Football | 12/19/2024 4:40:00 PM
Cortland senior quarterback Zac Boyes (Buffalo, NY/Kenmore West) has been announced as one of five finalists for the 31st Gagliardi Trophy, presented by Stearns Bank and the J-Club of Saint John's University (Minn.). The award (pronounced Gah-LAR-dee) is presented to the most outstanding football player in NCAA Division III.
Boyes is joined on the list of finalists by last year's winner, North Central (Ill.) senior quarterback Luke Lehnen, along with Illinois College senior quarterback Destin Chance, St. John's senior quarterback Aaron Syverson and Carnegie Mellon graduate student linebacker Robert Coury.
The finalists were announced by Pat Coleman and Frank Rossi during a live show on D3football.com on Thursday, Dec. 19. The 2024 Gagliardi Trophy winner will be revealed on D3football.com during the week of the NCAA Division III football national championship on the evening of Friday, Jan. 3. In the lead up to the announcement of the winner, D3football.com will provide updates on the specific timing of the announcement.
Boyes is Cortland's third Gagliardi Trophy finalist. The previous two - quarterback Dan Pitcher in 2011 and defensive lineman Adam Haas in 2006 - were considered finalists under a previous format where 10 players were recognized with that title. Boyes is the first Cortland player to advance to a dedicated "finalists" ceremony where the winner is announced.
Earlier this month Boyes was one of 18 semifinalists chosen for the award, marking the second straight season he earned that status. All five of this year's finalists were semifinalists last year, but Lehnen is the lone returning finalist.
The Gagliardi Trophy, given annually since 1993 (except for 2020), recognizes excellence in athletics, academics and community service. The award is named after John Gagliardi, legendary Hall of Fame head football coach at Saint John's who passed away in 2018 at age 91. He retired in 2012 with 489 career victories, the most in college football history.
The 42-member Gagliardi Trophy national selection committee includes Division III coaches, administrators, notable regional voters, and national voters with Division III backgrounds. Fan balloting, which ran through Dec. 13, accounted for one collective "43rd" ballot.
Boyes completed 204-of-305 passes (66.9 percent) for 2,957 yards and 28 touchdowns, a 176.7 passing efficiency rating and only three interceptions in 12 games. He also ran 105 times for 509 yards and seven touchdowns. Boyes passed for 414 yards and two touchdowns at Brockport, 373 yards and four touchdowns versus St. John Fisher and 325 yards and a score in the NCAA third round against Springfield. He also ran for 132 yards and a TD against Ithaca and 97 yards and two scores at Susquehanna.
Boyes completed his Cortland career with 45 games played, including starts in all 38 games over the past three seasons. He completed 657-of-957 passes (68.7 percent) for 10,028 yards and 101 touchdowns with 19 interceptions (only eight combined in 2023 and 2024) and he rushed 339 times for 1,785 yards and 20 touchdowns. He is Cortland's career leader in numerous categories, including pass completions, passing yards, passing touchdowns, 300-yard passing games (12) and rushing yards by a quarterback. He attempted 291 straight passes without an interception overlapping the 2023 and 2024 seasons, breaking his own school record of 194 straight attempts from the 2023 season.
Boyes is a physical education major at Cortland with a 3.27 cumulative grade point average entering the 2024 fall semester. A three-year team captain, Boyes has volunteered this fall working with at-risk middle school students at Cortland Junior High School. He's a four-year member of Cortland's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, has served as a volunteer coach at youth football camps in his hometown, and has led various community service projects for the football program at Cortland.
Cortland finished the season 11-1 overall. The Red Dragons were 10-0 in the regular season for just the third time in school history (1988 and 2021 previously) and, after earning a bye in the 40-team NCAA Division III playoffs, defeated Endicott in the second round before losing to Springfield in the third round to tie for ninth place. The 2023 national champion, Cortland had a 23-game winning streak snapped in the loss to Springfield.
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