CLARION, Pa. – Two-time All-PSAC West selection Zack Morris added another honor to his mantle this season, as the junior offensive lineman was named a Don Hansen Football Gazette All-Super Region 1 selection for the second straight year.
(Photo courtesy of Clarion University Athletics)
Morris was a Second Team All-PSAC West selection in 2017 while arguably taking on a more difficult role than he did a year before when he was a First Team selection. He flipped between guard and center in 2017, leading the way for a young Golden Eagle offensive cast. He helped pave the way for freshman Mylique McGriff, who took over starting running back duties midway through the year and averaged 153.2 combined rushing and receiving yards per game over the last five contests of the year. Clarion ranked 10th in rushing offense in conference games this year and continued to improve as the season went on.
Last year Morris earned First Team All-PSAC West Honors as well as Second Team All-Super Region 1 honors. He was one of only two Clarion offensive linemen to start and play every game that year and followed that up with another such performance in 2017.
SLIPPERY ROCK’S MARTIN NAMED DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
2017 Harlon Hill Trophy runner-up Marc Jones (RB – Jr. Gannon) was named Super Region 1 “Offensive Player of the Year”, while Harlon Hill third-place finisher Marcus Martin (DE- Sr. Slippery Rock) was selected as the Region “Defensive Player of the Year for the third straight season.” Deonte Harris (WR/RS – Assumption) was chosen as the as the “Special Teams Player of the Year”, Bentley receiver Austin Ryan was selected as “Freshman of the Year” and IUP head coach Paul Tortorella was named Super Region 1 Coach of the Year honor.
Jones, a junior at Gannon, was the Don Hansen “Offensive Player of the Year”. He posted 2,176 rushing yards, 29 rushing touchdowns, 24 catches for 288 yards and two touchdowns, 186 total points and 2,464 all-purpose yards. In the regular season (not including bowl games), Jones led the NCAA in rushing yards per game, and all of D-2 in rushing yards, Per Carry (8.09), overall touchdowns (31), rushing touchdowns (24), and ppg (16.9).
Martin, the three-time (2017, 2016 & 2015) Don Hansen Defensive Player of the Year and the 2014 Freshman of the Year, posted 82 tackles and led the nation in sacks (15.5 and tackles for loss (26.5). The Slippery Rock senior shattered the NCAA all-division record for career tackles for a loss with 92.5 while setting the sack record with 56.0. He will play in the East-West Shrine Game on Jan. 20.
Harris, an exciting return specialist and receiver, earned his “Special Teams Player of the Year” with an incredible 2017 season. The Assumption junior had 18 punt returns for 473 yards and five touchdowns, including an average of 26.3 yards per return. He also returned 15 kickoffs for 642 yards (42.8 per return) and three touchdowns – giving him eight return touchdowns in a single season, an NCAA D-II record. Also adding 61 catches for 810 yards and eight touchdowns, he helped Assumption to the NCAA quarterfinals and a season record of 11-2.
Ryan, a freshman receiver at Bentley, led all NE 10 receivers with 1,237 yards and 16 touchdowns on only 49 receptions. He averaged 25.2 yards per catch.
Tortorella, in his first season as head football coach at IUP, led the Crimson Hawks to the PSAC and PSAC-West titles and advanced to the NCAA Division II semifinals before losing to West Florida. IUP posted a remarkable season record of 13-1. IUP finished the season ranked third in the final NCAA Division II poll. Tortorella was IUP’s defensive coordinator for 22 seasons before being named the head coach for the 2017 season.
The Don Hansen team carries out the legacy of long-time small college football advocate Don Hansen, who passed away at age 75 on Aug. 29, 2010. Hansen, from Brookfield, Ill., started and published Don Hansen’s National Weekly Football Gazette for three decades, selecting NCAA Division II All-America teams for the first time in 1988. Don Hansen’s FB Gazette began selecting Division II All-Region squads in 2003.
The first-team and second-team All-Region selections advance to a national ballot from which the 2017 Don Hansen NCAA Division II All-America team will be named later this month.
IUP and Shepherd led first-team selections with 6, while Assumption posted 5 and Findlay had four. Edinboro, Ohio Dominican, Slippery Rock, California and West Chester had two each, while Gannon, Bentley, LIU-Post, Bloomsburg, Millersville and Shippensburg had one each.
IUP led the overall team with 10 selections, Shepherd and Assumption had 9 each, Findlay and Ohio Dominican posted 8 choices, California, Shippensburg and LIU-Post had 7 and West Chester and Slippery Rock secured 6 each.
Super Region 1 is compiled of universities from four conferences including the PSAC, MEC, NE10 and the GMAC. A total of 40 teams and 145 players are represented on this team.
