FLORENCE,
Ala. -- University of Central Missouri senior
quarterback Eric Czerniewski claimed the Harlon Hill
Trophy Friday as the 2010 Division II College
Football Player of the Year.
Czerniewski
received 164 total points and held a slim six-point
margin over West Liberty (W.V.) University's Zach Amedro
in the closest voting in the 25-year history of the
award.
Amedro
finished second in the voting for the second
straight year, this time by just six points with a 158
total. Northwest Missouri State University senior
quarterback Blake Bolles was third with 64 points.
The award
winner is determined in voting by the Division II sports
information directors and was presented in front of a
crowd of 400 at the 25th annual Harlon Hill Trophy
award banquet at the Marriott Shoals Conference Center.
The Harlon
Hill Trophy is sponsored by the City of Florence,
Florence-Lauderdale Tourism, Opti-Net, Marriott Shoals
Hotel and Spa and Herff Jones.
Czerniewski,
a senior from Montgomery City, Mo., received 35
first-place votes in the balloting to 34 for Amedro.
Czerniewski
is the first quarterback to win the award since Jimmy
Terwilliger in 2005, snapping a streak of four consecutive
running backs selected.
Czerniewski
had previously been selected as the Daktronics Division II
Offensive Player of the Year and first-team All-American
quarterback by Daktronics and the American Football
Coaches Association.
He set
Division II records this season with 5,207 passing yards,
while also leading the nation with 5,203 yards of total
offense and 46 touchdown passes.
He threw for
more than 300 yards 10 times this season and completed 66
percent of his 670 pass attempts. His efforts led Central
Missouri to an 11-3 record, a number eight national
ranking and into the quarterfinals of the Division II
playoffs.
Selected
Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association Offensive
Player of the Year, Czerniewski was also first-team
All-MIAA quarterback, first-team Daktronics Super Region 4
quarterback and Super Region 4 Offensive Player of the
Year.
Czerniewki
shattered every school and conference passing record for a
season and career and finished his career with 12,847
passing yards, 1,043 career completions, and 107 career
touchdown passes.
His career
passing yardage total ranks fourth best in Division II
history.
Following
Czerniewski, Amedro and Bolles in the voting were
sophomore quarterback Bo Cordell of Tusculum (51),
sophomore quarterback Mitchell Gale of Abilene Christian
(47), freshman running back Franklyn Quiteh of Bloomsburg
(45), senior running back Phil Milbrath of Michigan Tech
(32), junior quarterback Clay Garcia of the Colorado
School of Mines (25) and senior quarterback Nick Hardesty
of Henderson State (20).
Amedro, a
senior from Moundsville, W.V., was also a Hil finalist in
2009 and is the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic
Conference Offensive Player of the Year for the second
tim. This season he averaged 3.8 touchdown passes
per game with 38 in 10 games. He completed 329-of-485
passes for 4,058 yards and averaged 32.9 completions per
game to rank second nationally. Amedro was also second
nationally in passing yards per game at 405.8. He is now
the leading passer in NCAA Division II history, setting
career records with 14,733 passing yards, 1,079 pass
completions , 334.8 passing yards per game, 30 300-yard
passing games, 29 300-yard total offense games ; 13
consecutive 300-yard passing games and 13 consecutive
300-yard total offense games.
Bolles, a
senior from Lincoln, Neb., has helped lead Northwest
Missouri State
to a 12-2
record and into the semifinals of the playoffs this
season. He threw for 3,846 yards and 30 touchdowns,
completing 62.8 percent of his 459 pass attempts. He also
rushing for 248 yards and five touchdowns.
For his
career, Bolles ranks among the most efficient passers in
Division II history. He is
Northwest
Missouri's all-time leader in passing yards (8,668) and
passing touchdowns (79) and has helped lead Northwest to
an MIAA-record 46 straight conference victories.
Bolles had a 26-3 record as a starter and was 7-1 in
playoff starts.
* * *
The Hill
Trophy is named for a former UNA player - Harlon Hill -
who was a standout with the Lions from 1950-53 before
going on to fame in the National Football League with the
Chicago Bears.
