Hillsdale - Week 13 Notes (PDF)
Great Midwest Records (through regular season)
SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio – For the second straight year, a Great Midwest Athletic Conference football program is playing in the second round of the NCAA Championship bracket when 23rd-ranked Hillsdale meets No. 11 and undefeated Notre Dame (OH) on Saturday.
But the road the respectability as a newer league remains a work in progress as the Great Midwest continues to battle for bids between three other conferences (NE-10, MEC, PSAC).
The G-MAC’s Chargers are the fifth seed from Super Region One going against what many would consider to be a heavy favorite against the top seed and region host Falcons on their home field.
Those same people also probably didn’t think Hillsdale had much of a chance on the road at No. 4 Kutztown last Saturday before the Chargers dominated both sides of the ball in the second half to a convincing 40-26 first-round victory.
That makes Saturday’s 12:05 p.m. ET kickoff that much more paramount for Hillsdale as Great Midwest Coach of the Year Keith Otterbein leads his troops into enemy territory with a chance to make a statement.
Strategically, Otterbein played all the right cards into slowing down the No. 4 seed Golden Bears last weekend in Pennsylvania. The Great Midwest champion Chargers (10-2, 8-0 Great Midwest) have practiced during the holiday break in preparation as they look to ground the Falcons’ potent run game.
The No. 5 (HC), No. 6 (New Haven) and No. 7 (Slippery Rock) seeds are all alive in the Super Region One bracket. At 10-0 overall, NDC received a first-round bye along with Ouachita Baptist (Super Region Two), Valdosta State (Super Region 3) and Minnesota State-Mankato (Super Region 4).
NDC’s signature win was in the season opener against then-No. 16 Shepherd, a team that Findlay brought down in the first round of the 2017 NCAA playoffs. Hillsdale has also beaten three different AFCA Top-25 opponents this fall while the Falcons have the one on their resume.
On paper, there are some tantalizing and striking similarities in the tale of the tape. The Falcons average over 35 points per game, HC puts up around 34 points per contest while both the Hillsdale/Notre Dame defensive units give up less than 20 points to their opponents.
Two Harlon Hill nominees will take the field as Great Midwest Player of the Year and Hillsdale senior quarterback Chance Stewart and NDC freshman tailback Jaleel McLaughlin will both put their talents on display.
Stewart shattered the conference single-season passing record in yards against Kutztown and has now thrown for 3,266 yards with 28 touchdowns while completing almost 64 percent of his passing attempts.
McLaughlin is second in Division II in rushing yards and flirting with a 2,000-yard season on the ground with an average of 6.7 yards per carry and 17 touchdowns. He averages almost 172 yards per game.
The Hillsdale defensive personnel will key in on McLaughlin led by Great Midwest Defensive Lineman of the Year Zach VanValkenburg and Great Midwest Defensive Back of the Year Wyatt Batdorff.
The Chargers will use their balance in the ground game with David Graham and the wide receiving trio of Trey Brock, Konnor Maloney and Austin Sandusky, to keep NDC’s defense on its heels.
The winner between Hillsdale and Notre Dame (OH) would face the winner of No. 6 New Haven and No. 7 Slippery Rock for the Super Region One championship title.