9 Harlon Hill Finalists Named

[KleShreen]

https://greatamericanconference.com/...-the-year.aspx

The top two players from the four Super Regions advanced to the national ballot. A tie in Super Region #3 resulted in three finalists coming from the region. Seven quarterbacks, one running back and one defensive back comprised the list of 2023 finalists.

Michael Herzog, a senior running back from Hillsdale College, and Brayden Long, a junior quarterback from Slippery Rock, advanced from Super Region #1.

Two quarterbacks that met in the second round of the playoffs on Saturday - Delta State’s Patrick Shegog and Valdosta State’s Sammy Edwards - moved on from Super Region #2.

From Super Region #3, Central Missouri junior quarterback Zach Zebrowski, Emporia State senior quarterback Braden Gleason and Southern Nazarene senior quarterback Gage Porter earned spots on the national ballot.

Colorado School of Mines senior quarterback John Matocha, the 2022 Harlon Hill recipient, and Central Washington safety Tanner Volk garnered the two finalist slots from Super Region #4. Matocha can become fifth player to win multiple Harlon Hill awards and the first since Ferris State’s Jason Vander Laan won in 2014 and 2015.

Six of the nine finalists guided their teams into the 2023 NCAA Division II playoffs and four - Edwards, Long, Matocha and Volk - will compete in this weekend’s quarterfinal matchups.

The winner of the 2023 award will be announced on Friday, December 15 and the winner will be honored at the Little Rock Touchdown Club awards banquet on Friday, January 12, 2024.

The Hill Trophy is named for the late Harlon Hill - the former University of North Alabama standout - who excelled with the Lions from 1950-53 before going on to fame in the National Football League with the Chicago Bears.

My predictions weren't too bad. Got 5 correct out of 8/9. Very surprised that Terrell and Butler-Lawson were not finalists. This is what I posted when the initial semifinalists were announced:

SR1: Chavon Wright, Brayden Long (Collier/Herzog/Lawrence/Miller-Garrett/Lupoli would be better options, but Long will advance because of his team success, I think)
SR2: Jordan Terrell, Patrick Shegog
SR3: Zach Zebrowski, Gage Porter
SR4: John Matocha, Shen Butler-Lawson

This *should* be Zebrowski's award. If it isn't, it would be mind-boggling. He had arguably the best passing season in Division II history, and he did it in arguably the best conference in the country. He set the Division II record for touchdown passes in a season, and came one game short of setting the Division II record for passing yards in a season.

[Redwing]

Let the debate begin. I'm pretty OK with the list. Still I, and I suspect most, don't know how/why one votes as they do on these. I suppose it's mostly on stats, but still. Here's a question that I'm too lazy to look up: I wonder how many of these finalists have major awards from their respective conferences... i.e, player of the year, O player or the year, D player of the year, etc? Alternatively, I wonder how many conf. Players of the year weren't even nominated. It would seem that maybe it would be a good data point in that the conference SHOULD know their players as good as anyone. And yes, nationally one could value the conference play as they see fit.

[CalifOKRA]

Let the debate begin. I'm pretty OK with the list. Still, I and I suspect most, don't know how/why one votes as they do on these. I suppose it's mostly on stats, but still. Here's a question that I'm too lazy to look up: I wonder how many of these finalists have major awards from their respective conferences... i.e, player of the year, O player or the year, D player of the year, etc. Alternatively, I wonder how many conf. Players of the year weren't even nominated. It would seem that maybe it would be a good data point in that the conference SHOULD know their players as good as anyone. And yes, nationally one could value the conference play as they see fit.

Shegog was the GSC Offensive Player of the Year.
Last night he also won the Conerly Trophy, which is awarded to the best college player in Mississippi. Previous winners of the award include Deuce McAllister, Eli Manning, Patrick Willis, Dak Prescott, and AJ Brown.

[Fightingscot82]

Brayden Long doesn't always impress on tape but his stats are very good. 68% completion rate, 40 TD and 5 INT is pretty damn good. They're just not gonzo stats we're used to for Harlon Hill QBs. Once you get to this level you need gonzo stats. I'll be honest, he's not even their best player (I think its WR Kyle Sheets).

