scenery that would always...oh enough of that. A lot of summer jobs are like that, or at least used to be like that. Charger wide receiver and last year's NCAA Division II football leader in touchdown catches (18) Aaron Waldie has taken a different route for his sales internship. Waldie is selling cars this summer in the pre-owned section of a Toledo Volkswagen dealership.

"I am learning a lot," Aaron says. "Some of the guys I work with are the typical used car salesman if you know what I mean. I am nothing like that. It is tough, but you pick up things that work with your own personality."

Waldie found something that worked last season for Hillsdale. Few around the GLIAC or the nation for that matter knew much about Waldie other than he played on the opposite side of Charger receiver Nick Gurica. Gurica led the GLIAC in receptions in 2006 and most teams last year threw all they could at him last year. He still led the conference with 7.09 receptions per game but it was Waldie who emerged with an even bigger year. While teams will double covering Gurica, Waldie was exploiting the single covering and breaking all kinds of school records in the process. Aaron's 5 touchdown receptions against Findlay was a 2007 GLIAC single-game high, as was the accompanying 30 points. His 3 touchdowns against Gannon was the previous single game high. The 211 yards he gained receiving against Ashland was also the most for any GLIAC player last year.

Waldie knows that with Gurica's departure and all he accomplished last year, he won't be able to fly under the radar much this year. He fully expects to garner all of the same attention that Gurica did a year ago.

"Well, you have to expect that. I think I can use that to my advantage. I know what is coming. Because I know it is going to be harder, I have been working out and practicing doubly hard this summer. Before I lift, I go upstairs to the track and work a lot on starts and stance, trying to really perfect technique."

Not only does Waldie look forward to having the kitchen sink thrown at him. He is excited for his teammates and the opportunities that will create for them.

"AJ Kegg is going to start and play where I did last year. He should make a ton of catches. Then you have guys like (Andre) Holmes and Mike Blanchard...Matt Patillo at tight end is going to have a great year. Teams are going to have to put people on all of those guys so I will get my chances."

Waldie's freshmen arrival at Hillsdale was met with excitement mainly due to the pure speed he had demonstrated at Sylvaninia, Ohio's Southview High School in football and in track. According to reports, Aaron recorded the fastest 40 yard dash time at the University of Michigan's football camp the summer before his senior year. That is awfully impressive considering the Wolverine program always attracts some of the best athletes in the nation to its summer camp. Over the past 3 seasons, that speed has become more than legend as Waldie has wooed the GLIAC, and now it seems some NFL scouts are taking notice as well.

"That is the furthest thing from my mind right now, but I just want to keep playing football as long as I can," Aaron says.

Waldie and the rest of the Chargers get their chance to play some more football soon enough as they wrap up their last week of summer vacation and report to camp on August 7