After Week 4: Football and Everything Else

Well, Friday night after Week 4 sure felt better than Friday night after week 3 didn't it? A nice bounce back performance by the Riders. Doesn't it seem when this program is counted out or doubted that they always respond? Not just sometimes...ALWAYS. Again....TRADITION.

Let's review the game, the rest of the OCC, some Region 13 chatter and a little bit of volleyball, golf and Tim Hiller sprinkled in for good measure.

Pics, as always, courtesy of Rod Dilyard. Lexington gallery here. Thanks Rod.

Here & There....Summertime Reading

Hope everyone is having a great summer so far. It seems amazing, but football season is only 2 months away. Wont be long until 2-a-days begin and another season of Friday nights at Red Rider Stadium will be upon us.

Got a few items of note below so lets get to it.

In Honor of 'Signing Day'......

It's February 2nd, Groundhog Day. But more than that...it's national letter of intent day, or "Signing Day" for thousands of high school seniors all over the country.

The halls of Orrville High School will again be the site for several Red Rider seniors to declare their intent to pursue college athletics. And for the second time in as many years, multiple Red Riders will sign their name on the dotted line to play at the Division I level.

Tim Hiller hired as head football coach at Gull Lake (Michigan) High School

Great news out of Michigan today.  Orrville and Western Michigan grad Tim Hiller has been named the head football coach at Gull Lake High School.

Here's the article from MLive.com announcing the decision, and here's a link to Gull Lake's webpage.

Gull Lake is a northeast suburb of Kalamazoo, where Tim played his college ball.  Tim will also serve as the marketing and community relations director for the district.

My Top 10 of 2010 - # 7 and # 6

This is my Top 10 Red Rider Sports Blog Moments of 2010. See the full list of posts here. 

Got some catching up to do. Hope everyone had a great Christmas and took some time to relax with loved ones.

Back to business. I'm going to do two items per day for the next three and then the #1 Orrville Sports Blog happening of 2010 will be a post all it's own either Thursday or Friday.

Today, it's #7 and #6 on our list.

My Top 10 of 2010 - # 10

This is my Top 10 Red Rider Sports Blog Moments of 2010. See the full list of posts here. 

Business, as it relates to the 2010-11 Winter Sports schedule, hasn't quite kicked in to full gear yet, so things are a little slow around these blog parts.  So what will I possibly do to fill time between now and 2011?  Why a "Top 10" list, of course. 

Today kicks off the "Top 10 Blog Moments of 2010." It's a mix of Orrville Sports happenings and happenings connected to this site that may not be 100% related to OHS sports....but still very noteworthy, to me anyways.

We'll do one of these per day leading up to the #1 moment of the year.

But before we move forward, let's look back at a post from late in 2009.

One blog post....Supersized. - Genoa Video, Stats, Thoughts, Awards, Basketball & Volleyball

Trying to combine everything into one post. Short week and family gatherings mean less time for blog reading/writing. This one and the game preview will be about all I have time for before Friday. I do want to send a HUGE thank you to all the readers/followers of the site. It's a broken record and I apologize for constantly repeating it, but I'm just blown away at the latest readership numbers.

Since the Monday of Wooster Week (October 25th) through this past Sunday (November 21st), there have been over 8,000 site visits and over 20,000 page views. That's roughly double the visitors & page views from the same time period last year.

November is already the biggest month in site history, and we still have at least one more week of football to go.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I'm thankful for all those who contribute ideas, suggestions, comments and even criticisms. All are a part of making this site special.

My fellow Rider fan and OrrViews colleague Ned Hostetler mentioned in his latest article that his drive to keep doing his historical looks-backs for OrrViews stemmed from all the positive comments he received, and the fact that people anticipate his next article.  I couldn't have put it any better. I've said before that I'd still run this site even if nobody read it, but it's nice to know that folks appreciate the site.

