Wayne State (Mich.) University senior running back Joique Bell claimed the Harlon Hill Trophy Friday as the 2009 Division II College Football Player of the Year. Bell received 138 total points and held a commanding 42-point margin in the voting. West Liberty (W.V.) University junior quarterback Zach Amedro finished second in the voting with 96 total points and Arkansas Tech University senior quarterback Nick Graziano was third with 59 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 24th 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.

Bell, a senior from Benton Harbor, Mich., received 31 first-place votes in the balloting to 16 for Amedro. With Bell’s selection, it marks the fourth straight year that the Hill Trophy has gone to a running back, after a streak of seven straight wins by quarterbacks from 1999 to 2005. At the conclusion of the Division II regular season, Bell led all four NCAA divisions in rushing yards per game (189.45), scoring (17.5 points per game) and all-purpose yards (217.5 per game). He is the 2009 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year as voted by the league’s coaches. He is also a four-time first-team All-GLIAC selection and finished his career with 6,728 career rushing yards, sixth best in Division II history and eighth best in NCAA history for all divisions.

Bell rushed for 2,084 yards, the 15th-best mark in NCAA Division II history, and scored 29 touchdowns. He also caught 23 passes for 293 yards and three scores. He was named GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week four times in 2009 and eight times in his career. His 152.91 rushing yards per game (for 44 games) is 11th best in Division II history and 25th in NCAA history. Bell scored 576 points in his career which ranks fourth in DII and fifth in NCAA history, while his 13.1 points per game average is fourth in DII and 10th in NCAA history. His 8,055 all-purpose yards is fourth in Division II and ninth in NCAA history. He is just the fourth player in Division II history with two 2,000-yard rushing seasons (Abilene Christian’s Bernard Scott in 2007-08; Emporia State’s Brian Shay in 1996-98; and C.W. Post’s Ian Smart in 2001-02). Bell rushed for 2,065 yards as a freshman to eclipse Johnny Bailey’s freshman rushing mark. In addition to his individual records, WSU had its best four-year win total since the class of 1978.

Following Bell, Amedro and Graziano in the voting were junior running back Isaac Odim of Minnesota- Duluth (57), senior quarterback Brad Iciek of Grand Valley State (57), senior quarterback Harrison Beck of North Alabama (46), junior quarterback Zack Eskridge of Midwestern State (29), senior running back LaRon
Council of Northwest Missouri State (19) and senior quarterback Trevor Harris of Edinboro (14).

FULL STORY

–Courtesy Harlon Hill Trophy Committee

And while his and the Wildcats’ goal of winning the national championship was put to an end in the quarterfinal round by Northwest Missouri State, Scott’s goal of winning the Harlon Hill Trophy was realized Friday night when he was named the 19th winner of the award at the 23rd annual awards dinner at the Florence Convention Center.

Scott beat out a pair of record-setting quarterbacks in Central Washington’s Mike Reilly and North Alabama’s A.J. Milwee. The three finalists in 2008 made up one of the most-decorated and most talented trios of finalists in the award’s history. Scott had a 168 point margin of victory in the voting with 253 points. Reilly and Milwee tied for second with 85 apiece. The 253 points is the third-highest point total in the history of the award.

In just two seasons as a Wildcat, Scott rushed for 4,321 to become the school’s all-time career rushing leader. He topped the 2,000-yard mark twice, becoming the only player in LSC history to put together multiple 2,000-yard rushing seasons. His 63 rushing touchdowns are second in ACU history, and his 73 total touchdowns are second in both ACU and LSC history.

This season he rushed for 2,156 yards (second in LSC and ACU single-season history behind his 2,165 yards in 2007) and 28 touchdowns and caught 47 passes for 826 yards and another six touchdowns. He led NCAA Division II in points per game (17.0) and all-purpose yards (256.8 yards per game) and was second in rushing, averaging 179.7 yards per game.

