Hill stepping down as EJCHS wrestling coach

“I am going in another direction,” Hill said in an e-mailed statement.

Hill’s East Jackson highlights include four state placers, others who finished in the top eight individually and a 12th-place team finish overall one year.

Hill also noted some of the challenges.

“We have always started out the season at East Jackson with 30 to 40 wrestlers taking the hydration test; this year we ended up with 12 wrestlers on the team,” he said. “We never backed off our discipline or hard work to get better. Our middle school and USA programs have doubled.”

A former college wrestler, Hill reached the NAIA national championships his freshman year before his school dropped the sport. He later moved on to coaching. Hill got his first head coaching job at Lakeside in Augusta in 1994 and has coached two state champions and 10 state placers in his career.

Hill wanted to thank his longtime supporters.

“I want to thank Frank Caputo and Johnny Tucker for all their support over the years,” he said.

He also expressed his gratitude towards several others who have helped him.

“I want to thank all my parents and friends for all their help and support,” he said. “I want to thank my assistant coaches for all their help.”