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Quarterback Brock Hillyer paved the way for many senior football players in the Western branch who helped the team finish the season with a 8-2 record in the Eastern Buckeye Conference.
Hillyer, a double-threatened player who led the offense, averaging over 40 points last fall and helped the Warriors improve 2-8 in 2019, previously committed to Marietta College.
Teammates Alek Wilson, Andrew Coffee, Josh Gregory and David McKeivier also chose the Division III football route. Wilson joins Hillyer Marietta, Coffee and Gregory chose both Grove City (Pa) and the Geneva (Pa) College of their choice from McKeivier.
Marietta competes with Mount Union at the Ohio Sports Conference. Grove City and Geneva are competitors at the Presidential Sports Conference. Grove City was 2-2 in the shortened season of 2020, following the 9-2 mark in 2019. Geneva went 2-3 in 2020 after the 3-7 2019 campaign.
“They love the game and want to keep playing football on a new level,” West Branch coach Ken Harris said.
Wilson, a 5-foot-10, 215-pound run and defensive head, rushed 562 yards with just 99 attempts (5.7 averages), got 34 assists for 285 yards (8.4 averages) and made a total of 16 touches. Turning with Gregory and Coffee at the end of the defense, Wilson recorded 43 matches and six losses.
“He was a running game who also had good hands and was able to get the ball off the backfield,” Harris said. “As a defensive head, he was very fast and used that speed.”
Coffee, ranging from 6 to 4, was also a two-way striker for the Warriors. Playing one of the wide receiving points in a wide open, pass-heavy spread, he grabbed 19 passes with 264 yards and two taps. After all, he caused damage in violations of run-stop and pass-rusherina, finishing 40 tackles, 14 loss losses and 10 sacks.
“He was a good possessor who made several big catches for us,” Harris said. “He was also fast and physical [defensive]linjamies. “
Gregory, who also stands 6-4, played the same offensive and defensive positions as Coffee. In the extension, he matched the receptions of his former high school and future university teammates (19) with 5 additional yards (269) and one touch (three). By the end of the defense round, Gregory was also able to stop the run by making 40 tackles and 5 tactical losses to the loss. He added 2 bags.
“Gregory knew the game and that [intelligence]got us to put him in several different places in the attack, “Harris said.
Coffee and Gregory also have the same competitiveness in researchers.
“They’re both looking to study engineering and Grove City is perfect for them because it has a great [academic]reputation, “Harris added.
McKeivier, 5-10, 165 pounds, the fast forward, who was one of the recipients of the attack and started with free defense, finished 37 receptions with 404 yards (3.9 averages) and three touches. In his defense, he was solid against the run, recording 74 matches and adding two interruptions.
Football wasn’t McKeivier’s only high school sport. He was also a distinctive long jumper for the athletics team that Geneva noticed.
“He was looking forward to playing football and running on college, and I think Geneva will let him do that, so it’s a good fit,” Harris said. “Like [a football player]to us he was a big game and a good fighter. “
West Branch has recently sent several former football matches to Division III college programs, led by offensive bus driver Max Craig, who began an offensive fight to Mount Union last spring. Offensive lineman Clayton Adams (Ohio Wesleyan) and runner Thomas Caserta (Marietta) are the other two playing at Division III level.
“Playing Division III football is different,” Harris said. “You have to have a real love of playing the game because you don’t get scholarship money and you don’t get to play before large crowds. However, you still get a chance to compete against good competition, only at a higher level.”
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