It's always been my drive to give you informative, accurate & even-handed content that represents the knowledge and passion that so many of you demonstrate. The fact that so many of you are faithful readers is terribly humbling. It didn't take me long to figure out that my words have impact, and I will continue to take that responsibility very seriously.

Enough about me....let's get to the good stuff.

Thoughts after Week 2 - That was fun wasn't it?

These kinds of wins are the best ones to talk about.  What an improvement from week 1 to week 2.....and for the first time since the 2000 season, your Red Riders are 2-0.

Credit for the picture (click to see fullsize) goes to local photographer Rod Dilyard.  Check out his complete gallery here.

I guess it's time to load up the bandwagon and talk about all this.

Congrats to Tim Hiller

I got the text around 8:30pm on Saturday night, it was from a friend who happened to be diehard Indianpolis Colt fan. She said Tim Hiller was a Colt.

I wasn't sure if I was being teased by a homer Colt fan or if this was the real deal. That would be too perfect of a fit for Tim. The possibility of being able to learn & mentor under arguably one of the greatest NFL quarterbacks ever in Peyton Manning. What an opportunity.

A quick check of the internet gave me all the confirmation I needed. Tim Hiller was indeed an Indianapolis Colt.

Tim Hiller in Florida to Accept Wuerffel Trophy

Good reading here. Orrville alum Tim Hiller was named the winner of the Danny Wuerffel Trophy back in December, but tonight is when he actually receives the award at a banquet in Florida.

Western Michigan's Director of Athletic Media Relations, Mat Kanan, is with Tim and his family in Florida for all the goings-on surrounding the award and has a wonderful blog at WMU's website detailing it all.

Check it out here, and check again later tonight or tomorrow for pictures from the event.

One little nugget that caught my eye...apparently Tim is now appearing on currency, or at least collectible currency....

The ASA (All-Sports Association, the group that awards the Wuerffel Trophy) has minted commemorative coins with Tim's name and the likeness of the Wuerffel trophy that are available to attendees.

You know you've made it when your name & likeness is stamped on to coins.

How cool would that look in the Orrville High School Trophy case? Maybe right next to a replica of the Wuerffel Trophy?  Just sayin'.

Maybe The Hiller's can snag a few extra coins for posterity....they're probably like party favors at a wedding, right?

All kidding aside, congrats again Tim. Great accomplishment that recognizes work on and off the field.

12 Days of Red Rider Christmas

Here you go...dorky as anything I've ever done.  But it's all I can muster up.  Sort of a Christmas wish list.  Merry Christmas & Happy Festivus to all my readers.

Bloomington Trip: Part II

Better late than never I guess.  Part I was written all the way back in mid-October and focused more on our discovery of Assembly Hall.  Now let's get to the game.

Blog Bits: Hiller, Simmons, All-Daily Record Honors, Volleyball

Back at it.....didja miss me? We'll jump right back into things this week, got some quick hit stuff below...some thoughts on the OHSAA football finals, a quick basketball preview, the D4 All-Ohio when it's released and some discussion on Orrville's history against private schools on the gridiron...just because.

But that's later....for now, let's talk about Tim Hiller, Kyle Simmons and some post-season honors.

Hiller goes for MAC touchdown record on ESPN2

Hiller and his Western Michigan teammates play Ball St. (the 1-10 Ball St. Cardinals) tonight (Tuesday November 24th), the game will be televised on ESPN2 at 7pm.

Tim has 98 career TD passes, 2 shy of the record set by Chad Pennington while he was at Marshall. 

Expect WMU to do all they can to get Tim the record...and against a team that gives up nearly 30 points per game, it might be a good bet.

Good luck Tim!!

Here's a good article on Tim's NFL prospects and how he's grown in his time at WMU.

My Trip to Bloomington: Part I

I had the pleasure of traveling to Bloomington, IN to cover Tim Hiller and the Western Michigan University football team as they took on the Indiana Hoosiers. The article on the game and Tim's performance ran in Orrviews last month, but there was plenty of minutiae that I had the pleasure to document....some cool, some funny...but all of it was interesting. I hope you find it interesting too.

