Hillcrest Football 2018: A Look Back

Makayla Coleman, Staff Writer
December 14, 2018

The Hillcrest High School 2018 football team had an amazing season this year. They were able to finish undefeated in the regular season (9-0) with a final record of (12-1). They were also named 2018 Conference Champs and 2018 State Semifinalists, in addition to other team and individual recognitions.

Nothing like what happened this season has EVER happened in Hillcrest history. Even though the boys were not able to go as far as they wanted to, everyone was very proud of them and all of their accomplishments.

Due to it being a great season, I decided to interview some seniors asking about their overall experience being on the team.

Questions:

  • What was it like playing on Hillcrest High School football team for fours years?
  • Tell me about some of the best moments you had being on the team.
  • After seeing two head coaches while being on the team tell me about some of the changes and growth you’ve seen?
  • What did you learn being on the team?
  • Do you plan on continuing doing what you love most after you graduate? Where?

I asked questions from: Andre Smith (#3)  who’s wide receiver, defensive back, and a captain of the team; Corey Crooms (#4) who’s wide receiver and a captain of the team, Nick Lindley (#8) who’s wide receiver, corner, and a captain of the team, and Basil Webber (#13) who’s Quarterback.

According to my interviewees, playing for Hillcrest High School’s team for four years has been great and an amazing experience for them. Corey Crooms stated that,  “Playing on Hillcrest Football Team for the past four years was the best time of my high school experience.” Crooms continued to state that he “wouldn’t want to represent any other high school other than Hillcrest.” Even though Basil Webber wasn’t able to be on the team for four years prior to him transferring from Providence Catholic High School, he shared a similar response to Crooms stating that “Playing for Hillcrest was great.” He went on by also saying that as soon as he stepped foot on the practice field for the very first time, his fellow teammates welcomed him which made feel as if he been on the team longer. Also stated by Nick Lindley, “Playing on the Hillcrest football team was a total journey and so much fun”  

My next question received somewhat similar answers when I asked the boys to share some of the best moments they had while being on the team. Andre’s best moments while being on the team were the team’s Thursday night dinners. Andre explained that the Thursday night dinners were a time for them to “sit down together as a family the night before the game eat and converse about any and everything.” Andre also stated that they did different activities together like have lip sync battles, dance battles, basically what any other family would do on a family game night. Corey stated that some of the best moments he had while being on the team were being able to “create a bond with the team outside of school and football practice.” Crooms continued to state that, “After practice, some of the guys would go over each other houses, go out to eat, overall, do something fun to allow us to grow closer one another.” Basil answered the question differently from the other boys stating that his best moment was “Beating Rich Central , knowing the history of the rivalry and being able to play their team was a great opportunity.”   

During the four years, the boys were on the team they got the chance to see two different head coaches which were Marquise Cole and Morgan Weaver. So I asked them to tell me about some of the changes and growth they experienced throughout the transition. Smith and Crooms both shared very similar responses suggesting that both coaches were knowledgeable and young so they were able to relate with some of the things the players were going through.  “Coach Cole came and turned around the whole football program around for Hillcrest. When Coach Cole left, Coach Mo came in and took everything to a new level.” Both of them also stated that they were very grateful that they had the opportunity to have both coaches in their lives because they both made a huge impact on their life.

The next question I asked was for the boys to tell what they’ve learned while being on Hillcrest High School football team. Andre responded, “I learned that no matter what we (team) go through as a team, good or bad, we’re in it together. Basil Webber stated that “Playing for Coach Mo and the rest of the staff taught him that no matter the athletic talent you have if you create a winning culture inside the building, it will show on the field.” All of the boys had a lot of great things to say about all of the lessons they learned.

Last but not least, I asked my interviewees to tell me what their plans were for the future. Both Andre Smith and Basil Webber plan to play football in college and are exploring their options. Nick Lindley plans to play football at the next level at Minnesota State-Mankato University. Corey Crooms will be graduating early in December and attending Western Michigan University for their spring semester to further his passion for football and, most importantly, his education.

On the behalf of Hillcrest, we would like to say we couldn’t be any more proud of you guys than what we already are. Congratulations on the accomplishments you’ve made this season and most importantly making history.

We wish you guys the best of luck and always remember “Once a Hawk always a Hawk!”