North Dakota
State quarterback Jeff Bentrim won the initial Hill Trophy
in 1986, before Texas A&M-Kingsville running back Johnny
Bailey won three straight Hill trophies from 1987-89.
Another North
Dakota State quarterback, Chris Simdorn, claimed the 1990
award, followed by Pittsburg State's Ronnie West in 1991
and Ronald Moore in 1992, New Haven running back Roger
Graham in 1993, Valdosta State quarterback Chris
Hatcher in 1994, North Alabama linebacker Ronald McKinnon
in 1995 , Truman State running back Jarrett Anderson in
1996, Bloomsburg running back Irvin Sigler in 1997,
Emporia State running back Brian Shay in 1998 , Northern
Colorado quarterback Corte McGuffey in 1999,
Valdosta State quarterback Dusty Bonner in 2000 and 2001,
and Grand Valley State quarterback Curt Anes in 2002.
University of North Alabama senior quarterback Will Hall
claimed the trophy in 2003. Colorado-Mines quarterback
Chad Friehauf took the trophy in 2004, East Stroudsburg's
Jimmy Terwilliger in 2005, Chadron State's Danny Woodhead
in 2006 and 2007 and Abilene Christian's Bernard Scott in
2008. Wayne State (Mich.) running back Joique Bell won the
2009 Hill Trophy.
2010 HILL
VOTE TOTALS
TOTAL
1st
2nd
3rd
Points
Player
Place
Place
Place
164
Eric
Czerniewski
QB
SR
Central
Missouri
35
22
15
158
Zach Amedro
QB
SR
West Liberty
34
24
8
64
Blake Bolles
QB
SR
NW Missouri
State
6
16
14
51
Bo Cordell
QB
SO
Tusculum
6
13
7
47
Mitchell Gale
QB
SO
Abilene
Christian
6
7
15
45
Franklyn
Quiteh
RB
FR
Bloomsburg
6
4
19
32
Phil Milbrath
RB
SR
Michigan Tech
1
10
9
25
Clay Garcia
QB
JR
Colorado-Mines
4
4
5
20
Nick Hardesty
QB
SR
Henderson
State
3
1
9
* 101 total
ballots cast
ALL-TIME
HARLON HILL WINNERS
Year
Player
Pos.
School
Point Total
1986
Jeff Bentrim
QB
North Dakota
State University
133
1987
Johnny Bailey
RB
Texas A&M
University-Kingsville
106
1988
Johnny Bailey
RB
Texas A&M
University-Kingsville
158
1989
Johnny Bailey
RB
Texas A&M
University-Kingsville
182
1990
Chris Simdorn
QB
North Dakota
State University
123
1991
Ronnie West
WR
Pittsburg
State University
109
1992
Ronald Moore
RB
Pittsburg
State University
148
1993
Roger Graham
RB
University of
New Haven
160
1994
Chris Hatcher
QB
Valdosta
State University
209
1995
Ronald
McKinnon
LB
University of
North Alabama
188
1996
Jarrett
Anderson
TB
Truman State
University
207
1997
Irvin Sigler
TB
Bloomsburg
University
208
1998
Brian Shay
RB
Emporia State
University
303
1999
Corte
McGuffey
QB
Northern
Colorado
205
2000
Dusty Bonner
QB
Valdosta
State University
156
2001
Dusty Bonner
QB
Valdosta
State University
209
2002
Curt Anes
QB
Grand Valley
State University
271
2003
Will Hall
QB
University of
North Alabama
150
2004
Chad Friehauf
QB
Colorado
School of Mines
194
2005
Jimmy
Terwilliger
QB
East
Stroudsburg University
121
FLORENCE, Ala. -- The voting has concluded
for the NCAA Division II College Football Player
of the Year Award, and while the results of that
voting won't be announced until December 17, three
players have received invitations to attend the
25th Annual Harlon Hill Trophy Presentation
Banquet for the naming of the top player in
Division II.
