To podcast or not to podcast...you tell me

For the last several seasons I have produced a weekly podcast dubbed "The Charger Comment".

I have featured interviews with Charger players, Charger coaches, even media member like Sean Baligian from the Sean, Terp, and Killer show who calls Wayne State games.

This year as I have increased some initiatives at school in my real job as an elementary technology teacher, I decided to put the podcast on the back burner. To be honest, it was a bit of an experiment.

Each week I wondered how many people were actually listening because I never got much feedback either way, positively or negatively. I wondered if anyone would even miss the episodes.

Today I received a tweet from former Charger QB Troy Weatherhead asking where the podcast was. I gave him the same explanation and he had some really complimentary things to say about enjoying it.

So, I guess some of you guys were listening and I am starting to think maybe I need to fire this thing up again. Let's do this though. I need to hear from the Charger faithful. What do you want to hear? Who do you want to hear? Give me some ideas for some new features....and oh by the way, if you would like to sponsor the podcast and get exclusive naming rights we can make that happen as well.

Go to the Facebook page and tell me what you think. Facebook.com/chargerbluedotcom

D2football.com's Tony Nicolette previews GLIAC action

#3 Grand Valley (1-0) at Hillsdale (0-1)

Over the past few seasons, the team that has been the most consistent in giving Grand Valley fits has been Hillsdale. Those who were there will likely never forget the miraculous finish of last year's game, and the last time the Lakers paid a visit to Muddy Waters Stadium they were sent home with a loss. The Chargers have some questions to answer after last week's loss at Ferris, but can get things back on track in a big way by saddling Grand Valley with an early blemish.

Grand Valley Keys:
- Keep the Balance - Hillsdale had a hard time stopping the Ferris ground game a week ago. GV definitely has the personnel to take advantage of this, but also has a much stronger passing attack than the Bulldogs. Taking what the Chargers give will of course be the Laker game plan, but they should see many more options available if they are hitting Hillsdale via the air as well.

- Say no to Joe - Hillsdale got 224 yards on the ground and another 25 receiving from Joe Glendening in last year's game. The Lakers know that he's going to get his typical 32-38 touches in this one, and they need to keep his average gain as low as possible. Not letting him get going on the ground is imperative, but keeping him in check via the air (especially if GV has a lead) can't be forgotten.

Hillsdale Keys:
- Secondary must play well - Yes, if the run is there GV will take it. With that said, the Lakers passing attack did most of what it wanted last week so the Chargers can't simply fix their run stop and expect that to be enough. Getting some help from the front with pressure on Heath Parling will be important to slowing down GV's passing game as well.

- Dictate tempo - This is something that Hillsdale loves to do. They led the GLIAC in time of possession a year ago, and had a major advantage again last week. Turnovers on the plus-side of the field were part of their undoing, so if they can keep the Laker offense on the sidelines for extended periods of time (and avoid not cashing in on drives) they'll be giving themselves a better shot at knocking GV off for the second time in three years.

Prediction:
Much of the talk around Hillsdale's prospects for this year have revolved around the graduation of Troy Weatherhead and Andre Holmes. While their being gone is certainly significant, I really think the losses Hillsdale felt the most in Week One were on the offensive line. Three fifth-year seniors departed, and the play of the line was not the same as it was last year. This could be a problem on Saturday, as Grand Valley's maligned defensive front from 2010 has several key cogs back, and was very active against Western Oregon. If Grand Valley is able to win in the trenches with their defense, I think it's tough to see Hillsdale avoiding the 0-2 hole. Grand Valley 30, Hillsdale 21.

Rest of Tony's article

Eat right, get lots of rest, and drink lots of water

During halftime of the Hillsdale - Ferris State football game last Friday night I had the pleasure of joining Andy Brown on the WCSR telecast.

The Chargers were up 17-10 and brand new quarterback Anthony Mifsud was rolling. He had completed 13 of 15 passes for 205 yards and the offense was in a rhythm we had seen many times during the last two seasons that culminated in playoff appearances. Project those numbers out for another half and you have a Mark Nicolet or Troy Weatherhead type night for a kid who hadn't before taken a college snap at QB.

Hillsdale took the 2nd half kickoff right down the field and turned it into 3 more points.

Then, the elements took over and Mifsud found himself suffering from dehydration. Having played high school football in Arizona where triple digit September practices were common place I know the effects that dehydration can have on the body. Probably my scariest moment as an athlete came one August when I became severely dehydrated during a two-a-day practice. My dad still tells me, "You have no idea how close you were to taking a ride in the meat wagon to the ER."

It can be scary stuff. It can also change a football game. Matt Bryan gave running the Charger offense his best shot but Hillsdale just wasn't in sync like they were under Mifsud, ending back to back drives in turnovers that turned the game around for Ferris.

Hillsdale will need that same type of first half performance they got from Mifsud and more this weekend against #3 Grand Valley State. No better opponent to do it against.

Eat right. Get lots of rest. Drink enough water. Beat Grand Valley.

Reinvigorated Gridiron Club kicks off Saturday

All Charger fans planning on attending Hillsdale College's football home opener this Saturday night in Hillsdale should make a point to stop by the Gridiron Club's tent in the tailgating area.

