Hillsdale’s new head coach prepares the Hornets for Week 1
HILLSDALE – There are many familiar and new faces set to play for the Hillsdale varsity football team this fall.
A new era in football also begins for the Hornets, as longtime head coach Marc Lemerand retires after the 2023 season and longtime assistant coach Jerry Curby also retires after helping oversee the high school’s weight room renovation project, which was completed in spring 2024.
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The Hornets have made good use of these new facilities during the offseason to prepare for Week 1 and their annual game against the Jonesville Comets, which will be played at home on August 29. Who is helping lead the Hornets through this year’s offseason program and regular season? Several returning coaches, including Shaun McCavit, will help new head coach Joe Williamson carry on the traditions of Hornet football while trying to bring playoff football back to the community and athletes.
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Williamson has been coaching football since his time as a player for the Hillsdale College Chargers and former coach Keith Otterbein ended, and has been teaching for 21 years. Williamson got his first coaching job at Litchfield High School in 2007 before coaching at Concord for four seasons. Williamson was the head coach of the Jonesville football team from 2014-16 before retiring to focus on his family and teaching. In 2021, he transferred to Hillsdale schools. He joined former head coach Marc Lemerand’s staff as an assistant for two years before assuming the role this offseason.
“I was very fortunate to coach as an assistant to Lemerand the last two seasons,” Williamson said. “When he decided to retire last winter, I thought about it for a long time and prayed. We thought maybe this would be an opportunity to try again and be a head coach again, because at that point I really hadn’t thought about ever being a head coach again. But we thought maybe this would be an opportunity to try.”
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One of the most compelling factors that helped him make his decision were the Hillsdale High School football coaches, some of whom have been with the program since the 1990s.
“You have great people around you who are loyal and dedicated to the school and want these kids to do great things. It’s a player-driven program. Lemerand has always put a lot of emphasis on the relationship with the kids and making sure the kids do their best, and that’s all I believed in as a player and as a coach. We’re just trying to continue that tradition here.”
“When these kids leave here, they know that this is always a place they can call home. There are coaches they can always turn to, no matter what’s going on in their lives. You know, that’s the best part of this job: When you see a former player or a former student come back in a few years.”
Coach Williamson has received support from former players who will be part of the coaching staff at Hillsdale High School. The entire Hornet coaching staff has spent a large portion of their summer workouts working on conditioning, familiarizing the team with new playbooks and motivating the players to be hungry for success.
“The kids have really embraced these changes and we’ve brought in some great leaders this summer. It’s been a fun transition into this job.”
Hillsdale junior Jace Lennox scores one of his three touchdowns
Hillsdale junior Jace Lennox scored three touchdowns for the Hornets in their 40-8 win over Jonesville.
Joseph Flaherty, Hillsdale Daily News
Prior to 2021, the Hillsdale football program had earned playoff berths in all but one season. The team has missed the playoffs three straight seasons, finishing last season with an overall record of 3-6. While personnel and scheduling changes have played a role in Hillsdale’s fight to return to the playoffs, the team also plays in one of the state’s toughest leagues, the Lenawee County Athletic Association.
The conference last had a state champion in 2021, the undefeated Hudson Tiger D8 titleholders. Clinton High School played in the Division 6 semifinals in 2022 and competed for a regional title in 2023 after making the playoffs every season since 2012. They joined the LCAA in 2020. Longtime LCAA foes Blissfield, Dundee and Ida have been consistent playoff contenders over the last decade and a half the Hornets have been part of the conference.
In addition to the normal LCAA schedule, they will play a rematch on the road against Lake Fenton in week two, in addition to their season opener against county rival Jonesville. In coordination with the leadership team, Coach Williamson has worked hard to instill confidence in the 2024 Hornet team and teach them how to translate that confidence into success this year.
“I think this challenge requires high attention every week and high performance every week. When you’re lucky enough to make the playoffs in our conference, you know you’re ready for whatever comes your way in the first few rounds.”
Some of the changes Williamson will implement to prepare Hillsdale for this challenge include a focus on speed and ball distribution to the playmakers, while also keeping the traditional full-house playbook at the heart of the offense. Next time, we’ll look at some of those playmakers who will be part of the changes on offense and defense that Coach Williamson and the Hornet team hope to use to their advantage as they begin Week 1.
