zippy
08-24-2005, 09:28 PM
At the beginning of the 1995 season Smithson Valley had an overall record of 53-133-6 (terrible .2917) . However between 1995-2004 Smithson Valley has managed a record of 110-25-0,(.8148) making the overall record at Smithson Valley 162-158-6 (.5061) Between 1997-2004 SV has managed to lose only 16 games. Between 1999-2004 Sv has managed a record of 73-11.
Between 1995-2004, Smithson Valley trailed only Commerce, Westlake, CC Calallen, La Marque, Katy, and Celina for the #7 spot, for the most wins in that decade (well minus 2005). If Coach Hill will stay at SV, there is no telling where they could end up.
Why is this important, or informative? I dont think people realized not only how bad SV sucked at one time, but what kind of impact Larry Hill has had on that program. This is about the time he started. Here is a good article about him. Amazing that he almost didnt even get the job. What a mistake that woudl have been!
David Flores- Larry Hill Smithson Valley Opportunist
David Flores: Hill has made the most of opportunity
San Antonio Express-News
Larry Hill was an assistant coach at Clark High School in the spring of 1993 when he applied for the job of head football coach and athletic director at Smithson Valley.
Eleven years later, he admits it was "an afterthought."
Hill knew the Rangers competed in Class 4A, but not much else beyond that.
"I was born and raised in San Antonio, but I didn't even know where Smithson Valley was," he said Friday with a chuckle.
Davy DuBose got the job, but fate took a turn three days later when he changed his mind and turned down the offer.
So, guess who got a call from Comal School District officials?
"It had been about a month since I had interviewed and I had kind of forgotten about it," Hill said. "When they called, I thought they were just going to thank me for applying. Well, they offered me the job — and here I am."
Second choice or not, Hill has done a bang-up job as Smithson Valley's football coach in the past 12 seasons. Moreover, the Rangers' entire athletic program has flourished under his leadership.
But it's his work with the football team that has been noticed most.
Hill, 44, has earned a reputation for consistently getting a great effort from his teams. Smithson Valley isn't devoid of talent, mind you, but it's not as though the Rangers are loaded with speed and size every season.
"I think Larry is very good at taking average talent and convincing his kids that they play better than average," said Smithson Valley principal Jim Rodrigue, a former football coach. "He is one of the most organized people I've known in my life."
Smithson Valley is 118-36 and has missed the playoffs only twice under Hill, who graduated from East Central in 1979.
When the Rangers play Houston Clear Lake in the Class 5A Division II state semifinals today, the game will mark the fourth time in the past seven years that Smithson Valley has advanced that far.
If it's true that a team takes on the personality and character of its coach, Smithson Valley reflects the qualities that have made Hill successful.
The Rangers are highly efficient, disciplined and dedicated to the credo that the foundation of any winning program is hard work and a commitment to the fundamentals.
The words "Discipline," "Effort" and "Class" are painted on the walls of the hallway in the Smithson Valley field house, serving as reminders of what is expected from each player.
"Talent levels will come and go," Hill said. "You have no control over size and speed, but you can have discipline, effort and class no matter what kind of talent you have. That's the common thread of what we try to do here."
After going 1-9 in Hill's first season, the Rangers finished 8-3 in 1994 and made the playoffs for the first time since Smithson Valley opened in 1976.
"You always have to have a breakthrough year, but even with that, I don't think anybody could have seen what would follow," Hill said.
The Rangers hit a bump in the road in 1995, when they finished 5-5 and missed the playoffs, but they have been in the postseason the past nine years.
"They do a tremendous job and it starts with Larry," Madison coach Jim Streety said. "Yes, he has a good coaching staff that has been very stable and, yes, he's in a good community with good kids. But what's making the difference now is that they have tradition, and that's because of Larry.
"They have won and expect to be successful. That's what has put them at another level. Their time has come."
Hill began to show his extraordinary leadership skills when he played quarterback at East Central, often giving rides to teammates in the summer so they could work out together.
"I'm not a bit surprised by his success," said Ed Escamilla, who was only 26 when he became East Central coach in 1977. "I learned a lot from Larry. He called about 80 percent of his plays, and I felt very comfortable with him doing it."
Hill went on to an outstanding career as a quarterback at Sul Ross, where he earned NAIA All-America honors.
After graduating in 1983, he went to work as an assistant for his college coach, Joe George, who had moved to Texas City High School. By the second season, Hill was running the Stingarees' offense.
He spent six seasons at Texas City before becoming head coach at Jourdanton in 1989. Hill left Jourdanton after two years to join Mike Robbins' staff at Clark.