FULL STORY

–Courtesy ACU Athletics

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 154 of the division’s SIDs will select the award’s 23rd winner.

The top two players from each of Division II’s Super Regionals advanced to the national ballot.

The list of 2008 finalists is comprised of six quarterbacks, a running back and a wide receiver. Seven of the finalists helped lead their teams into the NCAA Division II playoffs this season and three of the eight finalists were also Hill finalists in 2007.

Advancing from Super Regional 1 are junior quarterback Trevor Harris of Edinboro (Pa.) University and senior wide receiver Michael Washington of West Chester (Pa.) University. Super Regional 2 is represented by senior quarterbacks A.J. Milwee of the University of North Alabama and Corey Russell of Tusculum (Tenn.) College. The top vote getters in Super Regional 3 were Grand Valley State (Mich.) University junior quarterback Brad Iciek and University of Minnesota-Duluth senior quarterback Ted Schlafke. Advancing from Super Regional 4 are Central Washington University senior quarterback Mike Reilly and Abilene Christian (Texas) University senior running back Bernard Scott.

Scott finished second in the 2007 Hill race while Iciek was seventh and Milwee ninth.

National voting will conclude on November 29 and the top three finishers will be invited to the Shoals for the presentation banquet. The winner of the 2008 award, which is presented by the National Harlon Hill Award Committee, will be announced at the 23rd annual Harlon Hill Trophy Presentation Banquet on Friday, December 12 at the Florence Conference Center at 6:30 p.m. This year’s Hill Trophy Banquet will also include the tenth induction into the Division II Football Hall of Fame.

FULL STORY

–Courtesy Harlon Hill Trophy Committee

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 154 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 14.

The winner of the 2008 award, which is presented by the National Harlon Hill Award Committee, will be announced at the 23rd annual Harlon Hill Trophy Presentation Banquet on Friday, December 12 at the Florence Conference Center at 6:30 p.m. This year’s Hill Trophy Banquet will also include the tenth induction into the Division II Football Hall of Fame.

FULL STORY

–Courtesy Harlon Hill Award Committee

1. Bernard Scott (Abilene Christian) – held well below his all-purpose running and rushing averages but did score three touchdowns. He had 116 yards rushing and 52 yards receiving. His stock isn’t up or down, but with one week left he will need a more impressive showing against another strong rushing defense to make this the slam-dunk it has seemed.

2. David Knighton (Harding) – had another great week keeping on pace of his nation-leading production in passing and total offense. He was 39-74-0 for 384 yards and 2 TD’s. This is a big jump in his power rating even as his Bisons lost a shootout with Henderson State by 2 points an are now 2-8 on the season.

3. Keith Null (West Texas A&M) – was held substantially off his averages of leading the nation in passing yards per game and being second in total offense and passing. He was 19-26-0 for 261 yards and will face a much tougher defense next week. Yet he did pass for 4 touchdowns and his Buffalos are 9-1 and highly ranked. His stock fell but has potential to rebound.

4. Jerry Seymour (Glenville State) – was above his nation-leading average in rushing and Top 10 average in scoring. He rushed for 244 yards and scored two touchdowns. He now has 2045 yards rushing for the season and his Pioneers are now 7-3 and tied for first place in the WVIAC. With another good showing, he could jump into the group of three invited to Florence for the trophy ceremony.

5. Billy Malone (Abilene Christian) – was held out of the game for the second week in a row due to injury. His chances for this trophy are waning until he can add to his stats. If he is out again next week, he will not be one of the finalists.

Super Regional 1:

Jerry Seymour (Sr./RB), Glenville State, leads the nation in rushing (1801 yards, 15 TD’s, 200.11 yards per game) and is second in all-purpose running with 208.89 yards per game. He is ranked tenth in the nation in scoring by averaging 10 points per game (90 in 9 games). His team is tied for the WVIAC lead and is 6-3 overall.

