FLORENCE – 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 14, three players have received invitations to attend the 27th Annual Harlon Hill Trophy Presentation Banquet for the naming of the top player in Division II.
Senior running back Michael Hill of Missouri Western State University, junior running back Franklyn Quiteh of Bloomsburg University (Pa.) and junior quarterback Zach Zulli of ShippensburgUniversity (Pa.) have emerged as the top three vote-getters from a field of eight finalists in voting by the sports information directors at the 169 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 2012 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 November 29 and the top three finishers are invited to the Shoals for the presentation banquet. The winner of the 2012 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 14 in Florence, prior to the NCAA Division II Football Championship Game on Dec. 15. The banquet will include the induction of two of the division’s all-time greats into the Division II Football Hall of Fame as former Kutztown University linebacker John Mobley and former Fort Valley State University (Ga.) defensive back Tyrone Poole comprise the Hall’s Class of 2012.
Jonas Randolph 2011 Harlan Hill Award Recipient
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.
Hill, from St. Joseph, Mo., is the 2012 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Offensive Player of the Year after helping lead Missouri Western to a 12-1 record, an MIAA championship and into the quarterfinal of the Division II playoffs where the Griffons face Minnesota State-Mankato Saturday. Hill has carried the ball 282 times this season for 2,065 yards and 16 touchdowns. He averages 7.32 yards per carry and 176.75 yards per game. He currently ranks second in Division II in rushing, fifth in all-purpose yards (188.92) and 15th in scoring (9.50). He rushed for at least 116 yards in all 12 games that he played in this season
Quiteh, from Tobyhanna, Pa., leads Division II in rushing this season with an average of 176.8 yards per game. He has carried the ball 287 times for 2,121 yards and 24 touchdowns and has averaged 7.4 yards per carry. He rushed for more than 100 yards in every game in 2012 and has a current streak of 17 straight games with 100 yards or more. He rushed for more than 200 yards four times this season and his career numbers stand at 5,328 yards rushing with 58 touchdowns. A first-team All-PSAC selection for the third straight year, Quiteh helped lead Bloomsburg to a 10-2 record this fall and into the NCAA Division II playoffs.
Zulli, from Schwenksville, Pa., is the 2012 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East Division Offensive Player of the Year and led Shippensburg to an 11-2 record and to the second round of the NCAA playoffs. He set NCAA Division II record for points responsible for in a season (336) and touchdowns responsible for in a season (56). He also tied a Division II record with 54 touchdown passes. He threw for 4,747 yards and 54 touchdowns while completing 62.8 percent of his passes and throwing just 10 interceptions in 544 pass attempts this season. He leads Division II in points responsible for with 344 or 26.46 points per game. He ranks fourth in Division II in passing yards per game (365.15), third in total offense (382.38), fifth in pass efficiency (165.25) and ninth in completions per game (26.31)
Other finalists for the 2012 award were senior wide receiver Chris Bowden of Wingate University (N.C.), senior quarterback Taylor Housewright of Ashland University (Ohio), sophomore quarterback Kevin Rodgers of Henderson State University (Ark.), junior quarterback Dustin Vaughan of West Texas A&M University. and senior tailback Derrick Washington of Tuskegee University (Ala.).
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Jeff Bentrim in 1986
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 ofEmporia 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, followed by running back Joique Bell of Wayne State (Mich.) in 2009, Central Missouri quarterback Eric Czerniewski in 2010 and Mars Hill running back Jonas Randolph in 2011.
