Press Release

Dec. 18, 2010

Bolles finishes third in Harlon Hill balloting

Official release (.pdf.)

MARYVILLE, Mo.-Northwest Missouri State senior quarterback Blake Bolles finished third in the balloting for the Harlon Hill Award presented annually to the top player in Division II football. It's the highest finish for a Bearcat in program history.

Central Missouri senior quarterback Eric Czerniewski claimed the trophy during a ceremony Friday in Florence, Ala., that also included the induction of Northwest head football coach Mel Tjeerdsma into the Division II Football Hall of Fame.

Czerniewski edged out West Liberty senior quarterback Zach Amedro in the closest voting in the 25-year history of the award. Cznerniewski received 35 first-place votes and earned 164 points. Amedro received 34 first-place votes and 158 points.

Six sports information directors had Bolles as their top choice out of 101 total ballots cast. Close to 50 SIDs, nearly one-third of the contingency, chose not to cast a ballot.

Bolles is the third player in program history to earn a spot on the final ballot and the first to be invited to the Harlon Hill banquet. The leading passer in program history, Bolles threw for 3,846 yards and 30 touchdowns, completing 63 percent of his 459 pass attempts. He also rushed for 248 yards and five scores.

For his career, Bolles ranks among the most efficient passers in Division II history. His 8,668 career passing yards and 79 career touchdown passes are program records. He helped lead Northwest to an MIAA-record 46 straight conference victories. Bolles was 26-3 as a starting quarterback including a 7-1 mark in the NCAA playoffs.