Senior quarterback Zach Amedro of West Liberty
(W.V.) University, senior quarterback Blake
Bolles of Northwest Missouri State University and
senior quarterback Eric Czerniewski of the
University of Central Missouri and have
emerged as the top three vote-getters from a field
of nine finalists in voting by the sports
information directors at the 149 schools that
compete in Division II football.
The Hill Trophy is sponsored by the City of
Florence, Ala., Florence-Lauderdale Tourism,
Opti-Net, the Marriott Shoals Hotel and Spa
and Herff Jones.
Candidates for the 2010 Hill Trophy were nominated
by the sports information directors at their
respective schools and those nominations were then
reviewed by the Hill Regional Advisory Committees,
which trimmed the list of candidates.
National voting concluded on December 3
and the top three finishers are
invited to the Shoals for the presentation
banquet. The winner of the 2010 award, which is
presented by the National Harlon Hill Award
Committee, will be announced at the Harlon Hill
Trophy and Division II Football Hall of Fame
Banquet on Friday, December 17 in Florence, prior
to the NCAA Division II Football Championship Game
on Dec. 18. The banquet will include the induction
of coaches Ken Sparks of Carson-Newman College,
Mel Tjeerdsma of Northwest Missouri State
University and Bobby Wallace of the University of
West Alabama into the Division II Football Hall of
Fame.
Tickets are $50 each or $400 for a table of eight
and can be purchased by calling Judy Keenum at the
Shoals Chamber of Commerce at (256) 764-4661.
Other finalists for the 2010 award were sophomore
quarterback Bo Cordell of Tusculum (Tenn.)
College, sophomore quarterback Mitchell Gale of
Abilene Christian (Texas) University, junior
quarterback Clay Garcia of the Colorado School of
Mines, senior quarterback Nick Hardesty of
Henderson State University, senior running back
Phil Milbrath of Michigan Tech University and
freshman running back Franklyn Quiteh of
Bloomsburg (Pa.) University.
Amedro, a senior from Moundsville, W.V., was also
a Hil finalist in 2009 and is the West Virginia
Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Offensive
Player of the Year for the second tim. This
season he averaged 3.8 touchdown passes per game
with 38 in 10 games. He completed 329-of-485
passes for 4,058 yards and averaged 32.9
completions per game to rank second nationally.
Amedro was also second nationally in passing yards
per game at 405.8.
He is now the leading passer in NCAA Division II
history, setting career records with 14,733
passing yards, 1,079 pass completions , 334.8
passing yards per game, 30 300-yard passing games,
29 300-yard total offense games ; 13 consecutive
300-yard passing games and 13 consecutive 300-yard
total offense games.
Bolles, a senior from Lincoln, Neb., has helped
lead Northwest Missouri State
to a 12-1 record and into the semifinals of the
playoffs this season. He has thrown for 3,705
yards and 29 touchdowns, completing 62.8 percent
of his passes. He has thrown just eight
interceptions in 430 pass attempts, while also
rushing for 213 yards and five touchdowns.
For his career, Bolles ranks among the most
efficient passers in Division II history. He is
Northwest Missouri's all-time leader in passing
yards (8,527) and passing touchdowns (78) and has
helped lead Northwest to an MIAA-record 46
straight conference victories.
Czerniewski, a senior from Montgomery City, Mo.,
is the 2010 Mid-America Athletic Association
Offensive Player of the Year and the first-team
All-MIAA quarterback. He is the nation�s
fourth-ranked passer with an average of 371.9
yards per game. His 5,207 total passing yards and
46 touchdown passes this season are tops in the
country.
He completed 447 of 670 pass attempts and had a
66.7 completion percentage, while leading Central
Missouri to an 11-3 record and into the
quarterfinals of the playoffs. This season, he
threw for more than 300 yards 10 times, and more
than 260 yards in every game.
He is ranked first in MIAA history with more than
12,847 passing yards and became the league's total
offense leader as well. He also has 107 career TD
passes and 1,043 career pass completions.
The initial Harlon Hill Trophy was won by North
Dakota State quarterback Jeff Bentrim in 1986,
followed by Texas A&M-Kingsville
runningback Johnny Bailey - in 1987, 1988 and
1989.
