FLORENCE, Ala. -- Abilene Christian University running back
Bernard Scott, the runner-up last year for the Harlon Hill Trophy as the NCAA Division II Player of the Year, is one of eight national finalists for this year's award.
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.
Scott, a senior from Vernon, is averaging 169.5 yards rushing per game this season and ranks second nationally in rushing at the end of the regular season. He has scored 20 touchdowns this season on the ground and will lead the Wildcats against West Texas A&M in Saturday's second round of the playoffs.
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 4 are Central Washington University senior quarterback Mike Reilly and Scott. Advancing from Super Regional One are junior quarterback Trevor Harris of Edinboro (Pa.) University and senior wide receiver Michael Washington of West Chester (Pa.) University.
Super Regional Two is respresented 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 Icie and University of Minnesota-Duluth senior quarterback Ted Schlafke.
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 Florence, Ala., 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, Dec. 12, at the Florence Conference Center at 6:30 p.m.
This year's Hill Trophy Banquet will also include the 10th induction 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 the Shoals Chamber of Commerce at (256) 764-4661. The NCAA Division II Championship Game is scheduled for December 13 at Florence's Braly Municipal Stadium at noon.
There were 32 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.
Harris, a junior from Waldo, Ohio, threw for 2,780 yards and 26 touchdowns in the regular season and is 12th nationally in passing efficiency and 17th in total offense.
Iciek, a junior from Grandville, Michigan, finished the regular season as the second highest rated passer in Division II and has thrown for 1,190 yards and 29 TDs so far in 2008. Grand Valley State had a first round playoff bye and will host Ashland in the second round.
Milwee, a senior from Boaz, Ala., has a 31-4 record as a starter at North Alabama and finished the regular season with 2,728 passing yards and 23 TDs. He is the fourth rated passer in Division II. UNA had a bye in the opening round of the Division II playoffs and hosts Valdosta State Saturday.
Reilly, a senior from Kalispell, Montana, is ranked sixth in Division II in passing and threw for 3,286 yards and 32 TDs in the regular season. His season ended Saturday when Central Washington lost to West Texas A&M in the first round of the Division II playoffs.
Russell, a senior Speedwell, Tenn., led Tusculum to a come-from-behind win over Albany State in the opening round of the Division II playoffs. In the regular season he threw for 3,513 yards and 36 touchdowns and accounted for 375 yards of total offense per game.
Schlafke, a senior from Stevens Point, Wisc., finished the regular season as the third rated passer in Division II with 2,452 passing yards and 28 touchdowns. He will lead Minnesota-Duluth against Chadron State in the second round of the NCAA playoffs.
Washington, a senior from Philadelphia, Pa., caught 54 passes for 1,045 yards and 13 touchdowns in the regular season. He is just the third player at any level of college football to register 1,000 receiving yards in all four years of his career He helped West Chester down Southern Connecticut State in the first round of the playoffs and the Rams face Bloomsburg this Saturday.
