2022 Preview: Hillcrest Rams
Coming off a Region I-5A title and an 8-3 season, the excitement around the Hillcrest program is off the charts. It’s well-deserved. The Rams return a ton of talent on the offensive side of the ball, including standouts at receiver,…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingComing off a Region I-5A title and an 8-3 season, the excitement around the Hillcrest program is off the charts.
It’s well-deserved.
The Rams return a ton of talent on the offensive side of the ball, including standouts at receiver, quarterback, and running back.
“We’ve got a bunch of guys who can catch it, run it, and make plays in space,” head coach Anthony Frate said. “We’re excited around here.”
Those returners include an absolute gunslinger at QB. Bennett Judy Bennett Judy 6'3" | 195 lbs | QB Hillcrest | 2023 State SC (pictured) is back, and he returns with 43 touchdowns and more than 3,000 yards of total offense under his belt.
“Bennett does a great job for us,” Frate said. “He’s really good at protecting the football, and I think he took four or five sacks last year. A lot of that was a credit to the offensive line, but a lot of that was Bennett being smart and knowing what to do with the ball and when to get rid of it. He’s great at that, and he’s going to continue to grow and get better.”
Judy’s top target was Avery McFadden Avery McFadden 5'10" | 175 lbs | WR Hillcrest | 2024 State SC , who caught 71 balls for 1,025 yards last season and who was a problem in the return game. He’s joined by Jaylen Neal, who had more than 40 catches for almost 700 yards a year ago, and by Gavin Flores, Ny’lan Harris, and Grant Holliday, all of whom provide a ton of speed for the Rams.
Logan Coldren Logan Coldren 6'0" | 190 lbs | RB Hillcrest | 2023 State SC will be the featured back for Hillcrest, coming off a season that saw him rack up nearly 1,200 yards on the ground and more than 350 receiving yards, with 20 total touchdowns.
“He’s a shifty, tough runner who also does a great job of coming out of the backfield and catching the ball,” Frate said.
Up front, the Rams return just one starter in right guard Matthew Gongora. However, Frate is optimistic about the potential at OL.
“Matthew’s a stud, and we’re excited to see our young guys develop,” he said. “They’re really good kids who work hard and work well together, and our skill guys are able to take some of the pressure off of them.”
Defensively, Frate is anxious to see how the Rams have improved. Despite a solid record last season and three losses by a total of 20 points, Frate wasn’t happy.
“We gave up a bunch of big plays late,” he said. “We didn’t win 50/50 balls. We weren’t in great position sometimes. But we had eight or nine new starters. Now, we’ve got nine guys back.”
BJ Jones returns to help lead the defensive secondary for Hillcrest, along with Jeremiah Madden, Christopher Boyd, and Kendall Chapman. In the box, Frate expects big things from Richard Hollingsworth at LB, Jeb Robinson at DE, and Titus Norris at DL.
“If we play to our potential, we’ll be happy,” Frate said. “We know we can play and we can compete, and if we take care of the ball and make some plays, we’ll see what happens.”