I'll break it into 2 parts...first part will focus on the pregame, and part 2 will be the game experience.

Allow me to take you to the grounds that Orrville native Bobby Knight made famous. Words and pictures follow....(as always, click each picture to see it full-size)

All Things Tim Hiller....In One Convenient Location

A new site, launched by the Western Michigan Athletic Department...a sort of clearing house for all things Tim Hiller. Check it out.

www.WhereIsTimHiller.com - Make sure you have speakers turned on to hear Tim tell you where he'll be this fall.

View the latest news, which currently includes a number of awards and honors that Tim has been nominated for, his career stats, and various stories in the media about Tim.

Make sure to check out the 'Media' tab, or just click here....notice anything? Maybe a certain 2 part interview done by a certain Red Rider sports blogger? How cool is that? I got the link to the site forwarded to me today, but had no idea my interview with him was included as a link until just now. Another feather in the cap.

Anyone else think it's a little comical (in a harmless way) that a team that plays at Waldo Stadium is doing a "where is" promotion? I smell a book in the near future.

Give the site a visit. It's really amazing to see where Tim ranks in MAC history, and that another solid passing season may put him at the top of the list for all-time MAC quarterbacks...statistically speaking. It's also quite impressive to listen to Tim's teammates speak so highly of him as a leader on and off the field.

For anyone making plans to see Tim play this season, WMU stops in Ohio twice, at Toledo on October 10th at 7pm and at Kent St. on October 31st at 2pm.

The Tim Hiller Interview, Part 2

Here's the 2nd and final part of my interview with Orrville grad and Western Michigan QB Tim Hiller. In the conclusion, we discuss the Broncos upcoming season and the expectations and challenges that come with it. We'll also score some style points and discuss uniform intricacies. Enjoy.

Red Rider Sports Blog: I know you’re a big “team first” guy, but any personal goals this season?
Tim: I do, but they really are second to what our team is trying to accomplish. It all boils down to three things in general—be a great leader, take care of the football, and manage the game. That will help us be successful as an offense.

Red Rider Sports Blog: September 5th, 2009. WMU @ Michigan. The Broncos in the “Big House.” How big will this game be? Even though it’s only Game 1, how important is this game in terms of respect in the state, respect in the conference and respect for you personally?
Tim: It’s important because it’s our first game. It’s a huge advantage to get off to a great start. A winning start. None of that other stuff really matters, we just want to get that first one to get the ball rolling in the right direction.

Red Rider Sports Blog: The Broncos have 3 games against the Big10 this season (Michigan, IU and MSU) and I would have to think aspirations of a MAC title. Is there any added pressure this season?
Tim: Nope. Our goal is always to win the MAC. That comes first and foremost, and it will be tough to do, as it is every year. Every team is so competitive and there are some new coaches in the West Division. It will be a great year for the conference as a whole and I’m really excited for it.

Red Rider Sports Blog: Your top 3 receivers (Simmons, Ledbetter, Julien) last season in terms of yards have all graduated. Given you missed spring practice, will it be especially important to put in extra work with a core of new receivers?
Tim: Yes, and it always is important, but especially this year. May is our month off, but I’ve been throwing with a bunch of our receivers and tight ends 3-4 days a week working on timing and watching film so we’re all on the same page. We’ve still got a lot of great playmakers returning and I’ve got a ton of confidence in them. We’ll be just fine.

Red Rider Sports Blog: What hobbies or activities do you take part in to get your mind off of football?
Tim: I love to spend time with my fiancée Michelle as much as possible, although we’re both pretty busy. I also love leading our Fellowship of Christian Athletes huddle here at WMU—it’s been an awesome experience and God has really blessed our group. And if I get time in the summer months, I enjoy golfing.

......Onto some uni-related stuff......saved the best for last.

