Zac Affholter continues family tradition, signs with Charger football team
After finishing his final football season as a Ranger with 16 other senior players, Zac Affholter made the decision to have his football career continue at the next level. After careful consideration, he committed, then signed, with the Hillsdale Charger football team. Zac carries on the family tradition of Affholter Hillsdale College football players.
Zac was joined by his family, including parents Brad and Darcy Affholter, and his Ranger coaches for his signing day. Zac's career as a Ranger student-athlete ended this spring sports season, playing his final baseball game for his dad and head coach Brad Affholter. Zac was a multi-sport athlete for the Rangers, earning all-state honors as a football player and conference honors as a basketball and baseball athlete.
Choosing Hillsdale College
While Hillsdale College had a special place for Zac and his family, both current students and former alumni, he wanted to make sure to explore all options before making his final decision. As one of the top offensive linemen in the Big 8 and Hillsdale County, multiple schools were interested and were recruiting Zac.
Included in his school choices were NAA DIII teams like Alma and Hope College became major contenders with the Chargers for Zac's commitment. Zac says he had good visits to Hope and conversations with their coaches and players.
While his potential future with Hope College looked promising, Zac says that Hillsdale College's academics were the big standout for him when it came to off-the-field opportunities. On the field, Zac immediately felt a connection to the team, for obvious reasons.
“Hillsdale had been talking to me a lot,” said Zac. “I had also talked to other DIII schools like Alma and Hope. It came down to my visits and the Academic rigor at Hillsdale was really intriguing. When you talk about Hillsdale College, you talk about their world-known academic structure and curriculum. I was really excited about that, and the coaches really seemed to want me. Obviously, playing with my brothers was a nice benefit I was looking forward to.”
Both of Zac's older brothers, twins Ben and Nick, are starting offensive linemen for the Chargers. Zac had the opportunity to play with both of his brothers after he called up for the playoffs during his freshman season. Zac says his brothers were influential in swinging him back towards committing to the Chargers. Zac's brothers both have helped prepare him for his first season of college football, stating that at the end of the day it comes down to working harder than the person next to you.
“They’ve talked to me a lot,” said Zac. “They are pretty excited, and they’ve always wanted me to join the team. They know I have the ability to be a good football player. They talked a lot about how it just comes down to working harder than the other guys next to you.”
Zac says that hard work and challenge ahead facing G-MAC DII competition is one of the major opportunities he's excited to face when playing for the Chargers.
“I’m really excited to face new competition,” said Zac. “At any college, you are going to face kids who are all at the top of their skill level. I’m excited to put myself up against some of the best players in DII.”
Zac Affholter's dad, Brad Affholter, seconded those comments, saying that the family talked about how tough the first year of college is for student athletes and how Zac is prepared for that challenge.
“We talked about how one year of college is intense and you learn so much more than you could at a high school level,” said Brad Affholter. “They said that’s the big thing; one year out of high school and it’s a whole new ball game.”
Zac believes his parents were responsible for helping him pursue opportunities that helped him become the student and athlete he is entering College. Zac credits them for making sure his hard work paid off on the field and in the classroom.
“I wouldn’t be here at all if it wasn’t for them,” said Zac Affholter. “They pushed me to be my best in the classroom and in sports. They gave me every opportunity I wanted to play sports. They always made sure I could do anything I wanted to do and allowed me to work hard at it. They made sure I didn’t slack and all that work paid off.”
On the field, Zac credited the Reading coaches, including his dad and coach Brad Affholter, for helping him become the football player he is today. He credited head coach Rick Bailey for putting him in opportunities to succeed early in his career. He believes the coaches of the Reading football program taught him and the other players how to be good men of character.
“I can’t thank my coaches enough for just being great role models,” said Zac. “They taught us how to be a good man of character and always do what’s right. You can try to cheat in football and cheat in life, but it won’t get you anywhere. So, I’m thankful for my coaches.”
In addition to his coaches, Affholter credited his former teammates for the work they put in to make his final season a special one. The team made their sixth consecutive playoff appearance, and the team won their first playoff game since 2020 by defeating Decatur.
Watch: Reading defeats Decatur in the 2022 MHSAA playoffs
“I’m thankful for my team buying in this year and putting the work in,” said Zac. “We had a tough loss at the end of this past season, but we had two losses come down to just a few points. I’m very proud of our team and the effort we put in.”
A family tradition continued
With his eyes now set on starting his Hillsdale College academic and athletic career, Zac Affholter continues a family tradition that started before his parent's time attending Hillsdale College.
In addition to his parents, Zac's grandfather was a track athlete at Hillsdale College. Zac parents, Brad and Darcy, met at Hillsdale College, where Darcy and Brad's sister both played volleyball. Brad played football for the Chargers, being named the GLIAC Offensive Lineman of the Year in 1996. Brad's oldest sons, Ben and Nick, followed their dad's footsteps and committed to the Chargers after their senior year.
Like Zac, Ben and Nick were all-state offensive linemen for the Rangers. They helped lead the Rangers to back-to-back D8 state championships in 2018 and 2019. The two brothers were three-time all-state offensive linemen in high school, and they continued to rack up accolades after moving on to Hillsdale College.
