Football Lands Four on NJCAA All-American Teams

CONTACT: Adam Sopris, a.sopris@hvcc.edu; (518) 416-2137 or (518) 629-7898
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Tuesday, December 17, 2024

Four Hudson Valley Community College football student-athletes garnered 2024 NJCAA Division III Football All-America honors, as announced by the NJCAA Football Committee on Tuesday, December 17.

All four Vikings earned second-team All-American recognition following a historic season. The football program finished with an 8-2 record, the best since 2014, and was nationally ranked for a majority of the 2024 season.

Cameron Harbaugh (Mountville, PA / Hempfield), Micah Gates (Lancaster, PA / Hempfield), and Benjamin Kilgore (Milford, NH / Milford) were named to the second-team offense, while Alexander Hedhili (Kent, CT / Housatonic Valley) earned second-team defense recognition.

Harbaugh ranked near the top of every passing category as he led the Vikings' offense to new heights this season. Individually, Cam had a record-setting year, establishing several program records, including most touchdown passes in a single season (24) and career (37). He also set a single-season record with 2,188 passing yards and finished with a program-best 3,485 career passing yards.

Gates quickly became the top target for Harbaugh and the offense. Micah led the team in receptions (33), yards (678), and touchdowns (7) while averaging 20.5 yards per catch— the second-best mark in program history.

Kilgore helped revive the Vikings' offensive line, the lifeblood of a successful offense. Kilgore was the Vikings' top-ranked offensive lineman, anchoring a group that included two other NJCAA All-American nominees, Kenny Spates and Jahmeir Wright. Together, they helped the team finish with 1,280 rushing yards and a 4.5 yards-per-carry average. The offensive line also provided excellent pass protection for Harbaugh and the quarterbacks, leading to the team averaging 35.4 points per game—the program's highest since 2015, when the team averaged 35.0 points per game.

Hedhili was the Vikings' top-ranked pass-rusher, leading the team with 8.0 sacks, which ranked fifth in the NJCAA. He played a pivotal role in the Vikings' dominant defense, which was the top-ranked unit in NJCAA Division III. As a team, the defense led the nation in points allowed (12.5 per game) and ranked second in defensive yards allowed (182 yards per game). The defense also recorded 29 sacks, ranking fourth in the NJCAA, and finished third nationally with 15 interceptions.