Rob Parent (Soph./QB), American International, is fifth in the nation in Passing Efficiency (125-196-6 [63.78%] with 1803 yards, 25 TD’s, 177 Rating). His team leads the Northeast-10 and is ranked in the Top 25 with an undefeated 8-0 record.

Super Regional 2:

Scott Buisson (Soph./QB), Arkansas-Monticello, is third in the nation in Total Offense with 3429 yards in 9 games (381 yards per game). He is 174-285-8 with 22 TD’s passing and 1073 net yards rushing with 11 TD’s. He in the only QB in the top-ranked rushers in thirteenth place and his Boll Weevils are 7-2 and ranked in the Top 25.

David Knighton (Sr./QB), Harding, leads the nation in Total Offense with 3559 yards in 9 games (395.4 yards per game) and in passing by averaging 32 completions per game. Second in the nation in total passing yards with 3450 and passing yards per game (383.33). Yet the Bisons are having a tough season with a 2-7 record.

AJ Milwee (Sr./QB), North Alabama, is fourth in the nation in Pass Efficiency (152-221-3 [68.78%] for 2218 yards, 19 TD’s, 178.7 Rating). His Lions are ranked in the Top 10 with a record of 8-1.

Super Regional 3:

Brad Iciek (Jr./QB), Grand Valley State, is third in the nation in Passing Efficiency (98-157-3 [62.42%] for 1612 yards in 8 games, 25 TD’s, 197.4 Rating). The Lakes are undefeated at 8-0 and are top-ranked nationally.

Ted Schlafke (Sr./QB), University of Minnesota-Duluth, is second in the nation in Passing Efficiency (137-192-5 [71.35%] for 2068 yards, 25 TD’s, 199.6 Rating). His Bulldogs are undefeated and ranked in the Top 10.

Johnny Spevak (Sr./WR), Central Washington, is second in nation in receptions per game (8.22) and receiving yards per game (132.44). He has 1192 total reception yards and 13 TD’s. His team is 8-1 and ranked in the Top 10.

Super Regional 4:

Bernard Scott (Sr./RB), Abilene Christian, leads the nation in all-purpose running with 246.63 yards per game and scoring by averaging 15.75 points per game (126 in 8 games). He is second in the nation in rushing (1378 yards, 16 TD’s, 172.25 yards per game). His team is undefeated and ranked second in the nation.

Billy Malone (Sr./QB), Abilene Christian, leads the nation in Passing Efficiency (127-191-5 [66.49%] for 2299 yards, 24 TD’s, 203.8 Rating). He is eighth in the nation in Total Offense with 2286 yards in 7 games (326.6 yards per game) and averages 11.32 yards per play. His Wildcats are undefeated and ranked second in the nation.

Keith Null (Sr./QB), West Texas A&M, leads the nation in total passing yards with 3551 and passing yards per game (394.56). He is second in the nation in Total Offense with 3453 yards in 9 games (383.7 yards per game) and in passing by averaging 29.78 completions per game. His Buffalos are 8-1 and ranked in the Top 10.

D2 Sports Talk
Harlon Hill Trophy
POWER RATING:

1. Bernard Scott – Currently in the lead, it will be a tough task to remain in this position as the Wildcats finish out their season against two nationally ranked rushing defenses. Texas A&M Kingsville is ranked sixth in rushing defense, while Midwestern State is ranked twelvth.

2. Billy Malone – May have the advantage to move ahead of his team mate as the remaining two defenses that are top ranked in defending the rush are ranked out of the top 100 teams in defending the pass.

3. Keith Null – In position to make a run for the award as his team faces Northeastern State who is ranked out of the top 100 in total defense, yet could his numbers could be tested against Tarleton State who’s defense is ranked in the Top 25.

4. David Knighton – Faces and uphill battle mainly because of his team’s losing record and being the underdog in the Bisons final two games.

5. Jerry Seymour – Will need record performances in the final two Pioneer games to move up and contend for the trophy.