Hillsdale Finishes in top 20 of D2 Power Rankings

Hillsdale College finishes 16th in 2007 NCSA Division II power rankings
Hillsdale College release

August 29, 2007 – The National Collegiate Scouting Association (NCSA) is pleased to announce that Hillsdale College was ranked 16th among NCAA Division II universities in the 5th Annual NCSA Collegiate Power Rankings.

NCSA's Collegiate Power Rankings rate colleges and universities comprehensively based on student-athlete graduation rates, academic strength and athletic prowess of the university. Hillsdale College is in an elite group of less than 6% of colleges and universities across the nation to make it on NCSA's Top 100 for 2007.

"With so many great colleges/universities to choose from, NCSA's power rankings objectively help student-athletes compare collegiate opportunities so they know how institutions stack up pound for pound," said NCSA CEO and Founder Chris Krause. "With this ranking, it shows us that Hillsdale College not only places importance on winning games, but on academics and graduating players as well, especially in the last year."

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Snapper Hunt

I had to share this old photo that the College recently submitted to the Hillsdale Daily News for an article about the expansion of the biological station and conference center on Rockwell Lake in Northern Michigan.

Pictured is former Charger defensive back and return man Tim Mustapha.

The picture has to be pretty old since Tim played in the Dave Dye era. Tim last played for the Chargers in 2001, a season that included a 90 yard punt return for a touchdown.

The GLIAC is a tough league, but I am guessing he never tangled with anything as nasty as what he has by the tail in this shot.

Read more about the Rockwell Lake expansion.

Hillsdale.edu: Gannon Preview

Football team opens 2007 season at home Saturday against Gannon
Official Release
Hillsdale College

August 30, 2007 - The curtain will be dropped on the 2007 Hillsdale College football season Saturday afternoon, as the Chargers play their season-opener at home for the first time in three years. Hillsdale will host GLIAC rival Gannon University at Muddy Waters Field at 2:30 p.m.

The last time Hillsdale opened a football season at home was 2004, and that game was one for the ages. The Chargers defeated the University of Indianapolis 49-43 in four overtimes, one of the most memorable contests in the 116-year history of Hillsdale College football.

While Saturday's game might have a hard time living up to that one in terms of dramatics, Hillsdale would happily accept the same result - a win. The Chargers come into this campaign with a seasoned and skilled roster, ready to lead the team over the .500 hump for the first time since the mid-1990s.

Hillsale leads the all-time series with Gannon, 4-1, including four straight victories. The two teams first met back in 1950, with Gannon earning a 27-16 win. The teams didn't meet on the gridiron again until 1999, when the Chargers beat the Golden Knights 41-7.

The last time these two teams played in Hillsdale was Sept. 18, 2004, when the Chargers celebrated Homecoming with a thrilling 38-31 overtime win. Hillsdale is 40-10 in its last 50 home-opening games. Last year, the Chargers opened the 2006 season with a 35-7 win over Gannon in Erie in a game that was played in a hrad rainstorm.

Complete Story

Webcast Information

Hillsdale has its link to the B2 Network site on the official page or link directly here.

Mac users, download the latest Windows Media Player hereor here.

CSTV is offering Indy vs. NMU for free this Saturday at 7:00 pm.

According to Brad Monastiere at Hillsdale, the webcasting has worked well for volleyball so far this season.

D2football.com's Tony Nicolette: GLIAC Column

D2football.com's Tommy...I mean Tony Nicolette gives his take on the Chargers and Golden Knights as well the rest of the league.

As I mentioned last week, Hillsdale really has a shot to sneak up on some folks this year. Taking care of business in games where they are favored is the best way to prepare themselves for the bigger contests they'll have later in the schedule.

As for the Knights, we'll see quickly how well they are getting acclamated to Coach Kiernan's philosophies.

Keys

- Whatever the Knights do on offense, they need to be aware of where Tom Korte is at all times.
- For the Chargers, getting [Mark] Nicolet and his cast of receivers going early will be important. If they are sluggish, it may allow Gannon to hang around longer than they'd like.
- Just who is going to carry the ball for Hillsdale?

Prediction: I feel bad for not giving Gannon much of a chance here, but until I see otherwise I'd say that they are going to struggle to mount many challenges this season. I'm sure Coach Kiernan will do everything he can to prove once again that nearly everything I say has little to no merit. Hillsdale 40, Gannon 7.

