Thursday, December 3, 2015
PORTLAND, Ore. – The Great Northwest Athletic Conference’s Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Offensive Lineman of the Year lead five league selections to the D2CCA All-Super Region 3 Football Team.
Humboldt State sophomore running back Ja’Quan Gardner and sophomore offensive lineman Alex Cappa, along with Simon Fraser junior linebacker Jordan Herdman, were selected to the squad’s first team, which was announced on Dec. 2. Two more Humboldt State players, senior defensive lineman Dillon Huffman and junior safety Chris Hannible, were elected to the second team.
In addition to his GNAC and regional honors, Gardner is also a finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy, which is awarded to the NCAA Division II Football Player of the Year. The Ceres, Calif., native set a GNAC single season record with 2,266 rushing yards, a total which currently leads NCAA Division II. He also leads the nation with 25 rushing touchdowns and 188.8 rushing yards per game and is second in the nation with an average of 197.9 all-purpose yards per game. Gardner rushed for 200 or more yards in five games, topped by a 305-yard performance against Azusa Pacific on Oct. 10.
Cappa, who repeated as the GNAC Offensive Lineman of the Year, anchored a Humboldt State line that provided protection for a Lumberjacks’ offense that averaged 473.8 yards per game, 18th best in Division II. In the process, the Jacks allowed just 1.42 sacks per game, 38th best in the nation.
Herdman, a repeat selection as GNAC Defensive Player of the Year, led the conference and is ranked fifth in Division II with an average of eight tackles per game. He also led the league and is third nationally with eight solo tackles per game. Herdman collected 15 or more tackles in four of the Clan’s games. He fell one short of his own GNAC single game record with 26 tackles and set a record with 17 solo stops against Humboldt State on Oct. 31.
Huffman earned second team all-region honors after being recognized as the GNAC Defensive Lineman of the Year. The senior finished with 49 tackles, including a season-high 12 in the Lumberjacks’ playoff loss at Northwest Missouri State on Nov. 28, and helped anchor a defense that allowed 341.6 yards per game, 41st in Division II. Hannible was the GNAC’s Newcomer of the Year. The junior from Bakersfield (Calif.) College led the GNAC with six interceptions, which included a 76-yard return for a touchdown at Central Washington on Oct. 24.
Gardner, Cappa and Herdman will now move on to be considered for the D2CCA Division II All-America Team, which will be announced on Tues., Dec. 15.
The Division II Conference Commissioners Association encourages and promotes Division II athletics and high standards of sportsmanship as important elements of higher education. The CCA is a key communications link among the conferences as they discuss views, policies and regulations that impact Division II intercollegiate athletics and works closely with the NCAA as a communications channel to NCAA Division II member colleges and universities.