Red Rider Sports Blog: Favorite Red Rider uniform? Red jersey/red pants? White jersey/red pants? Red jersey/black pants? White jersey/black pants?
Tim: Definitely the all red. It’s a great look. My favorite part is our helmets though. I think Orrville has the best looking helmets under the lights in the state.
Note: Hard to argue. Red on Red. Helmet full of skulls. Classic.

Red Rider Sports Blog: You wore #10 as a Red Rider, but have worn #3 at WMU. Any significance behind either number? Will you be #3 again this season?
Tim: No significance really, just what was available at WMU when I came in. I wore 3 my sophomore year of varsity basketball, but it was the best number I could have here. I’ll be wearing it for my senior year.

Red Rider Sports Blog: WMU football is an ‘adidas’ brand team. I’m curious as to the level of “gear” that you have access to…both on the field and off the field. Are players limited to how much stuff they can request, or is it just a free-for-all?
Tim: There are some limits, but we definitely get tons of stuff. It’s like Christmas when we report to August camp. We get a bunch of Under Armour shirts and shorts, a hat, 3 pairs of cleats, a pair of workout shoes, a pair of sandals, a bag and much more. Let’s put it this way—if you stay in the good graces of our equipment guy, you’ll always have any gear you need!

Red Rider Sports Blog: I’ve heard that you (and maybe every big college in America) have two helmets, one for practice and one for games? Any specific reason for that, other than for keeping the game helmet from getting worn out during practice?
Tim: That’s not true here at WMU. We only get one helmet. They just clean them up and re-sticker them before games, if needed, so they look nice.

Red Rider Sports Blog: Who chooses uniform combinations for games? Does tradition dictate? Do captains choose them?
Tim: WMU’s uniforms have changed a lot over time. Back in the 80’s our uniforms looked like Waynedale! All brown. Typically it’s up to our head coach, although he asks the captains at the beginning of the year what we like. We have black and white jersey tops, and black, white, and gold pants that we can combine. One week Louis Delmas (now a Detroit Lion) wanted to try black tops with white pants for the Illinois game, which we had never done before. It looked sharp and we won, so maybe you’ll see us wearing that more often!

That's a wrap. Again, I wanted to express how accessible, professional & prompt Tim was through this whole process. This is a young man that will succeed on or off the playing field. He's a great example for our young kids, and someone that all of Orrville can be very proud of.

Good luck in '09 and beyond, Tim.

The Tim Hiller Interview, Part 1

I'm terribly excited to share this with everyone. About a month ago, I discovered that Tim Hiller (2005 Orrville grad, duh...and current Western Michigan QB) is a reader of the blog, so I took the opportunity to contact him and see if he'd answer some questions for me. He was terribly gracious and accomodating. After getting it approved through the WMU athletic department (how official is that?), we were good to go.

It's a lot of info, so I'll spread it over 2 parts. This is part one, we'll discuss Tim's career at Orrville, his current rehab from a knee injury suffered at the end of the 2008 season, his faith, his NFL prospects and the adjustment from high school to college.

Enjoy.

RRSB: First off, can you give an update on your rehab and how you’re progressing?
Tim: It’s going well, I feel very fortunate. We’re working on a lot of cutting, lateral movement, and footwork to reacclimate the knee to having game-like stress put on it. I will be participating in everything during our summer conditioning program.

RRSB: What do you consider your sports highlight in your time at Orrville?
Tim: There are so many, it’s hard to put a finger on just one. I think my senior year of football in 2004-05 was just an awesome experience. One of my favorite memories from basketball was taking it to Wooster by about 30 points at home when we were seniors. They beat us 21-20 at their place in the football season finale, so it was a great way to win my last game against Wooster.

