Teams to watch: Smithson Valley surging as the playoffs near

[caption id="attachment_26871" align="alignright" width="350"]Photo by David Campos Photo by David Campos[/caption] Larry Hill admits he isn’t always fun. The longtime Smithson Valley head coach doesn’t believe in rivalry games. He doesn’t much believe in big games. Hill trusts preparation and consistency. And his Rangers are starting to buy in. “We’ve been fortunate enough to reach three state title games and those weeks looked the same as Week 3. That’s how we approach it here. We’re trying to play to our standard and to beat our checklist every day. I know that’s not always fun,” Hill said. “We don’t care who we play.” Still, a victory over Converse Judson was rewarding. It was Smithson Valley’s fifth straight district win after starting it 0-1 with a seven-point loss to Cibolo Steele. The Rangers lost the week before in non-district play to Round Rock. Since that 1-2 start, Smithson Valley is outscoring opponents 226-44. “It was a good win. We were surprised a little by the outcome and I’m not sure the same thing happens if we line it up again,” said Hill of beating Judson. “We’ve improved by increments since the start of the season. It wasn’t one big jump. We moved some kids around and played top caliber competition.” Smithson Valley competes alongside Cibolo Steele and the Rockets in one of the most competitive districts in the state. Lake Travis and Westlake joined Region IV before this season, making a future playoff run even tougher. Hill’s squad went 10-4 last season and are already qualified for this year’s Class 6A Division I playoff bracket. “You find out a lot about your team when you face good teams. You might not find out what you want, but you’ll find something out. It forces you to be better. It requires you to raise your level of play. It can be nerve-racking, to be honest,” Hill conceded. “It’s a double-edged sword. There might not be a seat for you in the playoffs at the end, but if you’re fortunate enough to still be around, you know what to expect and what you need to be successful.” The Rangers returned just four starters on offense. Fortunately, one of those was quarterback Josh Adkins, who is one of the better quarterback prospects in the San Antonio area. A three-year starter with a plethora of playoff experience, he’s helped grow a young offense while a defensive unit returning eight starters rounded into early shape. “Josh has natural leadership abilities. He’s clearly talented as a player, but he might be a better person. He is one of our hardest workers. He’s stayed humble through his career, which isn’t always true for players who receive his type of attention,” Hill said before shifting focus to the other side of the ball. “Our defense isn’t full of guys college recruiters are searching for, but it is a group of players who all do their job and play together.” Smithson Valley is peaking at the right time. A date with New Braunfels rounds out the regular season. The Rangers will host the winner of San Antonio Taft and San Antonio Warren in the bi-district round of the playoffs. The win over Judson vaulted Smithson Valley into the state rankings. Not that Hill cares. “I’ve always laughed at polls. We don’t obsess over that stuff. We have a playoff system, so if you’re good enough to get in, you get in. From there, if you’re good enough to win, you keep going,” he said. “We get to decide it on the field.”

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