A Shorter Wait for State: Smithson Valley goes back-to-back

ARLINGTON, Texas — For how difficult it was to win his first state championship, a 32-year span that included four title game losses, Smithson Valley head coach Larry Hill assures you that defending the crown was much harder. 

But, honestly, he gets a little uncomfortable with all the talk about ‘Larry Hill’s long-awaited championships.’ When he took over Smithson Valley in 1993, the program’s all-time record was 45-120-5. Over the past 33 years, as the Rangers morphed into a perennial state championship contender, he’s watched the community’s pride swell with it. He has helped build this program into something that represents far more than himself.