RRSB: Is the success you’ve had so far the least bit vindicating? Especially given the fact that WMU was one of the few D1 schools that pursued you? Is that (or was it ever) a motivator?
Tim: God blessed me with an opportunity to play, and I’m just grateful for that. It wasn’t the opportunity that I hoped for at the time, but His plan is often different from our own. But it’s always better. I was excited to come to WMU, it’s been a great experience, and it was the right opportunity for me. It’s been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

RRSB: Any superstitions in terms of the way you prepare for a game (routine, pregame meals, etc)?
Tim: I try to keep the same routine as far as timing of eating, dressing, warm-up, etc., but no superstitions. It’s pretty structured since we’re always at the hotel the night before we play, whether it’s a home or away game.

RRSB: Was the adjustment from high school to college a tough one for you? Not just athletically, but even academically and even socially.
Tim: The biggest adjustment from a football standpoint was the speed of the game and the responsibility placed on the quarterback. The game moves really fast, and on top of it we as quarterbacks here at WMU are responsible for everything—all audibles—run, pass, protections, everything.

Academically it wasn’t too hard for me, I just continued good study habits I developed in high school.

Socially it was tough at first because there are 8,000 people in all of Orrville and 30,000 students here at WMU. But once I found my niche and my group of friends it was great. It’s just critical to surround yourself with great people.

RRSB: Tim Hiller, NFL quarterback. Can you even process that? I know you have an entire season of college ball left, but it has to be in the back of your mind.
Tim: We’ll worry about processing that at the end of December, hopefully after a bowl game. If our team takes care of business and has a great year that will take care of itself. You can have the best of both worlds if you take it one step at a time.

RRSB: How do you handle the attention (good & bad) of being in your position? I’m sure between family, teammates, coaches, friends, fans and media, it can be somewhat overwhelming.
Tim: It’s all a faith thing for me. God promises us in His Word never to give us anything we cannot handle with His help. My prayer is always that God would keep me humble and focused. It is hard sometimes but I try to do my best to keep everything in perspective and to deflect the praise to my teammates—I couldn’t do it without them.

RRSB: Your faith is obviously a big part of your life. How has your faith helped you through 2 surgeries and rehabilitations, and just the various trials that we all face?
Tim: It’s like what Paul writes in Philippians 4 when he talks about being content in all situations. It’s not that you’re happy about injury and adversity, but it’s that you learn to trust in God and His plan. That trust and faith is what builds the sense of peace and feeling content.

Each injury and challenge I’ve been through has just been God’s way of equipping me for the next big step in my life. I’ve reached a point where nothing really phases me anymore, good or bad, simply because God has brought me through everything to this point, and I know He’ll be there always, no matter the situation.

***********************************
That's it for part 1, the 2nd and final part will deal with the upcoming season, and some uni-centric questions (of course).

I'd love to hear any comments you have....and given that Tim is a reader of the site, I'm sure he'd love to hear well wishes from those who continue to follow his career.

News & Notes

A few things to get you through the weekend. You should be outside in the yard or golfing....did I mention I golf?

The Orrville Lady Riders softball team has been quietly having a great season under Coach Craig Johnson. They won their opening round tournament game, and notched their 15th win of the season, which is a school record for wins in a season, I'm told (doesn't sound right, does it?). Good luck to Coach Johnson and the Lady Riders as they go for the sectional title against Northwestern at Orr Park (Mizer Field) tonight.

In alumni news, 1976 OHS grad Mitch Camp won the Ohio Senior Open at Firestone Golf Course in Akron. He shot a 5-under 135 in the 2 day tournament, including a ridiculous 6-under 64 in the final round, winning with a birdie on the 3rd playoff hole.

Camp, 50, was an all-division medalist for the Red Riders at the 1976 state golf tournament, and was a 2nd team All-American at Ohio State in 1980. He is one of very few 4-year golf letterwinners in Ohio St. history.

He is the club pro at Walden Golf Course in Aurora and in addition to his first Ohio Senior Open, he won the Ohio Open in 1985 and 1993, and is largely considered the greatest golfer to come out of Wayne County. Waynedale junior-to-be Grant Weaver may have something to say about that before his career is over.

