JEROMESVILLE, Ohio — It was a passing scrimmage in July, but Hillsdale coach Tom Williams liked what he saw.
Hillsdale was among the smallest schools invited to the STARTEK 7X7 High School Tournament at Madison, but the Falcons held their own against the likes of Mansfield Senior and host Madison.
“I thought our older guys competed well,” Williams said. “These 7-on-7s are better for us defensively than offensively because we can find out who can cover. You can learn about some guys before you get into practice.”
Youth and inexperience — and the rugged Wayne County Athletic League — conspired against the Falcons last fall. Hillsdale started 4-0 but lost four of its final six games to finish 6-4. Four of the WCAL’s eight teams qualified for the playoffs in 2015, while Hillsdale finished 10th in Region 19 of Division VI, two spots out of the final postseason spot.
With 11 returning starters, including quarterback Trey Williams (the coach’s son), Hillsdale should be in the hunt for its fifth playoff berth — all under Williams since 2009 — this fall.
A junior, Trey Williams completed 110 of 192 passes for 1,123 yards and 12 touchdowns last fall. Andrew Wolf caught 32 passes for 301 yards and three touchdowns and made several acrobatic grabs as the Madison passing scrimmage in July, as did senior tight end Ben Rogers. The 6-foot-6, 220-pound Rogers doubles as a defensive end and has drawn comparisons to Ryan Bee, the 2014 Hillsdale graduate who had a breakout season at Division I Marshall last fall.
The Falcons open the season at Mapleton on Friday before hosting Ashland County neighbor Crestview. The Cougars are coached by former Hillsdale offensive coordinator Dan Mager.
“I think we can compete with everyone on our schedule,” Williams said. “We had a lot of kids gain experience last year.”
