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Zebrowski wins Harlon Hill Trophy

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WARRENSBURG — Central Missouri football’s coaching staff did not have much film.

But when Zach Zebrowski’s name hit the transfer portal from Southern Illinois University last April, the Mules opted to take a look and offer an opportunity.

Almost eight months later, he is the winner of the 2023 Harlon Hill Trophy – which is given to the most valuable player in NCAA Division II football.

“Obviously you can’t go into the season thinking ‘yeah, Harlon Hill’ or 'I didn't have a good year,'" Zebrowski said. “But as the season grew, I kind of felt the numbers we were putting up with wins, I think it kind of proved to myself I wasn’t delusional and I could do it.”

Having only played as a backup in six games over two years, becoming the best in DII required Zebrowski to earn his stripes with Central Missouri.

For Zebrowski, making Warrensburg his new home came down to facilities and the proximity to his family in Lawrence, Kansas.

From the Mules perspective, bringing in the Woodbury, Minnesota, native tied back to a prior relationship with co-offensive coordinator Joe Holtzclaw. Holtzclaw recruited Zebrowski out of East Ridge (MI) high school when he was an assistant at Winona State University.

“We were looking for another quarterback to add to our room, whether it be depth or a starting position,” Central Missouri head coach Josh Lamberson said. “Zach didn’t really have film, he didn’t really bring a lot of things to the table from a playing experience perspective. We brought Zach on campus and started to get to know Zach, who he was and the type of person that made Zach Zebrowski clinch. It was in those moments where we went ‘we’re not going to go wrong adding this person to our football team.’”

Zebrowski joined the Mules over the summer, and settled in with the program as it worked to install a new offense orchestrated by offensive coordinator Justin Bane.

“You can’t simulate the way Zach plays in practice,” Lamberson said. “Fall camp hits, Zach and another guy [Cedric Case] were competing for the starting job. In scrimmages, I never have my quarterbacks go live. Again, everybody who’s seen Zach play sees limiting him to that, it doesn’t look great. Zach’s ability to run around, make plays, keep his eyes down field and do some really special stuff, all of that entails not getting tackled.”

Central Missouri ultimately opted to stick with redshirt junior quarterback Cedric Case, who started for the Mules in 2023, in its opener against Missouri Western on Aug. 31. Come the first drive of the second quarter, it was Zebrowski’s time to prove himself.

What followed was 29-of-39 completions for 390 yards and five touchdowns in a 45-38 win.

“He goes in on the fourth series of the game and our entire team is different,” Lamberson said. “There’s a different pace, there’s a different tempo and there’s a different sense of fun with Zach Zebrowski in the game. His ability to impact those people around him, which I think is one of the greatest compliments you can give a person, he makes people around him better … We were like ‘oo, this might be a little bit different.’ He got the ball and he never gave it back.”

A week at a time, Zebrowski and the Mules offense began to catch eyes as the nation’s best.

He completed the year with Division II single season records of 61 passing touchdowns, 63 single season touchdowns, 5,690 total offensive yards and 380 points responsible for.

Along with the Harlon Hill, Zebrowski has been named as the MIAA Offensive Player of the Year and Division 2 Conference Commisioner’s Association Super Region III Player of the Year, D2CCA Ron Lenz Offensive Player of the Year.

Zebrowski has collected first team MIAA, first-team D2CCA All-Region, first team American Football Coaches Association All-American, first team Associated Press All-American and first team D2CCA All-American honors.

He also received a vote for the Heisman Trophy by Cedar Rapids Gazette sports columnist Mike Hlas.

Redshirt junior offensive lineman Gabe Clark and redshirt senior wide receiver Arkell Smith were also offensive All-Americans.

“It’s pretty crazy to think about (the offensive success),” Zebrowski said. “I was talking to my dad last night about some of our plays that we were just drawing up in the stands on the sideline. It just shows a lot about our team and the flexibility we have … On offense, the talent kind of overshadows the play calling and stuff sometimes. Coach Bane could put them anywhere on the field, tell them what to do and they’d do it to their best ability.”

Zebrowski’s highlight moment of the season arrived in a 77-27 win against then-No. 23 Emporia State on Oct. 21.

He completed 31-of-51 passes for a UCM and MIAA best 615 yards and eight touchdowns. Add in 66 rushing yards on nine carries, he finished the game with 673 yards.

“Coach [Hayden] Hawk being my quarterbacks coach I was watching film with him and Coach Bane, I was really close with those two,” Zebrowski said. “I think they do a really good job. They view the game a little differently in their minds. I think being able to get two different viewpoints on stuff and put their thoughts into one, it just helped me as a player on the field in making decisions.”

The MIAA co-champions, Central Missouri only had one blemish in the regular season, losing to Pittsburg State 38-37 following a failed two-point conversion in the final seconds on Sept. 16.

Their other loss arrived with a 35-34 downfall to Harding following a blocked PAT in the final seconds of the NCAA Division II Playoffs’ second round. The Bisons went on to win the national title with a 38-7 win against Colorado School of Mines on Saturday, Dec. 16.  

This was the fifth time Central Missouri has made the Division II playoffs in program history. UCM finished the season 11-2.

“Obviously the loss sucks with the way it ended,” Zebrowski said. “But looking back, seeing all the honors the guys are getting and seeing people graduating, it’s just really cool to see everyone and look back at the relationships we had. The stuff we had in the locker room, the funny stuff. It’s just really cool to see everyone kind of be happy for everyone and all of the awards we are getting.”

Zebrowski learned he won the Harlon Hill during a private viewing party on campus Friday, Dec. 15.

His mom, Heather Zebrowski, was on hand along with teammates, UCM coaches and administrators.

Zebrowski’s dad, Jim Zebrowski, was unable to physically make the viewing due to obligations as the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Kansas ahead of the Guaranteed Rate Bowl on Dec. 26.

He was still watching on the big screen at the Jayhawks' indoor practice facility. KU athletes celebrated with Jim Zebrowski when the announcement was made.  

“He’s a huge influence,” Zach Zebrowski said. “We’ve had some interviews and people have asked me what we’ve done. We didn’t throw a ton throwing up, but when he was at Minnesota I was always a ballboy, I was always on the sideline … Being around the game, you kind of fall in love with it. When I’m a little kid on the sideline in front of 60,000, nobody is watching me, but I feel like everybody is watching me. It was cool to just be a part of that college football atmosphere.”

Zebrowski is the second winner of the Harlon Hill Trophy in UCM history, joined by 2010 award winner Eric Czerniewski.

Central Missouri is the eighth school to have numerous winners since the award was founded in 1986.

Zebrowski received 200 points in the voting process, 31 ahead of Colorado School of Mines quarterback John Matocha, who won the award in 2022. It is voted upon by DII sports information directors.

As the recipient, Zebrowski will be honored during the Little Rock Touchdown Club Awards Banquet on Jan. 12, in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Zebrowski intends to return to the University of Central Missouri next year.

“What makes me so happy is seeing [my teammates] happy for me,” Zebrowski said. “It shows how tight our team was. They’re celebrating me, and I’m celebrating them. It’s just a really cool thing. Obviously we want to have a better year next year. It just sucks sometimes being with people three months then having to leave. I want to give a shoutout to everyone I played with for making it the best year of my life.”

Joe Andrews can be reached at 660-747-8123.


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