[SW_Mustang]

If I had to guess, I'd say Matocha will win it this year again. Just a hunch more than anything.

[KleShreen]

If I had to guess, I'd say Matocha will win it this year again. Just a hunch more than anything.

That would be a shame if he won it again, considering Zebrowski has 1600 more passing yards, 200 more rushing yards, and 22 more touchdowns with the same number of interceptions, in a better conference.

[SW_Mustang]

That would be a shame if he won it again, considering Zebrowski has 1600 more passing yards, 200 more rushing yards, and 22 more touchdowns with the same number of interceptions, in a better conference.

Yeah. Agreed.

[Bearhof]

How many national championships has SR4 won in the last twenty years?

[Gorilla John 92]

How many national championships has SR4 won in the last twenty years?

I know Pueblo (RMAC) won in 2014 along with Texas A&M-Commerce (LSC) in 2017. Now were they in SR4 at the time...I believe so. The MIAA, old NCC/NSIC and the GLIAC have bounced back and forth from SR3 & SR4 and I don't know which region they were in over those years.

Beginning in 2000, 14 of the Champions have come the old NCC/NSIC (3), the MIAA (5) and GLIAC (6) which have fluctuated and not always been in separate regions. 6 champs came from the GSC and 1 each for the RMAC and LSC. Finishing 2nd: SR 1 - PSAC (2); from SR 2 - GSC (5); CIAA (1) and SAC (1), SR 3 or 4 (depending on the year) old NCC/NSIC (3). the MIAA (5); GLIAC (4); RMAC (1)

[Gorilla John 92]

Zebrowski should win the award IMO. HOWEVER, given that there was a tie on SR3, did Zebrowski lose the votes needed to win. If the Mules would have won last weekend, big sigh...., he would have broken the all-time DII passing yards for a season by the 2010 winner Eric Czernewski. He was around 60 yards short of that mark. Not sure how the final vote is tallied, or if the final votes are in, but he is truly deserving of the award and I hope he doesn't lose out.

[KleShreen]

Zebrowski should win the award IMO. HOWEVER, given that there was a tie on SR3, did Zebrowski lose the votes needed to win. If the Mules would have won last weekend, big sigh...., he would have broken the all-time DII passing yards for a season by the 2010 winner Eric Czernewski. He was around 60 yards short of that mark. Not sure how the final vote is tallied, or if the final votes are in, but he is truly deserving of the award and I hope he doesn't lose out.

The NCAA record book says the single season passing yardage record belongs to Dustin Vaughan at 5,401 in 2013.

[Gorilla John 92]

The NCAA record book says the single season passing yardage record belongs to Dustin Vaughan at 5,401 in 2013.

Czernewski threw for 5207 for the Mules single season record. Zembrowski threw for 5157 thus the 60 short of the UCM record. I'm confident barring injury, if Zembrowski had played one more game he would have set the DII mark as well.

[KleShreen]

Czernewski threw for 5207 for the Mules single season record. Zembrowski threw for 5157 thus the 60 short of the UCM record. I'm confident barring injury, if Zembrowski had played one more game he would have set the DII mark as well.

You had said "all-time DII passing yards for a season" so I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page, haha.

[SW_Mustang]

I know Pueblo (RMAC) won in 2014 along with Texas A&M-Commerce (LSC) in 2017. Now were they in SR4 at the time...I believe so. The MIAA, old NCC/NSIC and the GLIAC have bounced back and forth from SR3 & SR4 and I don't know which region they were in over those years.

Beginning in 2000, 14 of the Champions have come the old NCC/NSIC (3), the MIAA (5) and GLIAC (6) which have fluctuated and not always been in separate regions. 6 champs came from the GSC and 1 each for the RMAC and LSC. Finishing 2nd: SR 1 - PSAC (2); from SR 2 - GSC (5); CIAA (1) and SAC (1), SR 3 or 4 (depending on the year) old NCC/NSIC (3). the MIAA (5); GLIAC (4); RMAC (1)

I started following the NSIC in 2013 and we were SR3 then. Probably doesn't help much but they switched several years later. 2018, maybe? I don't remember.

[IronOre]

Since all the offensive players are so close (relatively) in their stats, a defensive player should win the award.