Nick earned the 2022 Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award from the Charger team awards and earned G-MAC third team honors. Ben and Nick have been both starting offensive linemen for the Chargers in 2021 and 2022. Zac hopes to be a part of that legacy, getting the chance to play with his brothers once again. Their dad, Brad Affholter, says the family has Hillsdale College in their blood, with their family tied to the school over three generations. Brad Affholter says the family is excited to see all three of them on the field together again.
“Hillsdale College is in our blood a little bit,” said Brad Affholter. “I’m real proud to have three kids there now and we look forward to seeing them on the field together. It’s a blessing to keep all three of them together, and we won’t have to travel too far to see them play.”
Zac was able to play four years under his grandfather and four years under his dad at Reading. He will now be reunited with his brothers, and now all three will be reunited with their dad. Brad Affholter recently accepted an assistant coaching position with the Charger football team, once again having the opportunity to coach his three sons. Brad says that the opportunity to reunite on the football field with his sons was an offer too good to pass up.
"The opportunity to coach football at Hillsdale College is too good of an offer to pass up," said Brad Affholter. "I am excited about being part of another great coaching staff. The added bonus of getting to work alongside my three boys again is truly a blessing."
The Chargers have become known for keeping families together within their program, as the team has several other brother duos on the current roster. With the Affholter family reconnected under one football program, Zac Affholter will also continue the family tradition in the academic realm.
Zac's parents both work in education, with his dad having taught math at Reading High School. His two brothers are also studying mathematics at Hillsdale College. Zac says match is one of his favorite subjects, and like his family members, will look to pursue similar studies in that field.
Zac's younger sister, Abby Affholter, is continuing the Affholter Ranger legacy as a member of several athletics programs at Reading High School.
Accolades and Accomplishments
In addition to his athletic portfolio of awards, Zac is was one of the top students of his class at Reading High School. He earned Academic All-State honors throughout his time as a Ranger, and he graduated with a 4.0 GPA.
Zac Affholter was the same leader in the classroom as he was on the field and court for the Rangers. As a basketball player, Zac was an honorable mention All-Area Dream Team selection his junior season. That season also saw him help the team win the Pat Paterson Pool A championship. He was top five in points on the team. He was top five in assists, steals and blocks his junior year. He was second on the team in total rebounds.
As a junior and a senior, he helped lead the Rangers to back-to-back winning seasons. During his senior year, the team three-peated as Pat Paterson Pool A champs. He earned honorable mention all-conference honors for his efforts. He once again finished top five in points, assists and steals. He had one double-double and was second on the team in rebounds.
After the basketball seasons ended, Zac spent the spring playing baseball with his dad running the show as head coach. Zac manned first base for the Rangers, earning honorable mention All-Area Dream Team honors during his senior season. He played in the Lenawee County All-Star game at the end of the school year with several other county seniors.
Read More: Lenawee All-Star baseball game recap
During the fall, Affholter consistently earned a reputation as one of the best offensive linemen in the Big 8 Conference and in Hillsdale County. After getting called up for the State Championship team his freshman year, Affholter followed it up with a sophomore season that earned him honorable mention all-conference honors. He helped block for a Ranger team that went 7-2 and won two playoff games during the expanded Covid-19 postseason in 2020.
He helped captain a 2021 Ranger football team that went 6-4 on the season. The Ranger varsity football program and head coach Rick Bailey followed up their back-to-back state championships with two playoff appearances that resulted in losses to eventual state champions. Zac and the team lost to eventual champion Centreville in 2020 and then to the 2021 D8 champion team from Hudson.
Despite the early playoff exits, Zac earned individual recognition from the MHSFCA and from the Big 8. He earned first team all-conference honors, MHSFCA all-region honors and All-Area Dream Team honors.
His senior season saw Zac and the rest of the Ranger line clear the way for an offense that ran for more than 3,000 yards and pass for 1,500 yards in 2022. They averaged 430 yards a game during their 8-3 campaign. The team lost only two games during the regular season, but by three points or less. The Rangers then beat Decatur 33-7 in the pre-district playoff game before losing to White Pigeon in the district championship match.
Zac followed up his junior campaign with MHSFCA all-region and all-state honors. He earned first team all-conference honors and earned AP All-State honors. In addition, he earned all-state honorable mention honors from the Detroit Free Press. Zac then earned the title of All-Area Offensive Dream Team co-captain. The co-captain honor is awarded to seniors who represented the county both from an individual effort on the field but also as a leader for their respective teams during the season.
Hillsdale College
Hillsdale College is a private Christian liberal arts college in Hillsdale. The Chargers compete in the NCAA DII level of competition. The Charger football team has been members of the G-MAC conference since 2018, when they won the conference championship. The team is led by Keith Otterbein, who is heading into his 20th season as head coach.
The Chargers went 5-6 in 2022. They finished with a record of 6-6 in 2021. They played Truman State in the America Crossroads Bowl game in 2021, losing 17-34.
This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Zac Affholter continues family tradition, signs with Charger football team
