MOON TWP., Pa. — Another week, another trip to Red Robin for Todd Hill.
The Steel Valley senior has a running bet with fellow senior Kam Williams that whoever has the must rushing yards in a game picks where the two go out to eat.
Every week Kam wins, it’s Red Robin.
“I am sick of eating Red Robin!” said Hill. “I’m trying to everywhere besides Red Robin. I like chicken a lot more than Red Robin.”
A gourmet burger will taste a little better this week after Steel Valley defeated South Side 48-6 to win the WPIAL Class 2A Championship Saturday at Joe Walton Stadium at Robert Morris.
Williams finished with 196 rushing yards on 23 carries while Hill racked up 118 on 16 carries. Both players scored three touchdowns and Williams added 104 receiving yards on four receptions.
“That’s my boy. That makes everything work us, being boys,” said Williams. “Whenever I have the ball, he has my back and whenever he has the ball, I have his back.”
“Every time I’m tired, I know Kam will step up and get yards or get a touchdown,” said Hill. “It’s like having another me, but faster. I don’t’ have anything to stress about. We’re both workhorses, we both get the ball.”
Hill is listed on the depth chart as a full back and spends a lot of time blocking for his fellow senior and helped spring a lot of Williams’ big runs.
The win is the second in three years for Steel Valley who won a WPIAL and PIAA Championship in 2016 before losing to Washington last season on the same field.
“To be able to get back, that was their goal from the last time they were on this field,” said coach Rod Steele. “The feeling wasn’t so good, it wasn’t a pleasant feeling. To be able to come back and redeem themselves, I can’t say enough about them.”
After dressing 18 players last week against Freedom, 17 Ironmen were in uniform Saturday due to an injury, but it was the strong senior leadership that carried the team back to a championship.
Seven of the 20 players on the team’s official roster are seniors, and with a small program, all grades have to play and it’s up to the seniors to set the example.
“Todd is a four-year player,” said Steele. “He’ll go down as one of the greatest all time. But those guys lead the way. They show the younger guys what it’s like to train, to prepare, to study, to carry themselves. It’s the things people don’t notice.”
“It’s my senior year. Last time we won it was my sophomore year, but I did it my senior year, and that’s my legacy here,” said Hill. “Every day I tell them, we beat ourselves. If we come out and ball, we can play with anybody. I just try to be a leader, give pep talks. They’re pretty young so I just try to keep their heads focused in the game.”
