FLORENCE, Ala.
-- University of North Alabama senior
quarterback A.J. Milwee is one of eight
finalists still in the running for the
Harlon Hill Trophy as the NCAA Division II
College Football Player of the Year.
A field of 24
candidates has been trimmed to eight
national finalists in regional voting by the
NCAA Division II sports information
directors. The finalists are now on a
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 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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Scott, a senior from Vernon, Texas, averaged
169.5 yards rushing per game this season and
ranked second nationally in rushing at the
end of the regular season. He scored 20
touchdowns this season on the ground and
will help lead Abilene Christian against
West Texas A&M in the second round of the
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.
The initial Harlon Hill Trophy was won by
North Dakota State quarterback Jeff Bentrim
in 1986, followed by Texas A&M-Kingsville
runningback Johnny Bailey - in 1987, 1988
and 1989.
Another North
Dakota State quarterback, Chris Simdorn,
claimed the 1990 award, followed by
Pittsburg State receiver Ronnie West in
1991, Pittsburg State running back Ronald
Moore in 1992, New Haven running back Roger
Graham in 1993 and Valdosta State University
quarterback Chris Hatcher in 1994. North
Alabama linebacker Ronald McKinnon became
the first defensive player to win the award
when he claimed the Hill Trophy in 1995.
Truman State
University running back Jarrett Anderson won
the 1996 award and Bloomsburg University
running back Irvin Sigler claimed the Hill
Trophy in 1997 award. Running back Brian
Shay of Emporia State won in 1998, followed
by Northern Colorado quarterback Corte
McGuffey in 1999 and Valdosta State
quarterback Dusty Bonner in 2000 and 2001,
and Grand Valley State quarterback Curt Anes
in 2002. The 2003 trophy was awarded to
North Alabama quarterback Will Hall, and
Chad Friehauf of the Colorado School of
Mines won the 2004 award. Terwilliger
claimed the 2005 Hill Trophy as a junior.
2008 HARLON HILL TROPHY FINALISTS
Finalist Pos Ht
Wt Cl School Hometown
Trevor Harris QB 6-3 210 JR Edinboro Waldo,
Ohio
Brad Iciek QB 6-1 195 JR Grand Valley State
Grandville, Michigan
A.J. Milwee QB 5-10185 SR North Alabama
Boaz, Alabama
Mike Reilly QB 6-3 212 SR Central Washington
Kalispell, Montana
Corey Russell QB 6-4 190 SR Tusculum
Speedwell, Tennessee
Ted Schlafke QB 6-0 185 SR Minnesota-Duluth
Stevens Point, Wisconsin
Bernard Scott RB 5-11200 SR Abilene
Christian Vernon, Texas
Michael Washington WR 6-0 190 SR West
Chester Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
