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Four-star RB Dierre Hill named Gatorade Illinois Football Player of the Year

Lawrence Andrew Fernandezby: Lawrence Fernandez12/09/24lawandfern
Dierre Hill - Illinois High School Football
Althoff Catholic running back Dierre Hill won back-to-back Gatorade Illinois Player of the Year awards.

Althoff Catholic High School running back and Oregon commit Dierre Hill Jr. continues to reap awards for his football excellence. In addition to securing a state championship, he won the 2024-25 Gatorade Illinois Player of the Year award.

This distinction made Hill the second Illinois player to win back-to-back Gatorade Player of the Year awards. Glenbard North’s Justin Jackson won the award in 2012 and 2013 before playing for Northwestern and the National Football League.

Hill received the prestigious award again after tallying 155 carries for 2,588 rushing yards and 40 rushing touchdowns for the Crusaders. The three-time All-State selection saved the best for last, collecting 436 yards and six rushing touchdowns to win the Illinois High School Association Class 1-A State Championship over Lena-Winslow High.

The senior running back added six receiving touchdowns, a kickoff return TD, and a punt return score. Dierre Hill’s efforts were instrumental in Althoff Catholic’s perfect 15-0 season, wherein they’ve scored below 40 points only once. Likewise, the Crusaders finished 30th in the Illinois On3 Composite Team Rankings.

However, as the press release states, Hill was Gatorade’s choice for Illinois, not just because he is excellent on the field. He’s also an exemplary individual in the classroom and the community.

In addition to his football achievements, Hill exemplifies the ideal student-athlete balance by maintaining a 3.05 grade point average. He also volunteers as a basketball camp counselor and a youth football coach. Hill is also an active community servant through his church.

Dierre Hill won the 2023-24 Gatorade Illinois Player of the Year award after tallying 1,788 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns. He also lined up on defense, recording 32 tackles and two interception touchdown returns.

He led the Crusaders to the Class 1A state tournament but reached only the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, Hill manifested academic excellence by maintaining a 3.23 GPA. He devoted some time to becoming a valuable community member outside the classroom.

With his high school football career over, Hill will join the defending Big Ten Conference Champions and the top seed in the 12-team College Football Playoff.