Read the rest of the column.

Younger's Rally Almost Complete

South Bend Tribune
Al Lesar
Friday August 24, 2007

DOWAGIAC -- Faced with a life-threatening illness, Greg Younger broke it down into the terms he knows best.

He made it into a game.

"I started looking at life like a football game," Younger said of his reaction to the news last year that he had leukemia. "You throw two interceptions in the first quarter and you felt you had a bad first half. You have to come back out, score a couple times and get back into the game.

"My church, my family and the people I work with are my teammates. I was dealt a bad hand to begin with, but we just have to find a way to win."Younger, 34 and in his fourth year as athletic director at Dowagiac High School, has a history of winning. He was the quarterback of the Chieftains' 1990 Class BB state championship team, a group that still gets plenty of respect around town.

"That was such a unique team," said Younger, who still has a small shrine to that success in the corner of his office. "We only had 28 guys on that team, but we were so close. Sixteen of those guys went on to play in college."

Younger went to Hillsdale College, where he was a starter for four years. Weeks out of college and two days before his wedding, Younger was offered the opportunity to be the quarterbacks and receivers coach at Hillsdale. He was there for seven years, the final three as offensive coordinator.

"That was strange," Younger said. "Here I was, a teammate with these guys. The next season, I was their coach."

Mike Behnke, Younger's center at Dowagiac and Hillsdale, saw the transformation first-hand. He stayed at Hillsdale for a fifth year and dealt with Younger on the new level."Our friendship was the same," Behnke said. "He was professional about the way he did things, so it was never that unusual."

Younger is Behnke's boss again today. Behnke is an assistant football coach and head softball coach at Dowagiac.

"There's always been a 'with-it-ness' about Greg," said Andy Kruger, Younger's favorite target at Dowagiac who is now the Chieftains' head baseball coach. "He's got a sports savvy, a maturity, that helps him handle things."

Younger and his wife Jeanna had a young daughter when he realized the demands of college coaching were too much. He worked for three years in an accounting firm before missing the relationships that made sports special.

Athletic director at Dowagiac struck a perfect balance."I sleep in my own bed at night and I'm guaranteed I don't work Sundays," Younger said. "I'm still involved and I'm able to get to know the coaches and athletes on a personal level."

Being the athletic director at any high school in Michigan lately has been a challenge. Court rulings last school year prompted the switch this year of several sports seasons. The most prominent was volleyball moving from winter to fall and girls basketball from fall to winter.

Younger said the switches meant he had to hire 12 new coaches -- from the varsity level down to the middle school -- because of schedule conflicts.

That's a challenge in itself.Younger's task was complicated by the fact he was battling a serious illness.

Toward the end of October, 2006, Younger dropped a significant amount of weight -- from 230 pounds to 202 over his 6-foot-1 frame. With it came fatigue and a persistent cough.

Younger said blood tests showed his white cell count was off the charts. By Nov. 1, his relationship with specialists at the University of Chicago began.

"I was shocked," said Younger, who was diagnosed with chronic mylogenic leukemia. "Immediately, your mind starts to wander. The first thing you do is get online and try to learn everything you can."Treatment, so far, has consisted of a daily pill. Younger said he's come back from those two first-quarter interceptions. A recent bone marrow test showed he has already reached two of the three levels of remission in the disease. Doctors will wait until May to test for the third level -- the game-winning touchdown.

"In my whole career, I never missed a game because of an injury," Younger said. "That's why this has been so strange for me. I've never drank (alcohol) or smoked. Still, you never know what tomorrow will bring. I've learned you have to have a positive attitude and live for every day."

That's the only way games are won.

D2football.com: Bob Eblen's National Preview

Grand Valley entered the 2003 season fresh off an undefeated season and a national championship. Many thought the Lakers were due for a down year since they needed to replace an All-America quarterback (Curt Anes), an All-America receiver (David Kircus), and their leading rusher (Reggie Spearmon).

Fast forward to the start of the 2007 season. GVSU is coming off another undefeated season and a national championship. Many think the Lakers are due for a down year because they need to replace an All-America quarterback (Cullen Finnerty), an All-America receiver (Eric Fowler), and their leading rusher (Astin Martin).

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