CATAWBA, N.C. — As a prep sports athlete, one is not always simply handed the keys to the castle right away. Oftentimes, there is a grind before the coaching staff feels he or she is ready enough to take control.
While some individuals get the chance to demonstrate one’s prowess as an underclassman, others have to wait his or her turn.
For Bandys High School senior Samuel Hill, he spent time on the varsity football team as a freshman, and again as a sophomore in 2022 where he totaled 45 tackles, along with two tackles for a loss and a sack; however, he was really given his opportunity to shine last season.
Hill is the second-leading returning tackler for Bandys entering the 2024 season. Only senior defensive anchor Wyatt Wesson enters the season with more tackles for the Trojans at 87.
He proved his worth last year by garnering 75 tackles, 10 tackles for a loss and five sacks as an impactful edge rusher on the defensive end. His knack for getting sacks landed him at No. 9 in the Catawba Valley 2A Conference. He also has double duty as the Trojans’ center on the offensive line.
“The special thing about the offensive line for me is the trust between each other,”said Hill. “Every play, every person on that line has to do their job for the team to succeed. The offensive line, as a unit, has to trust each other every play and it builds a strong bond between the players in the unit and you.
“The special thing to me about the defensive line is how much I can use my brain every play. Whether it’s a down, pass, pull, or some other kind of block a defensive lineman is reading every play. By reading things like this, I can tell where the ball’s going on every play on first movement. I do think I have a pretty good pass rush, enough to be an effective threat against [the] passing offense. I would put it as a core factor in my game, though I think my run reading and awareness help me be effective as an all around player.”
Hill said his adoration for football began when he was around eight or nine-years-old.
“My love for football initially began watching Tennessee games with my dad and I was always interested in the sport when I was younger,” he said. “I eventually convinced my parents to let me play in third grade. I really began taking football serious in 8th grade, where I realized that I could use my brain to my advantage in the game. I was never really a super athlete, but in football, I could use film study and my game knowledge to give me an upper hand, which you don’t see as much in other sports.”
Hill’s first contest with the Trojans on varsity was in a 26-13 loss against St. Stephens on Aug. 19, 2022. He obtained three tackles in his debut. The Trojans finished with a 4-6 overall mark and a 3-4 conference record.
Flashing ahead to the 2023 season, Hill collected six tackles as an upperclassman on Aug. 18, in Bandys’ season-opening win over St. Stephens, 35-0.
He went on to crack double-digit tackles three times as a junior including in back-to-back games against South Caldwell on Sept. 8 and against conference foe West Lincoln on Sept. 15.
He earned a career-best 11 tackles, two tackles for a loss and a sack in the 45-14 win over the Spartans.
Then, in perhaps his best game of the year on Sept. 15. Hill finished with 11 tackles with 10 of them coming by him alone. Additionally, he notched a pair of tackles for a loss in the 36-28 defeat by the Rebels.
Bandys had a stark improvement with a 6-5 overall record, but the team remained the same with a 3-4 conference mark.
In the Trojans’ final contest of the year during the first round of the North Carolina High School Athletics Association 2A West state playoffs, Hill amassed four tackles in the 63-13 blowout loss at No. 5-seeded Monroe.
Marking the end of his impressive campaign, Hill was selected to his first Catawba Valley 2A All-Conference team.
“It meant a lot to me to be named with some really good football players across the conference, and I hope to continue my success on the field as a player this upcoming season,” he said. “One of the biggest skills I’m looking to add to my game from watching Scotty Miley film, the other DE last year, is his get off. He was able to get off the ball with a lot of explosion and it caused a lot of problems for tackles all year long. If I can add that to my game this year, it will allow me to be a more effective player for my team.”
By continually wanting to improve his overall performance, Hill competed in camps during the offseason in preparation for the upcoming season. Additionally, the coaching staff including head coach Jason Barnes worked with him and the other members of the front five on the line.
“Competing in the offseason at camps and other events is a real difference maker for me and other teammates,” he said. “It gives us a good chance to compete against high caliber players, and the experience we gain from this will benefit us going into the season.
“The biggest thing that Coach Barnes has been working with me and the rest of the defensive line on is squeezing down blocking lineman and keeping them off our backers so they can flow. This will make a huge difference in our run stopping ability as a defensive unit.”
Like his former teammate Scotty Miley, who won the CVAC Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2023, Hill has some aspirations for individual accolades, but isn’t solely focused on that.
“I mean it’s one of those things that if it happens it happens, and I would be honored to win such an award, but I’m definitely more concerned for the team’s success this year rather than any personal rewards,” said Hill.
For the 2024 season, Hill also said he has high hopes for his squad.
“Though we compete in a very competitive division with a lot of good players, we should be able to match up to teams well,” he said. “We have more speed this year in the secondary and should be better overall in the box. We will definitely miss players like Scotty Miley and Ian Moore [the Trojans’ leading tackler] that were real difference makers for us on defense, but we should have a good unit as a whole. I believe we have a lot of young guys that should step into their roles on the offense and defensive side of the ball. Guys like Jax Lambert, Tanner Stewart, Ryder Mcclure, and Gabe Moore should be highly beneficial additions to our varsity team.
“I would say most of all, our quarterback Brady Swett [is] coming into his junior year. He’s got a lot of potential and a lot of things to like about him. He’s fast, shifty and has a real good arm. Last year, he started for us as a sophomore and did very well but lacked some experience at the time. Coming into his second year as varsity QB, he should be much more experienced and more of a threat to opposing defenses.”
Besides Hill, Swett is the only other returning all-conference athlete for Bandys. He notched over 1,900 passing yards in 11 games played, as well as over 20 TDs.
When it comes to helping his guys, Hill said that he has been an aide to several of the younger talents.
“I definitely do try my best to be [a] mentor for some of the young guys coming up, getting them ready for varsity football,” he said. “We have some young guys in Gabe Moore and others that can really contribute to the offensive and defensive lines’ success this year.”
As for his individual outlook on showing coaches what he can do at the collegiate level, he said he’s had some eyes on him.
“I have definitely got interest from a few coaches and I do have an offer from Hampden-Sydney,” said Hill. “I am hoping for it to continue as I head into my senior season.”
The Trojans compete at St. Stephens in its season opener on Aug. 23, with kick-off slated for 7:30 p.m.
