King of the Hill

Central senior pursues championship in new home state

By Dan Wiederer November 1, 2000 STAFF WRITER On Friday night, Chris Hill experienced his first taste of playoff football in Illinois. And it's safe to say he's ready for seconds. The Naperville Central senior recorded a sack and was instrumental in stopping the run during the Redhawks' sound 36-6 thumping of visiting Fremd in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs. Hill's been through the postseason before, just not in Illinois. As a defensive lineman for Upper Arlington High School in Ohio last season, he was part of a team which finished second in the state for two consecutive years. But as good as that squad was, Hill thinks Central might be even better across the board. "High school football in Ohio is full of big guys that can play well," Hill said. "There are a lot of big guys and some of them are bigger than the guys here. But I've never seen a team play together as a team as well as Naperville Central has. That's why I love it here. They play so well together. I think Naperville Central could compete with any team in Ohio." When Hill's dad, who works for the American Cancer Society, was transferred to Chicago earlier this year, Chris knew he'd be packing up and leaving Ohio. Where exactly his family was headed, he wasn't sure. Looking for a community that offered an environment similar to the posh Upper Arlington lifestyle, the Hills explored living in several affluent communities in the Chicago suburbs. Lombard, Lake Forest, Arlington Heights, Barrington. None of them appealed to Chris Hill like Naperville did. "We looked at so many other places," Hill said. "But we couldn't find anything that was as good as Naperville. That's why we came here." Once the Hills had that choice under their belts, Chris had to make one final decision. Would he become a Huskie or a Redhawk? "I talked to the coaches here and the players here in late March, and I decided that this was where I wanted to come," he said. Hill started school at Central in May. His football career began in August. So far, it's been everything as advertised. After Friday's win, the Redhawks head into this weekend's second-round matchup at New Trier just four wins away from their second consecutive state title. But for Hill, the championship would be his first. "I'm not really worried about anything because I've been in this situation before," he said. "I know how to handle it, and I'm sure all these other guys know how to handle it too. They've been farther than I have. I'm just going to come out the same way I have the past two years, come out confident and play the way they've taught me to play. That's all we can do." Hill doesn't know exactly how his final season of high school football would have turned out if he had gone to another school. And frankly, he doesn't care. Impressed with the fan support the Redhawks get, Hill smiles about his decision as if it were a no-brainer. "After I saw the weight room and I met the coaches and the players, I said 'Dad, let's go here,'" he said. "He didn't care where I went. He gave me the choice. And I chose Central. This experience has been perfect. It's been everything I asked for, exactly what I wanted." What Hill wants now is for his team to keep playing with the energy and commitment that has them ranked No. 1 in the state and No. 12 in the nation by USA Today. The Redhawks defense has been involved in a war of attrition lately. Linebackers Ryan Amberson and Luke Summers were each lost for the season to injuries. But Hill and others have stepped up to help fill the void. Friday's 30-point victory over Fremd was the Redhawks' best defensive performance since opening the season with six consecutive shutouts. "Even though we've lost some players, we're still going to go out there and get it done," Hill said. "Now that I've grown with these guys after a couple months out here, I'm really confident in them, and I trust them all. "Since we lost Amberson in the North game, we thought we might be in trouble. But we made a couple changes. And we think now that we still can get the job done. We still believe we're the No. 1 defense in the state." Central's quest to repeat as state champion will get tougher with each week. The Redhawks face a road test Saturday in Winnetka, playing a New Trier team that's on an eight-game winning streak and fresh off emotional wins over rivals Maine South and Loyola. Hill will play a pivotal role in keeping the defense on track. But it's not as if he hasn't faced similar pressure before. And having evolved into a true Redhawk, Hill knows what's at stake. He's not about to let his high school career or that of his senior teammates go into the annals without adding one final decoration to Central's trophy cases. "Everybody's told us the target's on us," he said. "I say, 'Bring it on. Let's go.' Bring the target on us. I'm ready for it. I've been in this situation before. These guys have been in the situation before. We're mature enough and prepared enough to finish this thing off." Contact Dan Wiederer at (630) 416-5287 or dan.wiederer@copleypress.com. 11/01/00