Chargers topple No. 1; Huge game saturday
After defeating Goliath, Hillsdale knows massive implications surround their match-up with Wayne State Saturday
Nathan McClallen
Issue date: 10/22/09 Section: Sports
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The kick went up, and time seemed to slow as the ball flipped end over end towards the uprights.
As the ball sailed wide right and time expired, hundreds of fans poured onto the field to celebrate the upset.
"NUMBER 1 GOES DOWN! NUMBER 1 GOES DOWN!" was the call from the announcers as they took in the scene.
After such a monumental victory, a lot of teams wouldn't have come out ready to play their next game.
According to junior quarterback Troy Weatherhead, that's why many Division II football experts picked Hillsdale to lose the next week on the road at No. 23 Northern Michigan University,
Instead, the Chargers avoided the "letdown" game, and picked up a 28-17 road win against a team that led the conference in rushing offense, holding them 21 points below their scoring average in the process.
Weatherhead tied a career-high with four touchdown passes in the game, while senior Vinnie Panizzi had 30 carries for 130 yards. Panizzi currently ranks 10th in the nation in rushing yards per game.
This victory means that in their last two games, the Hillsdale football team has had two of their biggest wins in the last 20 years.
According to head coach Keith Otterbein, the game against Wayne State University this Saturday is now more important than the previous two combined.
"As you keep winning big games, the next one is that much bigger," he said.
This week, the Chargers reappeared in the AFCA Division II Top 25 Poll at No. 25. Wayne State peaked in the poll at No. 22 before a loss at Northern Michigan two weeks ago. Both teams are 6-2 on the season, and 5-2 in the GLIAC.
Since their move to Division II, the Chargers have never made the playoffs. Their last postseason appearance was in the 1988 NAIA playoffs, where they were defeated in the second round.
If the season ended today, Hillsdale would be the No. 5 seed in Super Region 3. The top six teams from each of four regions make the playoffs.
Junior quarterback Troy Weatherhead pointed out that their schedule finishes with games against Ferris State University and Tiffin University, teams at 1-7 and 0-8 in the GLIAC, respectively.
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