He was with the Cougars for two seasons before catching his big break at Smithson Valley.
The record indicates it has been an even bigger stroke of good fortune for the Rangers.
Between 1995-2004, Smithson Valley trailed only Commerce, Westlake, CC Calallen, La Marque, Katy, and Celina for the #7 spot, for the most wins in that decade (well minus 2005). If Coach Hill will stay at SV, there is no telling where they could end up.
Why is this important, or informative? I dont think people realized not only how bad SV sucked at one time, but what kind of impact Larry Hill has had on that program. This is about the time he started. Here is a good article about him. Amazing that he almost didnt even get the job. What a mistake that woudl have been!
David Flores- Larry Hill Smithson Valley Opportunist
David Flores: Hill has made the most of opportunity
San Antonio Express-News
Larry Hill was an assistant coach at Clark High School in the spring of 1993 when he applied for the job of head football coach and athletic director at Smithson Valley.
Eleven years later, he admits it was "an afterthought."
Hill knew the Rangers competed in Class 4A, but not much else beyond that.
"I was born and raised in San Antonio, but I didn't even know where Smithson Valley was," he said Friday with a chuckle.
Davy DuBose got the job, but fate took a turn three days later when he changed his mind and turned down the offer.
So, guess who got a call from Comal School District officials?
"It had been about a month since I had interviewed and I had kind of forgotten about it," Hill said. "When they called, I thought they were just going to thank me for applying. Well, they offered me the job — and here I am."
Second choice or not, Hill has done a bang-up job as Smithson Valley's football coach in the past 12 seasons. Moreover, the Rangers' entire athletic program has flourished under his leadership.
But it's his work with the football team that has been noticed most.
Hill, 44, has earned a reputation for consistently getting a great effort from his teams. Smithson Valley isn't devoid of talent, mind you, but it's not as though the Rangers are loaded with speed and size every season.
"I think Larry is very good at taking average talent and convincing his kids that they play better than average," said Smithson Valley principal Jim Rodrigue, a former football coach. "He is one of the most organized people I've known in my life."
Smithson Valley is 118-36 and has missed the playoffs only twice under Hill, who graduated from East Central in 1979.
When the Rangers play Houston Clear Lake in the Class 5A Division II state semifinals today, the game will mark the fourth time in the past seven years that Smithson Valley has advanced that far.
If it's true that a team takes on the personality and character of its coach, Smithson Valley reflects the qualities that have made Hill successful.
The Rangers are highly efficient, disciplined and dedicated to the credo that the foundation of any winning program is hard work and a commitment to the fundamentals.
The words "Discipline," "Effort" and "Class" are painted on the walls of the hallway in the Smithson Valley field house, serving as reminders of what is expected from each player.
"Talent levels will come and go," Hill said. "You have no control over size and speed, but you can have discipline, effort and class no matter what kind of talent you have. That's the common thread of what we try to do here."
After going 1-9 in Hill's first season, the Rangers finished 8-3 in 1994 and made the playoffs for the first time since Smithson Valley opened in 1976.
"You always have to have a breakthrough year, but even with that, I don't think anybody could have seen what would follow," Hill said.
The Rangers hit a bump in the road in 1995, when they finished 5-5 and missed the playoffs, but they have been in the postseason the past nine years.
"They do a tremendous job and it starts with Larry," Madison coach Jim Streety said. "Yes, he has a good coaching staff that has been very stable and, yes, he's in a good community with good kids. But what's making the difference now is that they have tradition, and that's because of Larry.
"They have won and expect to be successful. That's what has put them at another level. Their time has come."
Hill began to show his extraordinary leadership skills when he played quarterback at East Central, often giving rides to teammates in the summer so they could work out together.
"I'm not a bit surprised by his success," said Ed Escamilla, who was only 26 when he became East Central coach in 1977. "I learned a lot from Larry. He called about 80 percent of his plays, and I felt very comfortable with him doing it."
Hill went on to an outstanding career as a quarterback at Sul Ross, where he earned NAIA All-America honors.
After graduating in 1983, he went to work as an assistant for his college coach, Joe George, who had moved to Texas City High School. By the second season, Hill was running the Stingarees' offense.
He spent six seasons at Texas City before becoming head coach at Jourdanton in 1989. Hill left Jourdanton after two years to join Mike Robbins' staff at Clark.
He was with the Cougars for two seasons before catching his big break at Smithson Valley.
The record indicates it has been an even bigger stroke of good fortune for the Rangers.