The hard work is just beginning for Columbus High School junior running back Kylin Hill.
In his first two seasons as coach, Randal Montgomery has built a winning culture for the school’s football program. The Falcons have slowly learned how to win. As the wins have mounted, so has the confidence.
A similar theme could be found in the play of Hill, who will begin his senior season as one of the state’s top best running backs.
This season, Hill ran for 1,801 yards and 18 touchdowns. He also had 328 receiving yards and three touchdowns and returned two kickoffs for scores.
For his efforts, Hill is The Dispatch’s Large Schools All-Area co-Offensive Player of the Year.
“We really grew a lot and learned a lot this season,” Hill said. “There is so much we can take into next season. There will be a lot of motivation and a lot of leadership on next year’s team. It should make for an interesting season.”
Columbus finished 8-4 and 6-1 in Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 6A, Region 1 play. The eight wins is the second-most in program history (10 wins in 2000). The six region wins also is a new standard. Columbus played host to a first-round playoff game for the first time and made postseason play for the first time since 2012.
The season finale should have been enough to have the Columbus faithful wanting more. Hill ran for 382 yards and five touchdowns in a 56-42 loss to Clinton in the first-round of the playoffs. It was Hill’s eighth game of 100 or more yards, and fourth game of 200 or more yards.
“Kylin really put us on the back at the start of region play,” Montgomery said. “Kendre (Conner) went down and that changed a lot of things we wanted to do on offense. We really didn’t have to say anything to (Hill). He knew the expectations. He also knew the opportunity.”
Conner, a junior, injured his ankle in a loss to West Point in the final non-region game. Hill had already become a hot name in recruiting circles, but the expectations for him grew after the injury.
“I had a lot to prove when Kendre went down,” Hill said. “It was the first time in my season where I was an every-down back. I wanted to prove to a lot of colleges that I can be an every-down back. My coaches believed in me and my teammates believed in me.
“We really played with a lot of confidence as a team. We also had confidence as individual players we could get a certain job done.”
Next season, Columbus figures to returns the bulk of an offense that averaged 29.4 points per game in 2015.
Junior quarterback C.J. Gholar is expected to return. Gholar is 11-5 as a starter. Conner, sophomore Patrick Jackson, and wide receiver Kenneth Martin also are expected to return.
“This group has played together for a long time,” Gholar said. “We have waited patiently for our time. With Kendre and Kylin, I have two of the best running backs in the state in my backfield. That makes my job as quarterback easy. It was fun watching Kylin play this season. He could take over a game.”
Hill hopes he can help Columbus earn back-to-back playoff appearances. It will be able to accomplish that goal it if plays with the same it had this year that helped it rally from double-digit deficits in half of its six region wins.
“You can feel it now,” Hill said. “The guys believe we are a winning program. In the weight room, everybody is working harder. We just have to bring it all together. We have to win more games. We should be special. When we are down, we know we can. That’s huge for the confidence level of a team.”
“Should be special next year. We know when we are down, we can still win.”
While it is apparent Hill is enjoying the recruiting attention, he is watching this season’s senior class closely, notably Starkville’s A.J. Brown and Noxubee County’s Jeffery Simmons.
“A.J. (Brown) and I have become real close,” Hill said. “He gives me some advice from time to time. He always tells me it is my decision to not to let anyone else push me into something I don’t want to do. He tells me to take my time and enjoy the ride.”
As he continues to re-write the school record book, Hill will count on several in his inner circle.
“Coach Montgomery has really helped my game out a lot,” Hill said. “He took me to a lot of camps before he even got here. I wasn’t thinking about camps or the weight room. When he got here, he started working out with me. He keeps my mind focused when I am not doing right.”
“A lot of people believed in us this year. We had bigger crowds than ever before. A lot of people have influenced me. I wouldn’t be playing football without my mom and dad (Karenda Hill and Javarus Minor). It has been a special ride and a lot of people have really helped me to this point. My grandmother (Glenda Hill) always told me to step up when the time is needed. I have always taken that advice to heart.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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