Another North Dakota State quarterback, Chris
Simdorn, claimed the 1990 award, followed by
Pittsburg State receiver Ronnie West in 1991,
Pittsburg State running back Ronald Moore in 1992,
New Haven running back Roger Graham in 1993
and Valdosta State University quarterback Chris
Hatcher in 1994. North Alabama linebacker Ronald
McKinnon became the first defensive player to win
the award when he claimed the Hill Trophy in 1995.
Truman State University running back Jarrett
Anderson won the 1996 award and Bloomsburg
University running back Irvin Sigler claimed the
Hill Trophy in 1997 award. Running back Brian Shay
of Emporia State won in 1998, followed by Northern
Colorado quarterback Corte McGuffey in 1999 and
Valdosta State quarterback Dusty Bonner in 2000
and 2001, and Grand Valley State quarterback Curt
Anes in 2002. The 2003 trophy was awarded to
North Alabama quarterback Will Hall, and Chad
Friehauf of the Colorado School of Mines won the
2004 award. East Stroudsburg's Jimmy Terwilliger
claimed the 2005 Hill Trophy as a junior and
Chadron State running back Danny Woodhead won the
2006 and 2007 Hill Trophies to become just the
third two-time winner. Running back Bernard Scott
of Abilene Christian won the 2008 Hill Trophy and
running back Joique Bell of Wayne State (Mich.)
claimed last year's Hill Trophy.
FLORENCE, Ala. -- A
field of 24 candidates
has been trimmed to
nine national
finalists in regional
voting for the Harlon
Hill Trophy as the
NCAA Division II
College Football
Player of the Year.
The
finalists were
selected by the NCAA
Division II sports
information directors
in regional voting and
will now be placed on
the national ballot
where all 148 of the
division's SIDs will
select the award's
25th winner. The top
two players from each
of Division II's Super
Regionals advance to
the national ballot,
but three players
advanced from Region 4
due to a tie in the
voting.
The
list of 2010 finalists
is comprised of seven
quarterbacks and two
running backs.
Five of
the finalists helped
lead their teams into
the NCAA Division II
playoffs this season
and one of this
weekend's second round
playoff matchups will
have Hill finalists
facing each other.
Advancing from Super
Regional 1 are senior
quarterback Zach
Amedro of West
Liberty (W.V.)
University and
freshman running back
Franklyn Quiteh
of Bloomsburg (Pa.)
University.
Super
Regional 2 is
represented by
sophomore quarterbacks
Bo Cordell of
the Tusculum (Tenn.)
University and senior
quarterback Nick
Hardesty of
Henderson State (Ark.)
University.
The top
vote getters in Super
Regional 3 were
Colorado School of
Mines junior
quarterback Clay
Garcia and
Michigan Technological
University senior
running back Phil
Milbrath.
Advancing from Super
Regional 4 are
Northwest Missouri
State senior
quarterback Blake
Bolles,
University of Central
Missouri senior
quarterback Eric
Czerniewski and
Abilene Christian
University sophomore
quarterback
Mitchell Gale. All
three of these
quarterback's teams
are still alive in the
playoffs and
Czerniewski and Gale
will face each other
in the second round of
the playoffs this
Saturday.
Amedro
is a finalist for the
second straight year.
He finished second in
the 2009 voting behind
Wayne State's Joique
Bell.
Four of
the nine finalists are
underclassmen and
include just the third
freshman finalist in
the award's 25-year
history.
National voting will
conclude on December
3 and the top
three finishers will
be invited to the
Shoals for the
presentation banquet.
The
winner of the 2010
award, which is
presented by the
National Harlon Hill
Award Committee, will
be announced at the
25th annual Harlon
Hill Trophy
Presentation Banquet
on Friday, December 17
at the Florence
Conference Center at
6:30 p.m. This year�s
Hill Trophy Banquet
will also include the
12th induction into
the Division II
Football Hall of Fame,
with Ken Sparks, Mel
Tjeerdsma and Bobby
Wallace becoming the
first coaches to be
inducted.