Lastly, OHS grad and Western Michigan QB Tim Hiller was honored as the top male collegiate athlete in the state of Michigan by the Detroit Athletic Club earlier this week. It was the first time a WMU athlete won the award, and the first time the award was not given to an athlete from Michigan (boo!) or Michigan St.

Broncos Humbled, Hiller Hurt

Not a good night for the Western Michigan Broncos and Orrville alum Tim Hiller. They were thrashed by the Rice Owls to the tune of 38-14. WMU's only two scores came in the 4th quarter after the outcome was no longer in doubt.

Individually, Tim had another subpar game, and Coach Bill Cubit spoke on that at the post-game press conference, more on that in a second.

For the game, Tim was 19-42 for 198 yards, 2 TD's and 2 INT's. In the 4th quarter alone, Tim went 7-14 for 118 yds and his 2 TD passes. That also means that through the first 3 quarters, he was only 12-28 for 80 yards, 0 TD's and 2 INT's.

For the season, Tim was 339-522 (65%) for 3725 yds, 36 TD's and 10 INT's, bringing his career totals to 704-1094 for 8020 yds and 76 TD's.

After the game, Coach Cubit mentioned that Tim had played the last 2 regular season games and the bowl game with a torn left ACL. It's believed that the injury happened during the Illinois game. He tore his right ACL back in late 2005 and missed the entire 2006 season. This injury will at least keep him out of spring practice.

After revealing the injury, Coach Cubit had some very complimentary words for his QB...

“One of the things I love about this kid, he’s been playing with a torn ACL in his last three games and hasn’t said a word to anybody.”

“I asked him, ‘You sure you want to go out there?’ He says, 'Coach, I’m going to do this for this football team.' I know it didn’t work out for us tonight, but these kids are all winners, and this kid, what he did the last three games was unbelievable."

“So, I just wanted to let you guys know because he’ll never say a word about it. He’s never going to use it as an excuse. That’s how dedicated this kid is, so thanks.”

“The kid went into the locker room, the training room, the restroom and put (his leg brace) on so he wouldn’t let anyone else know he was wearing that,” Cubit said. “In my book, he’s really good.”

This is another tough break for Tim. His senior season in high school was ended when he broke his collarbone against Youngstown Liberty in a first round playoff game. Anyone at the game agrees that had Hiller remained in the game, the Riders would have likely won.

Individually, here's a list of WMU passing records and where Tim stands in each category.

Passing Yards, Season
Tim now holds the school record of 3725. Tim Lester is 2nd with 3639.

Passing Yards, Career
Current record is again held by Tim Lester with 11,299, with Hiller having 8020.

Passing Yards, Game
Tim already holds this record, throwing for 471 yards in a loss to Central Michigan. Previous record was 450 yds.

Passing Attempts, Career
Tim currently has 1094 career pass attempts. The school record is 1507, again held by Tim Lester.

Passing Attempts, Season
Tim now holds the school record of 522 attempts.

Passing Attempts, Game
Tim holds the record with 63 attempts, set earlier this year against Buffalo. Previous mark was 58.

Pass Completions, Career
Tim currently has 704 and is 2nd on the all-time list, school record is 875.

Pass Completions, Season
Tim set the record this season with 339 completions. Previous record was 282.

Pass Completions, Game
Another record Tim holds, completing 42 passes this past season against Buffalo. His 38 completions the following week versus Central Michigan was the 2nd most completions in school history.

Completion Percentage
School record for completion percentage in a season is 67%, Tim's 2008 mark was 65.0%. The record for completion percentage in a career is 60.2%, Tim is currently at 64.4% for his career.

Touchdown Passes, Career
Tim is all alone in 2nd place with 76, record is 87.

Touchdown Passes, Season
Tim broke the record in the bowl game, finishing with 36 TD passes for the season. Previous mark was 34.

Touchdown Passes, Game
Tim has thrown 5 TD passes in a game only twice, once last season and once this season. School record is 6.

We at the RRS blog congratulate Tim on a great season and wish him a speedy recovery. Orrville is proud of your accomplishments, and of your character.