CHARDON, Ohio — A Chardon football player has found great success as a baseball player for the Hilltoppers.
The football field is where Chardon linebacker Christian Hall has made a name for himself, but the baseball field is where he’s really made a name for himself.
“It’s just been like my sport ever since I picked up a baseball. I just fell in love with it immediately and knew that like I wanted to play at the next level in that sport,” said Hall.
During the Hilltoppers' state championship win in 2020, Hall suffered a hip injury, which created a roadblock for his baseball training.
“I couldn’t use my left leg for weeks, and it was just kind of like put me down because after football season is when I work on baseball and when I start to get in that and it was just very difficult to do that and it became frustrating,” said Hall.
Hall decided to focus on baseball and skip the 2021 season until the first game of the season happened.
“And just that feeling, like all my feelings of the state championship game came back to me, just like being in that environment. I missed it and I needed to get back to it,” Hall explained.
Hall returned to the football field and has arguably been one of the best players on the defense. His coach Mitch Hewitt said the decision to bring him back was a no brainer.
“Christian’s a kid who’s got great parents. He’s got a mom and dad who love him to death, but ultimately I think in this case it takes a village and I think football provides something that baseball doesn’t and that’s no knock on baseball. I think baseball provides something that football doesn’t,” said Hewitt.
Hall’s football career has been a family affair. His father is assistant coach Frank Hall, who adopted Christian when he was almost 4. It’s a decision suggested by his wife he’ll never regret.
“She came home one day and said that this little boy needs a home, and I said ‘No, we don’t have any money. We just got married.’ And for three days, I drove around with a hole in my heart, and finally I said ‘yes’ and we’ve been blessed ever since,” said Frank.
The Halls love making memories on the football field together, but for coach, he loves that baseball gives him a chance to just be dad.
“My favorite memory is summer baseball when I wasn’t coaching. Just enjoying watching him play and seeing him learn life on the football and baseball fields. So I really enjoy baseball because I don’t know anything about baseball. I just get to watch him and enjoy him,” said Frank.
And as Christian prepares for a big opportunity on the baseball diamond, he’s happy to be back on the gridiron first, and thankful his team welcomed him back with open arms.
“That we’re more than a team; it’s a family here and they never leave anyone behind, no matter what they’ve done and no matter what they’ve been through, they’re always here for everyone.”