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Soltes (Player of the Year), Schnaars - All-Region 1st team


EAST STROUDSBURG - East Stroudsburg University redshirt senior quarterback Matt Soltes has been named one of eight national finalists for the 2015 Harlon Hill Trophy as the NCAA Division II College Football Player of the Year, it was announced Wednesday.

The finalists were selected by the NCAA DII sports information directors in regional voting and will now be placed on the national ballot, where all 168 of the division's SIDs will select the recipient of the 30th Harlon Hill Trophy. The top two finishers from each of DII's four Super Regions advanced to the national ballot.

Soltes is joined from Super Region 1 by Shepherd (W.V.) junior quarterback Jeff Ziemba. Representing SR2 are Carson-Newman (Tenn.) senior running back Damian Baker and North Alabama senior quarterback Luke Wingo. SR3 representatives are Humboldt State (Calif.) sophomore running back Ja'Quan Gardner and Emporia State (Kan.) senior quarterback Brent Wilson. Advancing from SR4 are Colorado State-Pueblo senior running back Cameron McDondle and Ferris State (Mich.) senior quarterback Jason Vander Laan, the 2014 recipient.

Soltes (Vernon, N.J./Vernon) completed one of the outstanding seasons and careers by a quarterback in PSAC and DII history this fall.

The PSAC East Offensive Athlete of the Year, Soltes finished the regular season as the DII leader in passing yards per game (354.5 ypg) and passing TD (41) and ranked 2nd in total offense per game (373.6 ypg), leading the PSAC in all three categories.

He was 277-for-486 for 3,900 yards, 41 TD and 11 interceptions and had 78 carries for 210 yards and a TD as a senior this season. He ranks 3rd in PSAC history in single-season passing yards per game and total offense per game, behind only ESU's Damian Poalucci in 1996 and Shippensburg's Zach Zulli, the Harlon Hill winner in 2012.

In his career, Soltes ranks 2nd in DII history in total offense per game (351.0) and 7th in passing yards per game (313.6), setting PSAC career records in both categories.

He is tied for 2nd in DII history in career TD passes (126) behind only ESU's Jimmy Terwilliger (148), and ranks 3rd in PSAC history in career TD responsible for (133).

He ranks 2nd in PSAC history in both career total offense (14,038 - 6th in DII history) and career passing yards (12,544 - 10th in DII history), trailing only Terwilliger in both categories. He is also 4th in PSAC history in career rushing yards by a quarterback (1,494).

Soltes holds five DII records - career TD passes per game (3.15), career games with 5+ TD passes (13), games with 500 yards total offense (6), games with 600 yards total offense (2) and is the 5th QB in DII history with 3,000 yards total offense in all four seasons of his career. He is the 4th DII QB to throw for 12,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in his career.

His career pass efficiency rating (158.2) ranks 1st among active DII QB's and 3rd in PSAC history. His career TD-to-interception ratio (126-33) ranks 5th in DII history among 25 QB's with 100 TD passes, and his career total yards per play (7.96) rank 5th among 23 QB's with 12,000 total yards.

This season, he led fourth-quarter comebacks in wins over Bloomsburg and Lock Haven and had 616 yards total offense (594 passing) and tied a PSAC record with 9 TD passes in a 69-67 (5OT) loss vs. Shippensburg. He finished the season with 461 yards total offense (435 passing) and 5 TD in a 49-37 win vs. Gannon, the PSAC West preseason favorite.

He had 8 games with 300 yards passing in 2015 (22 career), 4 games with 400 yards passing (10 career), 6 games with 300 yards total offense (24 career) and 5 games with 400 yards total offense (14 career). He played in 40 career games, including 37 starts.

Soltes helped redshirt senior wide receiver Jon Schnaars lead DII in receptions (114), yards (1,610) and TD (22) during the regular season, and redshirt junior tailback Robert Healy gained 1,641 yards from scrimmage and is the only NCAA football player with 750 yards both rushing (884) and receiving (757) this season.

Soltes gained 3,158 yards total offense as a redshirt freshman in 2012, including setting an NCAA all-division freshman record with 666 total yards (535 passing, 131 rushing) at LIU Post - one of two QB's in NCAA history to throw for 500 yards and rush for 100 in a single game.

He gained 3,716 total yards in 2013, ranking 11th in DII in total offense per game (337.8) and earning his first mention as a Harlon Hill candidate.

He gained 3,054 yards in eight starts (7.5 games) in 2014, missing the final 3.5 games due to injury. He earned his second mention as a Harlon Hill candidate, and his total offense per game (381.1) would have ranked 2nd in DII had he met the standard for games played.

Soltes is a three-time Harlon Hill candidate, joining Vander Laan (Ferris State) as the only active three-time candidates - and one of just 23 players to be named a candidate at least three times in the 30-year history of the award.

He is the fourth ESU player to be named a Harlon Hill finalist, joining quarterback Jimmy Terwilliger (5th in 2004, 1st in 2005, 4th in 2006), quarterback Damian Poalucci (3rd in 1997) and wide receiver/kick returner Dennis Mailhot (9th in 1989).

ESU has had eight players combine for 14 mentions as Harlon Hill candidates, including Terwilliger, a four-time candidate (2003-06) and the 2005 Harlon Hill Trophy recipient.