Tickets
are $50 each or $400
for a table of eight
and can be purchased
by calling the Shoals
Chamber of Commerce at
(256) 764-4661.
The
NCAA Division II
Championship Game is
scheduled for December
18 at Florence�s Braly
Municipal Stadium at
10 a.m.
The
Hill Trophy is
sponsored by the
City of Florence, Ala.,
Florence-Lauderdale
Tourism,
Opti-Net, the
Marriott Shoals Hotel
and Spa and
Herff Jones.
There
were 31 candidates
initially nominated by
the sports information
directors at their
respective schools and
those nominations were
then reviewed by the
Hill Regional Advisory
Committees, which
trimmed the list of
candidates.
Amedro, a senior
from Moundsville,
W.V., was also a Hil
finalist in 2009. He
is now the leading
passer in NCAA
Division II history,
setting career records
with 14,733 passing
yards, 1,079 pass
completions , 334.8
passing yards per
game, 30 300-yard
passing games, 29
300-yard total offense
games ; 13 consecutive
300-yard passing games
and 13 consecutive
300-yard total offense
games. This season he
has averaged 3.8
touchdown passes per
game this season, with
38 in 10 games. He
completed 329-of-485
passes for 4,058
yards.
Bolles, a senior
from Lincoln, Neb.,
ranks among the most
efficient passers in
Division II history.
He is Northwest
Missouri's all-time
leader in passing
yards (7,921) and
passing touchdowns
(72) and has
quarterbacked the
Bearcats to a 10-1
record and into the
second round of the
playoffs. He has
helped lead Northwest
to an MIAA-record 46
straight conference
victories. He has
almost 8,000 career
passing yards and has
thrown 72 TD passes.
Cordell, a
sophomore from
Cincinnati, Ohio, is
the 2010 South
Atlantic Conference
Offensive Player of
the Year and was a
first-team All-South
Atlantic Conference
pick. He leads the
NCAA Division II in
passing, throwing for
a school and SAC
record 4,657 yards.
That is the third
highest total in NCAA
Division II history.
He threw for 38
touchdowns this season
and his 394
completions rank
second best in
Division II history.
Czerniewski, a
senior from Montgomery
City, Mo., is the 2010
Mid-America Athletic
Association Offensive
Player of the Year and
the first-team
All-MIAA quarterback.
He is the nation�s
fourth-ranked passer
with 4,518 yards and
38 touchdown passes
and has completed 68
percent of his passes.
He has led Central
Missouri to a 10-2
record and into the
second round of the
playoffs. This season,
he has thrown for more
than 300 yards 10
times, and more than
260 yards in every
game. He is ranked
first in MIAA history
with 12,158 passing
yards and became the
league's total offense
leader with 12,284
yards. He also has 99
career TD passes.
Gale, a sophomore
from Alva, Okla, is
third in the nation in
passing efficiency
(167.3) and 17th in
total offense per game
(300.6 yards per
game). He also leads
the nation in
touchdown-to-interception
ratio with 33
touchdown passes
against just two
interceptions. He led
the Wildcats � ranked
No. 2 in the country
and No. 1 in Super
Region Four � to the
first 11-0 regular
season in program
history and the team's
second Lone Star
Conference
championship in the
last three seasons. He
will also lead Abilene
Christian into the
second round of the
playoffs this weekend.
Garcia, a junior
from Alamosa, Colo.,
led Colorado School of
Mines to a share of
the Rocky Mountain
Athletic Conference
Championship and was a
first-team All-RMAC
selection. He threw
for 300-or-more yards
in eight of his team's
12 games and had three
400+ yard passing
games. He threw three
or more TD passes in
nine of 12 games and
ranks third nationally
in TD passes with 39.
He led his team to the
first round of the
NCAA playoffs as well.
Hardesty, a
senior from Salina,
Kan., is the 2010 Gulf
South Conference
Offensive Player of
the Year and set set
school records during
the season. He threw
for 4,007 yards for an
average of 368.3 yards
per game. He also had
30 TD passes. Hardesty
had eight games with
300 or more yards
passing.
