Missouri Western senior running back Michael Hill has been named one of the eight finalists for the 2012 Harlon Hill Trophy as the NCAA Division II Player of the Year. The eight have been trimmed from a field of 24 candidates after regional voting. Two players from each of the four regions made it into the top eight. The other player out of Region 3 is Henderson State quarterback Kevin Rodgers.
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 155 of the division’s SIDs will select the award’s 27th winner. The top two players from each of Division II’s Super Regions advanced to the national ballot.
The list of 2012 finalists is comprised of four quarterbacks, three running backs and one receiver. Six of the finalists helped lead their teams into the NCAA Division II playoffs this season and two of this weekend’s second round playoff matchups will have Hill finalists facing each other.
Advancing from Super Region 1 are junior running back Franklyn Quiteh of Bloomsburg University (Pa.) and junior quarterback Zach Zulli of Shippensburg University (Pa.).
Super Region 2 is represented by senior wide receiver Chris Bowden of Wingate University (N.C.) and senior tailback Derrick Washington of Tuskegee University (Ala.).
Advancing from Super Region 4 are senior quarterback Taylor Housewright of Ashland University (Ohio) and junior quarterback Dustin Vaughan of West Texas A&M University. They will also face off Saturday in the Division II playoffs.
The winner of the 2012 award, which is presented by the National Harlon Hill Award Committee, will be announced at the 27th annual Harlon Hill Trophy Presentation Banquet on Friday, December 14 at the Marriott Shoals Conference Center at 6:30 p.m. This year’s Hill Trophy Banquet will also include the 14th 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 15 at Florence’s Braly Municipal Stadium at noon. 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.
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 an 11-1 record, an MIAA championship and into the second round of the Division II playoffs. He rushed for 187 yards on 24 carries last weekend in leading the Griffons to a three-overtime win over Minnesota-Duluth in an opening round playoff game and now has 1,996 rushing yards on 269 carries this season. He has carried the ball 269 times and averages 7.4 yards per carry and 166.3 yards per game. He has added 16 pass receptions for 186 yards and three scores.
Presently this campaign Hill has been the Griffons work horse…Hill has rushed for over 100 yards in 11 of the Griffons 12 games which includes rushing for over 150 yards eight times and 200 twice…He was the MIAA Offensive Player of the Year and First Team All-MIAA…he has helped the Griffons to an 11-1 record which most victories in a season for the Griffons…He has also helped the Griffons to their first ever playoff victory last weekend over Minnesota-Duluth 59-57 in triple overtime…he had a career high 259 yards and three touchdowns in a 56-28 victory over Washburn…has helped the Griffons win five straight games against top-25 opponents…helped the Griffons open up 6-0 for the first time ever under head coach Jerry Partridge and the first time since 1981…helped the Griffons win two straight road games against teams that were ranked in the top-25 for the first time ever…beat #7 Pittsburg State 63-14 and #15 Emporia State 57-28…Hill had four touchdowns against Pittsburg State and two against Emporia State…the Griffons secured a school record 11 victories this season and nine or more for the seventh time in ten years…rushed for a career long 92 yard touchdown against William Jewell College…has had a rush for over 20 yards in 11 of the Griffons 12 games this season…had 183 yards in the first half against Emporia State…has rushed for over 180 yards six times and has had over 200 all purpose yards five times…has 1,996 yards rushing this season…would be only the 7th player ever in the MIAA to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season.
Leads the MIAA and is 2nd in the nation averaging 166.3 rushing yards per game…is second in the MIAA and tied for 22nd in the nation in scoring average at 9.0 points per game…has scored the most touchdowns in the MIAA with 15…is second in the MIAA and 8th in the nation averaging 181.8 yards per game…has helped the Griffons as a team rush for a league leading 282.2 yards per game which is also 7th in the nation…has helped the Griffons score 43.9 points per game which is 6th n the nation and first in the MIAA…rushed for or caught a touchdown in nine games this season…on the verge of setting records for most points scored in a season and career, most touchdowns scored in a season and career, most rushing attempts in a season and most rushing touchdowns in a season and career…his 166.3 yards per game is the best by a Griffon in a single season and he has set the record for most 100-yards rushing games in a career with 19…He has rushed for over 100 yards 11 times this season which ties the record for most in a season…Hill leads the MIAA in rushing, scoring, touchdowns scored and is second in all-purpose yards.
MWSU’s all-time leader in rushing with 4,797 career yards…he is the Griffons leader in all-purpose yards with 5,645…he has the record for most carries in a career with 886 and most carries in a game with 41…helped the Griffons break the single game yards per rush average of 9.7…the old record was 7.8…his 18 touchdowns this season ties a record for most in a single season…has 15 rushing touchdowns and is two away from tying the single season record…has 43 total touchdowns and is three away from tying the school record in a career…his 34 rushing touchdowns ties the record for most rushing touchdowns in a career…is averaging 166.3 yards per game which is a single season record if it holds up…is four points away from breaking the single season record for points in a season…had a career high four touchdowns against Pittsburg State this season which is one off the record for a single game…has the second and third highest mark for rushing yards in a game with 259 against Washburn in 2012 and 246 against Southwest Baptist in 2011…holds the record for most rushing yards in a season, currently has 1,996 and has the highest rushing average in a season at 7.4…is 27 carries away for getting the most carries in a season..2012: MIAA Offensive Player of the Year and First Team All-MIAA running back. 2011 Award List • MIAA Offensive Player of the Week on October 31, 2011 • First Team all-MIAA • Second Team Daktronics Super Region Four • Second Team Don Hansen Super Region Four • Honorable Mention Don Hansen all-American • Honorable Mention Beyond Sports Network all-American 2010 Awards honorable mention All-MIAA
Has helped the Griffons break the school record for highest average per rush in a game…MWSU averaged 9.7 against William Jewell which broke the old mark of 7.8…has helped the Griffons average 282.2 yards per game which would be a team record…the old record is 269.5 which was set in 1989…has helped the Griffon offense set records for Most Points Scored (527), Highest Scoring Average (43.9), Most Touchdown Scored (71), Most First Downs (284), Most Yards Gained (5,740), Most Yards Total Offense Per Game (478.3), Most Yards Gained Rushing (3,641), Most Rushing Yards Net (3,386), Most Rushing Yards Gained Per Game (282.2), Highest Rushing Average Per Carry (6.4) and Highest Completion Percentage in a Season (65-percent)….the Griffons have won nine or more games in seven of the last 10 seasons…the 11 victories is a single season record…helped the Griffons to three NCAA Division II Playoff Appearances and a Mineral Water Bowl appearance.
Fall 2008- MWSU Dean List ! for (3.5-3.99 GPA) Spring 2009 – MWUU Athletic Director Honor Roll (3.0-3.49 GPA) Spring 2012 – MWSU Athletic Director Honor Roll (3.0-3.49 GPA)
The Griffons will play in the second round of the Division II Playoffs on Saturday, Novmeber 24 against the Henderson State Reddies in Arkadelphia, Ark. Game time is scheduled for 12:00 pm.
— MWSU Sports Information —