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Chargers fall to Saginaw, drop third straight
game
By Jodi Westrick
Collegian Reporter
It's not often
that a quarterback makes his first collegiate start this late
in the season, let alone against the second-ranked team in the
nation.
But last Saturday Aaron Scholl,
a redshirt freshman, did just that.
Scholl stepped in for injured
quarterback senior Bill Skelton and completed 15 of 28 passes
for 141 yards and rushed for 39 yards with two touchdowns against
Saginaw Valley State.
And although the Chargers lost
their third straight game, 22-31, they held the Cardinals to
a season-low total yardage (296) and first downs (15).
"We played better against
Saginaw than we have during our last two games," sophomore
tight end Keith Recker said.
"We thought we had a chance
in winning because we were hyped for it. We just didn't do enough
to get it done."
Senior linebacker Rob North returned
from an injury and recorded 5 tackles, with one tackle for a
loss.
Hillsdale's record now stands
at 3-6 overall, 3-5 in the GLIAC, while Saginaw improves to
9-0, 8-0 GLIAC.
Saginaw started quickly, taking
a 10-0 lead early in the first quarter. Hillsdale recovered
a Cardinal fumble with four minutes left and converted the turnover
into a touchdown. The Chargers trimmed Saginaw's lead to just
three on a 1-yard run by freshman running back Phil Martin.
Saginaw scored on their first
drive of the second quarter, bringing their lead to 17-7. Hillsdale
answered with a touchdown of their own with four minutes left
in the half. The Chargers moved
the ball to the Saginaw 1-yard line where Scholl then ran in
to cut the Chargers' deficit to only three. The Chargers were
down 17-14 at the half.
"Aaron came in and did things
that were very positive," coach Keith Otterbein said. "We
were able to move the ball on what was a pretty good defense.
He did what he had to do. We played really hard and Aaron helped
to lead that."
Saginaw started off the second
half with a touchdown, increasing their lead to 24-14. But Hillsdale
retaliated when Scholl scored another touchdown on a 1-yard
run. The missed extra point brought the score to 24-20.
Neither team was able to score
again until three minutes into the fourth quarter, when the
Cardinals increased their lead to 31-20.
Although Hillsdale's next drive
was unsuccessful, the Chargers gained momentum after freshman
running back Dave Laura recorded a safety after a high snap
sailed over the Saginaw punter. Those two points brought the
score to 31-22.
However, Hillsdale was unable to score again. A missed field
goal and a fumbled ball late in the fourth quarter ended Hillsdale's
chances of overcoming the Cardinals.
"It's disappointing. We had
a good chance to win but just didn't capitalize," senior
offensive lineman Silas Johnson said. "We were so close
to winning, but close just doesn't cut it in this league. We
need work on the things we can control."
"Despite the loss, the program
is so much further ahead than we were a year ago," Otterbein
said. "We're playing more consistently and we're finishing
the game. That's what's important. We stepped up and played
a team that is doing really well."
"We're a better team than
our record shows," Recker said.
"We just want to stay together
and build on one another. We can't do much else. We want the
next two wins so we'll at least finish one better than last
year."
Hillsdale heads to Findlay for
their last road game Saturday. The game begins at 1 p.m.
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Tyler Horning/Collegian
Redshirt freshman Aaron
Scholl now has two rushing and one passing touchdowns for the
season and holds a 56.4 passing percentage.
Tyler Horning/Collegian
Hillsdale held the Cardinals
to a season low 296 yards total offense.
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