Milbrath, a
senior from Norway,
Mich., is the 2010
Great Lakes
Intercollegiate
Athletic Conference
Offensive Back of the
Year. He had eight
100-yard rushing
games, including two
250-yard rushing
games. He rushed for
293 yards and two
touchdowns against
then No. 1 ranked
Grand Valley State in
an upset win. He
finished the regular
season ranked second
nationally in rushing
at 141 yards per game,
fifth nationally in
all-purpose yards with
178.7 and eight in
scoring at 9.6.
Quiteh, a
freshman from
Tobyhanna., leads
Division II in rushing
yards per game with
156.9 yards per game.
His single season
total of 1,883 yards,
which is second most
in all of college
football this season,
is third best in
school history behind
former Harlon Hill
finalist Jamar
Brittingham and former
Harlon Hill winner Irv
Sigler. He needs just
117 yards to become
just the third
freshman in D-II
history to top 2,000
yard rushing in a
season. He has scored
21 touchdowns on the
season and has also
rushed for more than
100 yards in 11 of 12
games. He also has
three games with more
than 200 yards. Quiteh
was named the PSAC
East Freshman of the
Year and first team
All-PSAC East.
The
initial Harlon Hill
Trophy was won by
North Dakota State
quarterback Jeff
Bentrim in 1986,
followed by Texas
A&M-Kingsville running
back Johnny Bailey -
in 1987, 1988 and
1989. Another North
Dakota State
quarterback, Chris
Simdorn, claimed the
1990 award, followed
by Pittsburg State
receiver Ronnie West
in 1991, Pittsburg
State running back
Ronald Moore in 1992,
New Haven running back
Roger Graham in 1993
and Valdosta State
University quarterback
Chris Hatcher in 1994.
North Alabama
linebacker Ronald
McKinnon became the
first defensive player
to win the award when
he claimed the Hill
Trophy in 1995. Truman
State University
running back Jarrett
Anderson won the 1996
award and Bloomsburg
University running
back Irvin Sigler
claimed the Hill
Trophy in 1997 award.
Running back Brian
Shay of Emporia State
won in 1998, followed
by Northern Colorado
quarterback Corte
McGuffey in 1999 and
Valdosta State
quarterback Dusty
Bonner in 2000 and
2001, and Grand Valley
State quarterback Curt
Anes in 2002. The
2003 trophy was
awarded to North
Alabama quarterback
Will Hall, and Chad
Friehauf of the
Colorado School of
Mines won the 2004
award. Terwilliger
claimed the 2005 Hill
Trophy as a junior.
Chadron State's Danny
Woodhead won the Hill
Trophy in 2006 and
2007, joining Bailey
and Bonner as the only
multiple winners of
the award. Abilene
Christian's Bernard
Scott won the 23rd
Hill Trophy and last
year Wayne State's
(Mich.) Joique Bell
became the award's
24th winner.
2010 HARLON HILL
TROPHY FINALISTS
Pos.Ht Wt Cl School
Hometown
Zach Amedro
QB 6-0 200 SR West
Liberty Moundsville,
W.V.
Blake Bolles
QB 6-4 210 SR NW
Missouri State
Lincoln, Neb.
Bo Cordell
QB 6-1 195 SO
Tusculum Cincinnati,
Ohio
Eric Czerniewski QB
6-0 190 SR Central
Missouri Montgomery
City, Mo.
Mitchell Gale
QB 6-2 220 SO Abilene
Christian Alva, Okla.
Clay Garcia
QB 6-0 200 JR
Colorado-Mines
Alamosa, Colo.
Nick Hardesty
QB 6-0 210 SR
Henderson State
Salina, Kansas
Phil Milbrath
RB 5-9 200 SR Michigan
Tech Norway, Mich.
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TWENTY FOUR CANDIDATES
VIE FOR HILL TROPHY AS 2010 NCAA
DIVISION II FOOTBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Release in PDF Format FLORENCE - Ala. -- A total of 24
candidates are in the running for the 2010 Harlon Hill
Trophy as the NCAA Division II College Football Player of the Year.
