Israel Hiraldo had a career-high 153 receiving yards Saturday in WIU’s victory at Eastern Illinois. He also had a season-high three carries, one of which included hurdling an EIU defender. (Photo by Barry Bottino, PrairieStatePigskin.com)
By Barry Bottino
CHARLESTON — Making a name for himself as part of the Western Illinois offense required patience for wide receiver Israel Hiraldo.
“He was a very highly recruited player out of the portal for us,” WIU head coach Joe Davis said Saturday after the Leathernecks’ 44-23 victory at Eastern Illinois. “It just took him a while to get going. He’s been hampered by some injuries. He’s kind of been in and out, in and out.
“We were trying to find the right position for him,” Davis said.
During Saturday’s game at O’Brien Field, Hiraldo showed he could contribute at multiple spots on the field.
The sophomore transfer from Division II Post University in Connecticut had six receptions for a career-best 153 yards, including a 76-yard touchdown catch.
On one of his three carries, a second-quarter end around, Hiraldo hurdled an Eastern defender for a 10-yard gain that set up a touchdown on the very next play.
“I feel like I do everything,” said Hiraldo, who has 11 receptions for 290 yards over the last three games. “God gave me all types of talents.”
Hiraldo has a touchdown reception in each of the last three games, all of which were WIU wins, and has helped put the Leathernecks (6-4 overall, 4-1 Ohio Valley Conference) into a three-way tie for first place in the league.
“You’ve seen his game kind of come to life,” Davis said. “He gives us a whole other element to the offense.”
Early in the second quarter Saturday, Hiraldo lined up on the right side of the formation and sprinted left toward quarterback Kennedy McGill at the snap. Hiraldo took a handoff and raced around left end, hurdling EIU cornerback Collin Henry for a 10-yard gain that set up McGill’s 4-yard scoring run on the following play.
“He’s electrifying to watch. He makes crazy athletic plays,” McGill said. “He’s in the right place when he needs to be there.”
A third-quarter play highlighted Hiraldo’s speed.
He zipped off the line of scrimmage past EIU cornerback Nasir Maryland and caught a 76-yard deep ball from McGill for Western’s longest pass play of the season.
Hiraldo, who had nine receptions combined in WIU’s first six games, said he made consistent progress into his current role.
“My growth is day by day on the field at practice, learning plays,” he said. “I just needed to gain trust with my QB and my head coach. I stayed consistent, making the athletic plays that I need to make.”
Making an impact on the field has been a direct result of stronger rapport.
“It means I’ve built a lot of trust with my teammates,” Hiraldo said. “That’s what I’ve wanted from the start. I want them to lean on me just like I lean on them.”
Barry Bottino is a co-founder of Prairie State Pigskin and a 19-year veteran of three Illinois newspapers. He has covered college athletics since 1995.
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