WHEELING — As the numbers and awards have piled up, West Liberty’s Zach Amedro has remained humble. It’s never been, and never will be, about the 6-foot, 190-pound rising redshirt senior.
A John Marshall graduate and Moundsville native, Amedro helped the Hilltoppers reach national prominence this season as they advanced to the NCAA Division II national football quarterfinals.
Along the way, the quarterback put up some staggering numbers: 65.2 completion percentage, 4,945 yards, which is the second-highest total in D-II history, 49 touchdowns, which ranks fourth all-time in the same division, and he was the only quarterback in all NCAA divisions to eclipse 300 yards passing in every game.
Amedro ranked second in the country in yards per game (381.7), No. 3 in total offense (380.7) and No. 4 in passing efficiency (172.9) as he spearheaded West Liberty to a No. 9 national ranking, and a school-record 11-victory season on his way to being named West Virginia Conference Offensive Player of the Year, and the first-team quarterback on the prestigious Associated Press Little All-America team.
Those numbers allowed him to finish second in the voting for the Harlon Hill Trophy, which is the Division II equivalent of the Heisman Trophy.
He finished second that day, but there’s nobody better today.
Amedro has been selected as the 76th winner of the Hardman Award, given annually to the top amateur athlete in the state of West Virginia. It’s the oldest award handed out by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association.
Amedro becomes the first West Liberty athlete so honored, and is the 13th honoree from the WVIAC — the first since Glenville State receiver Chris George, who won the award in 1994. He also breaks a six-year stranglehold by West Virginia University athletes, which saw linebacker Grant Wiley (2003), wrestler Greg Jones (2004, 2005) and quarterback Patrick White (2006-2008) win consecutively.