The list of candidates was announced Thursday by the
National Harlon Hill Award Committee. The list includes six players
from each of Division II�s four Super Regionals. Players are nominated and voted
on by the sports information directors at the 148 NCAA
Division II football-playing institutions. The 24 initial candidates will
be placed on regional ballots and the top two players from
each of the four NCAA regions will advance to the national
ballot when regional voting concludes on November 19.
The winner of the 2010 award, which is presented by the
National Harlon Hill Award Committee, will be announced at
the 25th Annual Harlon Hill Trophy Presentation Banquet on
Friday, December 17 at the Marriott Shoals
Conference Center at 6:30 p.m. This year�s Hill Trophy
Banquet will also include the 12th induction into the
Division II Football Hall of Fame, with Ken Sparks, Mel
Tjeerdsma and Bobby Wallace becoming the first coaches to
be inducted.
Tickets are $50 each or $400 for
a table of eight and can be purchased by calling the
Shoals Chamber of Commerce at (256) 764- 4661. The NCAA Division II
Championship Game is scheduled for December 18 at
Florence�s Braly Municipal Stadium at 10 a.m. The Hill Trophy is sponsored by
the City of Florence, Ala.,
Florence-Lauderdale Tourism, Opti-Net,
the Marriott Shoals Hotel and Spa
and Herff Jones.
There
were 31 candidates initially nominated by the sports
information directors at their respective schools and
those nominations were then reviewed by the Hill
Regional Advisory Committees, which trimmed the list
of candidates.
Among the 2010 candidates are
three players who were also candidates a year ago. West
Liberty University quarterback
Zach Amedro was a national finalist in 2009 and
Mars Hill College running back Jonas Randolph and Southwest
Baptist University quarterback Steve Gachette were
regional candidates last season.
The
group of 24 candidates includes 15 quarterbacks, seven
running backs, one receiver and one linebacker. There are 13
seniors, six juniors, three sophomores and two freshmen. Among the players vying for the
2010 award from the Super Regional 1 are Amedro,
a senior quarterback from West Liberty
(W.V.) University, senior linebacker Matthew Freed
of East Stroudsburg State (Pa.) University,
sophomore quarterback Kevin Morton of
Kutztown (Pa.) University, senior quarterback Josh Portis of
California University, Pennsylvania, freshman running back
Franklyn Quiteh of Bloomsburg (Pa.) University
and senior tailback Walter Sanders of St.
Augustine�s College.
Candidates from Super Regional 2
are sophomore quarterback Bo Cordell of
Tusculum (Tenn.) College, junior quarterback
Cody Haffly of Wingate (N.C.) University.
senior quarterback Nick Hardesty of Henderson State (Ark.)
University, junior quarterback Stanley Jennings
of Albany State (Ga.) University, junior running back
Jonas Randolph of Mars Hill (N.C.)
College and senior quarterback Deon Williams
of the University of West Alabama.
Super
Regional 3 is represented by junior quarterback
Clay Garcia of Colorado School of Mines, senior wide receiver
Kyle Kaiser of the University of
Nebraska-Kearney, junior tailback Jesse Lewis
of Colorado State
University-Pueblo, senior running back Phil
Milbrath of Michigan Tech University, junior running back Josh Renel
of Wayne State (Mich.) University and senior quarterback
Troy Weatherhead of Hillsdale (Mich.) College.
Selected from Super Regional 4 are freshman running back Josh
Birmingham of the University of Central Oklahoma, senior
quarterback Blake Bolles of Northwest
Missouri State University, senior quarterback Eric
Czerniewski of the University of Central
Missouri, senior quarterback Steve Gachette of Southwest Baptist University,
sophomore quarterback Mitchell Gale of
Abilene Christian University and senior quarterback
Taylor Harris of West Texas A&M University.