ESU has had a quarterback named Harlon Hill candidate in 11 of the last 22 years (since 1994), the most in DII - James Franklin (currently head coach at Penn State) in 1994, Damian Poalucci in 1996 (finished 3rd) and 1997, Terwilliger from 2003-06, Ray Wagner in 2011 and Soltes from 2013-15.

This year's list of nominees from Super Region 1 included Soltes, Ziemba, West Chester senior defensive end Andrew Cohen, Slippery Rock running back Shamar Greene, Clarion junior quarterback Connor Simmons, IUP freshman quarterback Lenny Williams, New Haven running back Andre Anderson and Charleston senior quarterback Jeremy Johnson.


Other Finalists

Jeff Ziemba (Jr. QB) has led Shepherd (W.V.) to an 11-0 record and into the quarterfinals of the NCAA DII Playoffs. He is 207-for-328 passing for 3,017 yards, 27 touchdowns and three interceptions. He is third nationally in pass efficiency (165.7) and 25th in passing yards per game (274.3).

Damian Baker (Sr. RB) averaged 116.9 yards rushing per game while leading Carson-Newman (Tenn.) to an 8-3 record and an NCAA Playoff appearance. He finished with 1,403 yards and 18 touchdowns on 196 carries.

Luke Wingo (Sr. QB) led North Alabama to a 9-3 record and the second round of the NCAA Playoffs. He is sixth nationally in pass efficiency (162.8) after going 231-for-343 for 3,203 yards and 25 touchdowns. He also rushed for eight touchdowns.

Ja'Quan Gardner (So. RB) leads DII in rushing yards per game (188.8) and is second in all-purpose yards per game (197.9) and scoring (12.5 ppg) for Humboldt State (Calif.). He has rushed for 2,266 yards and 25 touchdowns on 337 carries. He led Humboldt State to a 10-2 record and the second round of the NCAA Playoffs.

Brent Wilson (Sr. QB) has led Emporia State (Kan.) to an 11-2 record and the quarterfinals of the NCAA Playoffs. He is 11th nationally in passing yards per game (301.5) and total offense (347.7) and sixth in points responsible for per game (20.0). He is 314-for-483 for 3,920 yards and 39 touchdowns.

Cameron McDondle (Sr. RB) ranks second in DII in rushing yards per game (177.4), fourth in scoring (12.0 ppg) and fifth in all-purpose yards (183.8) for Colorado State-Pueblo. He has 2,129 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns on 284 carries while leading CSU-Pueblo to a 12-1 record and the quarterfinals of the NCAA Playoffs.

Jason Vander Laan (Sr. QB), the 2014 Harlon Hill Trophy winner, completed his senior season at Ferris State (Mich.) with 4,167 yards of total offense, rushing for 1,542 and passing for 2,625 yards. He ranks sixth nationally in total offense per game (347.3) and ninth in rushing (128.5). He rushed for 24 touchdowns and threw for 27 to rank second in DII in points responsible for per game (25.5). He was 210-for-320 passing with 24 TD and seven interceptions, and ranks ninth in pass efficiency (158.0).

National voting will conclude on December 12 and the winner will be announced on Friday, December 18 via a webcast at http://portal.stretchinternet.com/una/.

The winner will be honored at a luncheon on the University of North Alabama campus on January 8, 2016.

The PSAC has had four Harlon Hill Trophy recipients - Bloomsburg running back Irvin Sigler in 1997, ESU quarterback Jimmy Terwilliger in 2005, Shippensburg quarterback Zach Zulli in 2012 and Bloomsburg running back Franklyn Quiteh in 2013.

The Hill Trophy is sponsored by the City of Florence, Ala., Opti-Net, Herff Jones and the Marriott Shoals Hotel and Spa.
 
 
ESU Harlon Hill Trophy History

ESU has had 8 players combine for 14 total mentions on the list of Harlon Hill candidates. Soltes is the 4th ESU player to be named a finalist for the award

2015 - Matt Soltes (QB), Finalist
2014 - Matt Soltes (QB)
2013 - Matt Soltes (QB)
2011 - Ray Wagner (QB)
2010 - Matt Freed (OLB)
2006 - Jimmy Terwilliger (QB), 4th
2005 - Jimmy Terwilliger (QB), 1st
2004 - Jimmy Terwilliger (QB), 5th
2003 - Jimmy Terwilliger (QB)
1997 - Damian Poalucci (QB)
1996 - Damian Poalucci (QB), 3rd
1994 - James Franklin (QB)
1992 - Ed Detwiler (K/P)
1989 - Dennis Mailhot (WR/KR), 9th


2015 Harlon Hill Finalists

Super Region 1
Matt Soltes (QB, Sr., 6-3, 220) - East Stroudsburg - Vernon, N.J.
Jeff Ziemba (QB, Jr., 6-3, 210) - Shepherd - Newark, Del.

Super Region 2
Damian  Baker (RB, Sr., 5-8, 195) - Carson-Newman - Columbus, Miss.
Luke Wingo (QB, Sr., 6-2, 185) - North Alabama - Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Super Region 3
Ja'Quan Gardner (RB, So., 5-7, 190) - Humboldt State - Ceres, Calif.
Brent Wilson (QB, Sr., 6-0, 194) - Emporia State - Ponca City, Okla.

Super Region 4
Cameron McDondle (RB, Sr., 5-7, 202) - Colorado State-Pueblo - Littleton, Colo.
Jason Vander Laan (QB, Sr., 6-4, 244) - Ferris State - Frankfort, Ill.