Lennie Stover, Rick Barker, and Tom Kanka (amongst others) will be on hand with refreshments and information on how you can join this dynamic group that supports Hillsdale College Football.

You can become a member for as little as $50 a year. All are free to stop by the tent though to talk to the guys or pick up information.

Hillsdale's Holmes joins Cowboys Practice Squad

Former Hillsdale College wide receiver Andre Holmes may have had his shot at pro football with the Minnesota Vikings cut in training camp, but another team the Dallas Cowboys see enough potential in the 6'6" receiver that they have signed him to their practice squad for the 2011-2012 season.

Practice squads consist of 8 players who receive $5700 a week but are not part of the 53 man roster. Practice players may be cut at any time but they may also be called up by their respective teams or picked up and signed by another team at any time. If Holmes were to be signed by another team he would automatically count on that team's 53 man roster and be paid at rookie minimum for a minimum of 3 weeks.

Chargers come up short in debut at Ferris State.

Every new College Football season is an adventure and for the #18 Hillsdale Chargers, Friday night's 20-17 loss at Ferris State was an adventure, and an ugly one at that.

The Bulldogs took a 7-0 lead when quarterback Tom Schneider capped the opening drive with a 2 yard touchdown run.

Hillsdale began to find its rhythm in the second quarter with a 1 yard plunge from Cam White. The Colin McGreevy extra point was good and things would remain 14-14 until 1:56 of the first half when Joe Glendening took an option pitch from quarterback Anthony Mifsud.

Mifsud looked like he was a seasoned veteran on that scoring drive, converting two big 3rd down conversions to Cam White.

The momentum continued after the half as Hillsdale drove deep into Ferris territory and came away with a McGreevy fieldgoal from 20 yards out.

That would be it from Mifsud though as he missed most of the 2nd half with a hamstring injury.

Ferris stayed in the game and its running game would be the difference. Bulldog back Skylar Stoker would get two more scores tearing up a Hillsdale defense that yielded 286 yards on the ground.


Glendening would finish with 153 yards on 29 carries. Mifsud would finish 15/20 for 144 yards. Matt Bryan played most of the second half and would go 5 of 10 for 22 yards and a pick.

We all knew it would a re-building year in Hillsdale, but most would have picked the Chargers over Ferris tonight.

Hillsdale hosts GVSU next Saturday night at 7:00.

D2football.com's Tony Nicolette breaks down GLIAC opening week action

A few subtle changes have taken place this summer at D2football.com, but a big one is that the traditional posting of conference columnists' work has moved to a blogging format. Instead of the once a week big post that would be replaced with the coming week's work, columnists...now bloggers...can post throughout the week and interact with readers in the comments area.

While how the new format ends up working is to be seen, one thing we know for sure is that GLIAC football season is here and so is Tony Nicolette to talk about it. Here is how he sees Hillsdale's opener with Ferris State going.

#18 Hillsdale at Ferris State

While it is true that Hillsdale is coming off of back-to-back playoff appearances, there are still some concerns heading into 2011 for the Chargers. The concerns probably aren't about the defense, as key cogs Joe Vear, Nick Hixson and David Bakker all return. They almost certainly aren't about the ground game, as 1,400+ yard rusher Joe Glendening is back along with his 15 touchdowns from last season. It's the passing game that his squarely under the gun as the new season gets going. Gone are quarterback Troy Weatherhead and top receiver Andre Holmes, and they will be replaced by junior quarterback Anthony Mifsud and a pair of new starting wide-outs that have yet to catch a pass in college. Making things more interesting is that while Mifsud was a top-level quarterback in high school, he has spent his first two seasons at Hillsdale as a receiver. Despite not being under center prior to this year, it's safe to presume that he entered camp with at least a solid understanding of the Charger offense, so it's not as though HC is staring from scratch. Plus, let's not forget the last time Hillsdale was in a similar situation...it was three short years ago that Mark Nicolet and Nick Gurica graduated and I think we all know how the Hillsdale aerial attack faired from there.

While there is inexperience within Hillsdale's offense, the bulk of the Ferris unit is rather tenured. Senior quarterback Tom Schneider returns after having started every game for the Bulldogs last year, and he also has his top rushers and receivers from 2010 at his disposal. What FSU will have to figure out his how to put behind them last year's five game losing skid that ended the season and seemed to erase the positives of their 5-1 start. The 16 starters that are back in Big Rapids would like nothing more than to knock off a Hillsdale bunch that has claimed five of the last six meetings in the series.

While I think it's unreasonable to presume that Mifsud can step in and do all the things that his Charger predecessors did, I also believe that he doesn't have to win this first game for Hillsdale. The Bulldogs gave up nearly 170 yards a game on the ground last year, and lost their top two tacklers from their 2010 defense. Glendening should be able to put up a solid effort at Top Taggart and keep the pressure of his new signal-caller. Plus, I'm not sure why but I get the feeling that Coach Otterbein will have his troops ready when they hit his old stomping grounds. I absolutely think Ferris can win this game, but am not convinced that they will. I expect a tight affair either way. Hillsdale 27, Ferris 24.

You can read the rest of Tony's post on the Friday/Saturday games here  as well as Tony's preview of Thursday night's action.