PHEBA — Landon Hill doesn’t know how to describe the feeling.
If the Hebron Christian Academy senior was going to try to dissect how it feels to be all over the field, he would say it involves feeling winded, having cramps, and being motivated by a fear that if you take one play off, all your hard work could go for naught.
Instead of succumbing to the fatigue of going all out on both sides of the football for four quarters, Hill made sure he had enough left in reserves to make one more play.
Faced with the prospect of giving up a score that could have tied the game, Hill offered a glimpse of his basketball skills as he rose up to make a game-sealing interception at the Hebron Christian 3-yard line.
On a night when Hill did nearly everything else imaginable, it was fitting that he had the final say in Hebron Christian’s 54-46 victory against Marvell Academy (Ark.) in the first round of the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Eight-Man playoffs.
“My body felt like (I was all over the field) at the end of the game,” Hill said. “Our whole team did a really good job of containing (running back Caleb Gannon) and holding them to the points they scored.”
Hill was everywhere on the field, scoring on runs of 66, 8, 41, and 8 yards. He had 22 carries for 233 yards. He also caught four passes for 128 yards, including a 47-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Channing Tapley.
If that wasn’t enough, Hill had 20 tackles to help Hebron Christian (8-3) avenge a 46-16 loss to Marvell Academy in the regular season.
For his accomplishments, Hill is The Dispatch’s Prep Player of the Year. It is the second time Hill, a senior, has earned the award. His first honor came after he scored nine touchdowns in a victory against Delta Academy.
It’s hard to imagine a performance could top that game, but Hill said he and his nine classmates had the extra motivation that the game against Marvell Academy could be the final one of their prep football careers.
“That was a special game being they were the top seed and we were one of the lower seeds (No. 7),” Hill said. “We went out there with the right mind-set. We were prepared for it all week. Coach (David) Foster got us prepared with the right defensive stand and we put in some new plays for their defense. I felt like we just went out there and took care of business against a very good team.”
Between cramps, bumps and bruises, and a little dehydration, Hill epitomized the effort of the Eagles when he said he was willing to do whatever he had to do Friday to get the victory. With only 12 players. Hebron Christian made key adjustments to compensate for Marvell Academy’s speed.
With all of his touchdowns and yards, Hill said the interception was the play that stood out for him because it set up a date against Tallulah Academy (10-2) in the second round Friday in Louisiana.
“I was determined to get that ball,” Hill said. “I saw it coming and I found the high point on it and I made a pretty good play on it. I don’t really remember too much after that. I just remember a bunch of guys on our team coming up to me and hugging me and telling me they were proud of me.”
Foster credited Hill for rising to the occasion. He said he encouraged Hill and running back Lucas Foster to “punish” defenders when they ran the ball. He said Hill ran with a purpose and made an impression every time he touched the football.
“My line blocked good, my backs blocked good, and he ran good,” Foster said. “That is probably the best game I have seen him play overall.”
After cramping a couple of times earlier in the game, Hill said none of the maladies entered his mind on the final play. He said “it was a reflex” that allowed him to jump up and make a play on the ball to help seal the victory.
“We didn’t want that to be the last time we played out there,” Hill said. “We are all pretty much seniors. We just went out and had to put it all on the line. I feel we did a really good job playing as a team. We never gave up.”
Hill and the Eagles will have to find a way to attempt to duplicate that effort this week. A four-hour journey awaits the team, but Foster is confident because he feels Hebron Christian left 10 point on the field against Marvell Academy. After telling the team it needed to play its ‘A’ game to have a chance to upset the top seed, Foster said his team did enough on both sides of the ball to get away with the mistakes they made.
Having someone like Hill who is all over the field makes things a little easier. Foster said he has seen Hill play like he did Friday earlier in the season. He hopes he has another effort like that in him.
“He scored nine touchdowns against Delta Academy. That is astronomical,” Foster said. “He ran the ball good then. … He ran the ball like I want him to run (against Marvell Academy).”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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