Southlake’s Kenny Hill wins Gatorade Texas Football Player of the Year

By Chris Doelle
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Updated: November 29, 2012

SOUTHLAKE CARROLL HIGH SCHOOL STANDOUT NAMED GATORADE® TEXAS FOOTBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR

CHICAGO (November 29, 2012) — In its 28th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with USA TODAY High School Sports, today announced Kenny Hill of Southlake Carroll High School as its 2012-13 Gatorade Texas Football Player of the Year. Hill is the second Gatorade Texas Football Player of the Year to be chosen from Southlake Carroll High School.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Hill as Texas’s best high school football player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Football Player of the Year award announced in December, Hill joins an elite alumni association of past state award-winners in 12 sports, including Mark Sanchez (2004-05, Mission Viejo HS, Calif.), Wes Welker (1999-00, Heritage Hall HS, Okla.), Terrell Suggs (1999-00, Hamilton HS, Ariz.), Anquan Boldin (1998-99, Pahokee HS, Fla.) and Jerome Bettis (1989-90, Mackenzie HS, Mich.).

The 6-foot-2, 210-pound senior quarterback led the Dragons to an 11-1 record this season entering the Class 5A Division 1 regional finals, scheduled for November 30. A returning Honorable Mention All-American as named by Sports Illustrated, Hill completed 170-of-248 passes (69 percent) for 2,918 yards and 26 touchdowns against just two interceptions through 12 games. Also the returning Dallas Morning News Offensive Player of the Year, Hill has rushed for 1,192 yards and 28 scores on 119 carries. As a junior, Hill completed 19-of-24 passes for 229 yards and two touchdowns in addition to rushing for 117 yards and two scores on 24 carries in a 36-29 victory against Fort Bend Hightower High in the 2011 Class 5A Division I state championship game.

Also a baseball standout, Hill has maintained a 3.38 GPA in the classroom. He has volunteered locally on behalf of his school’s peer leadership program, the Young Men’s Service League, the Special Olympics and Play it Forward, which provides sports equipment to disadvantaged youth.

“Kenny Hill exemplified the characteristics of what makes Texas high school football special,” said Scot Hafley, head coach of rival Haltom High. “He was more than just a great athlete. He displayed tremendous leadership on the field. His poise and self-confidence were evident with the way he handled himself and encouraged those around him to play hard on every snap.”

Hill has verbally committed to play football on an athletic scholarship at Texas A&M beginning in the fall of 2013.

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade high school sports leadership team in partnership with USA TODAY High School Sports, which work with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.

Hill joins recent Gatorade Texas Football Players of the Year Johnathan Gray (2011-12, 2010-11, Aledo High School), Scotty Young (2009-10, Billy Ryan), Garrett Gilbert (2008-09, Lake Travis High School) and Riley Dodge (2007-08, Southlake Carroll) among the state’s list of former award winners.