JEROMESVILLE — Before Hillsdale stepped on the practice field on Monday afternoon in preparation for their second consecutive Division VII state championship game in Canton this Saturday, Dec. 6, junior quarterback Kael Lewis mentioned something interesting that highlights the Falcons team mood at this very moment.
"Our team has been saying, 'Last year, we went on vacation. This year, we're going on a mission,'" Lewis said.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe "last year" Lewis is referring to is Hillsdale's 73-0 defeat in the state title game to a devastatingly great Marion Local team in the school's first-ever football championship game appearance. This time around, Lewis knows the team's preparation and focus will have to be super on point.
"We know we have to prepare like no other because what happened last year is not going to happen this year," he said.
When Lewis said that, it was intentional. One of his teammates feels the same way with getting another crack at winning a state title.
"We kind of know what to expect this time. We learned a lot by losing to a team like Marion Local and the type of team they are in the MAC," senior offensive and defensive lineman Jake Haven said. "We also learned in our loss this season to Norwayne. How we need to be a little more focused and practice a little bit harder to bounce back and win a state championship."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIs it a different feeling making it to the state title game a second time around?
"Yeah, last year we had a lot of guys hurt. This year, we're pretty much fully healthy," senior linebacker Aiden Hoffman said. "Obviously, that Marion Local team last year was generational. There's a lot of hope that we can get it done."
Hillsdale head coach Trevor Cline talks with his team during the Division VII state semifinal vs McDonald.For Hillsdale head coach Trevor Cline, if there's anything he feels is different in 2025 compared to 2024, it's the gratitude of actually making it back to the big stage.
"It's the appreciation of getting back. We knew going into this year we had high expectations within our program," he said. "Obviously, we like those expectations, but we knew the target we had on our backs was going to be a lot larger than it was last year. We sort of flew under the radar last year. Once we got into the playoffs, we were able to make some noise but we wouldn't have been picked to make the state championship game last year.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"This year, a lot of people picked us to get back. I do feel the road to get back was more difficult because we were going to get everyone's best game."
Who Hillsdale (13-1) will have to go through to be the last team standing in Division VII is St. Henry (12-1), who have won six football state titles (1990, 1992, 1994, 1995, 2004, 2006) in their school history. As of this season, St. Henry is likely best known for ending fellow conference opponent Marion Local's four consecutive Division VII state championship runs and 76-game winning streak in the regional final two weeks ago, which was the longest high school football winning streak in the country.
"They are a really good team all-around. They don't have a lot of weaknesses," said Haven, breaking down what his team knows of St. Henry. "Their quarterback is a stud. We just need to do our jobs each play, limit our mistakes and limit penalties against ourselves. Play team football and we should be able to win."
In terms of what they've seen on film, it's the play of the Redskins offensive line and their quarterback Charlie Werling that sticks out the most to Hillsdale.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"I know they have a real great offensive line," Hoffman said. "Their quarterback is really good, so I feel like we need to stop their offense and we'll be fine."
"Their line of scrimmage. They have a big line. That's where the game is going to be won. In the trenches," Lewis said. "They have a quarterback that ran for four touchdowns against Marion Local, so we're going to have to stop him."
In St. Henry's 24-7 regional final victory over Marion Local, Werling ran for four rushing touchdowns and in the Redskins' 13-10 state semifinal win over Columbus Grove last week, the 6-foot-2 senior quarterback threw two touchdown passes and ran for 113 yards on 23 carries.
The Hillsdale defense will have to keep an extra eye on St. Henry dual-threat quarterback Charlie Werling in the state title game."Watching them on film, they have 11 guys on offense, defense and special teams. They really do their jobs well," said Cline, breaking down the Redskins. "What impresses me is how good they are upfront on the offensive side and their quarterback. He's the best dual-threat quarterback we've seen all year."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementCline also pointed out what makes St. Henry such an formidable foe is they play in the MAC (Midwest Athletic Conference) and get plenty of stiff competition going up against state elites over the years like Marion Local, Coldwater, Anna and Minster, to name a few.
"It's going to take our best game against these guys," Cline said. "They're a school that's had a lot of success through their program's history. Even though they haven't won a state championship since 2006, they've still been a very good program. They are part of the MAC, which is the best small school football league in Ohio."
The way Hillsdale looks at it, they just want another chance at state glory.
"It's really exciting and trying to take advantage of what we are blessed with," Hoffman said. "We're hoping to capitalize on Saturday."
Twitter/X: @JamesSimpsonII
This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Hillsdale football prepares for state title game vs St. Henry
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