Steel Valley’s Hill preparing to lead Ironmen to another title
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Thursday, July 5, 2018 | 4:45 PM
The Tribune-Review and the TribLive High School Sports Network are profiling each member of the 25-player Trib HSSN Preseason WPIAL Football All-Star team.
The players will be recognized at 2 p.m. July 24 during HSSN Media Day at Kennywood Park.
Todd Hill started for Steel Valley’s WPIAL and PIAA championship football team as a sophomore, so he knows the feeling of reaching the pinnacle of Pennsylvania high school football. And he wants to get there again before he leaves.
“I want to win a WPIAL championship myself,” Hill said. “I want it my senior year, so I’m working to get to there.”
The expectations remain high for the Ironmen, even with a roster younger than the juggernaut that enacted the mercy rule over all of its opponents in winning the state Class 2A title in 2016.
Hill said Steel Valley began working out in January and really never stopped.
“Our team’s really young, so we’re trying to get everything settled,” he said. “But we’re doing pretty good. Everything’s going pretty well. We’re going day by day.”
A four-year starter and leading tackler, Hill especially thrives in stopping the run for Steel Valley. He racked up double-digit tackles in every game last season as Steel Valley reached the WPIAL title game before falling to Washington.
“I feel I can lead pretty well,” Hill said. “I can make tackles in the open (field), and I feel I read plays pretty well. I watch a lot of film to know how everything’s working.”
Hill is focusing this summer on becoming more efficient both on offense and defense. He attended camps at Kent State, Pitt and Youngstown State and has visits planned to Delaware and Howard.
Although he doesn’t have an official commitment timetable, Hill would prefer to lock down his decision early in the season.
“I feel like (my career’s) gone pretty well, but I’m still not where I want to be,” he said. “I want to be at the top, so I’m still working. Since my freshman year, nothing’s changed.”
Doug Gulasy is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at dgulasy@tribweb.com or via Twitter @dgulasy_Trib.
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