FLORENCE, Ala. – Abilene Christian University sophomore quarterback Mitchell Gale is among nine regional finalists in 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 two of them – ACU's Gale and University of Central Missouri's Eric Czerniewski – face each other in a second-round game Saturday in Abilene.
• Zach Amedro, senior QB, West Liberty (W.V.) University
• Blake Bolles, senior QB, Northwest Missouri State
• Bo Cordell, sophomore QB, Tusculum (Tenn.) University
• Eric Czerniewski, senior QB, University of Central Missouri
• Clay Garcia, junior QB, Colorado School of Mines
• Nick Hardesty, senior QB, Henderson State (Ark.) University
• Phil Milbrath, senior RB, Michigan Technological University
• Franklyn Quiteh, freshman RB, Bloomsburg (Pa.) University
Gale 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 ACU history and the team's second Lone Star Conference championship in the last three seasons. He was recently named first team all-LSC South Division quarterback and Offensive Back of the Year.
“Mitchell really committed himself, starting last January, to be the best player he could be,” said ACU head coach Chris Thomsen. “He didn't know how that would turn out, but he has displayed great commitment, and it's nice to see it rewarded in this way.”
Gale is the fourth Wildcat to be named a Harlon Hill finalist, joining quarterback Rex Lamberti (1993), and running back Bernard Scott (2007 and 2008). Scott won the Hill trophy in 2008, becoming the first LSC student-athlete to do so since the late Johnny Bailey of Texas A&M-Kingsville won it a record three straight times (1987-89).
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 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. 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.
For more information about the award and its nine finalists for 2010, visit www.harlonhill.com
For ticket information for Saturday's ACU-UCM noon game in Shotwell Stadium, visit acusports.com or call 325-674-CATS.