*
* * North Dakota State quarterback
Jeff Bentrim won the initial Hill Trophy in 1986, followed
by three-time winner - Texas A&I (now Texas
A&M-Kingsville) running back Johnny Bailey - in 1987, 1988
and 1989. Another North Dakota State
quarterback, Chris Simdorn, claimed the 1990 award,
followed by Pittsburg State receiver Ronnie West in 1991,
Pittsburg State running back Ronald Moore in 1992, New
Haven running back Roger Graham in 1993, Valdosta State
quarterback Chris Hatcher in 1994. North Alabama
linebacker Ronald McKinnon became the first and so far
only defensive player to win the award in 1995,
followed by Truman State running back Jarrett Anderson in
1996, Bloomsburg University running back Irvin Sigler in
1997, Emporia State running back Brian Shay in 1998 and
Northern Colorado quarterback Corte McGuffey in 1999. The award had its second
two-time winner when Valdosta State quarterback Dusty
Bonner claimed the Hill Trophy in 2000 and 2001. Grand Valley State quarterback
Curt Anes won the Hill Trophy in 2002, followed by North
Alabama quarterback Will Hall in 2003, Colorado School of
Mines quarterback Chad Friehauf in 2004 and East
Stroudsburg�s Jimmy Terwilliger in 2005. The last four
Hill Trophies have been won by running backs, beginning
with Chadron State�s Danny Woodhead in 2006 and 2007.
Abilene Christian�s Bernard Scott won in 2008 and Wayne
State (Mich.) running back Joique Bell was the 2009
winner. 2010 Harlon
Hill Trophy Candidates SUPER REGIONAL 1
Pos. Ht Wt Cl
School
Hometown Zach Amedro
QB 6-0 200 SR
West Liberty
Moundsville, W.V. Matthew Freed
OLB 6-0 215 SR
East Stroudsburg Souderton, Pa. Kevin Morton
QB 6-1 190 SO
Kutztown
Abington, Pa. Josh Portis
QB 6-4 205 SR
California (PA)
Woodland Hills, Calif. Franklyn Quiteh
RB 5-10 197 FR
Bloomsburg
Tobyhanna, Pa. Walter Sanders
TB 5-11 215 SR
Saint Augustine�s
Baltimore, Md.
SUPER REGIONAL 2
Pos. Ht Wt
Cl School
Hometown Bo Cordell
QB 6-1 195
SO Tusculum
Cincinnati, Ohio Cody Haffly
QB 6-1 210
JR Wingate
Locust Grove, Ga. Nick Hardesty
QB 6-0 210
SR Henderson State Salina, Kansas Stanley Jennings
QB 6-2 235
JR Albany State
Marietta, Ga. Jonas Randolph
RB 5-10 185
JR Mars Hill
Daleville, Ala. Deon Williams
QB 5-11 224
SR West Alabama Tuscaloosa,
Ala.
SUPER REGIONAL 3
Pos. Ht Wt Cl
School
Hometown Clay Garcia
QB 6-0 200 JR
Colorado-Mines
Alamosa, Colo. Kyle Kaiser
WR 6-0 175 SR
Nebraska-Kearney Broomfield, Colo. Jesse Lewis
TB 5-6 178 JR
Colorado-Pueblo Loveland,
Colo. Phil Milbrath
RB 5-9 200 SR
Michigan Tech
Norway, Mich. Josh Renel
RB 5-8 187 JR
Wayne State (Mich.) Rochester Hills, Mich. Troy Weatherhead
QB 6-3 223 SR
Hillsdale
Grand Rapids, Mich.
SUPER REGIONAL 4
Pos. Ht Wt
Cl School
Hometown Josh Birmingham
RB 5-8 185
FR Central Oklahoma Luther,
Okla. Blake Bolles
QB 6-4 210
SR NW Missouri State Lincoln, Neb. Eric Czerniewski
QB 6-0 190
SR Central Missouri
Montgomery City, Mo. Steve Gachette
QB 6-1 187
SR Southwest Baptist
Lehigh Acres, Fla. Mitchell Gale
QB 6-2 220
SO Abilene Christian
Alva, Okla. Taylor Harris
QB 6-3 220
SR West Texas A&M
Whitesboro, Texas
�Copyright 2004;
All Rights Reserved
National Harlon Hill Awards Committee
Florence, AL 35361 U.S.A.
