Introducing our WXXV Student Athlete of the Week, Biloxi’s very own Aubrey Hill!

It’s Quarter Final week for our high school basketball teams and one talented coast program is entering the court ranked number one. There’s more than one person that makes this Indian team special, but she’s the glue that keeps them together both on and off the hardwood. Introducing the tough and passionate guard, Biloxi’s Aubrey Hill!

As a tri-sport athlete for Biloxi high school, Aubrey Hill has learned many lessons throughout her athletic career, but she believes resilience has been her most important one.

“I think resilience,” Hill said. “Everyday is not going to be easy. Everyday is going to be a day where you just want to give up and quit and I think basketball has taught me my mental toughness, especially just to keep going through no matter the obstacles or challenges that come my way.”

“We also talk about her strength is her preparation and that’s how we approach our team,” said Head Coach, Devin Hill. Our motto for our team is tough and we believe tough kids win. Aubrey is a winner because she is tough as nails.”

Hill’s toughness is a huge advantage, but so is maturity. Not only has Hill played on the varsity squad since the eighth grade, but she’s played with a lot of the same teammates in the process. It’s their chemistry and their experience that has made them undefeated on Mississippi soil, and why they’re playing in the quarterfinals this week.

“I just think we’ve been here together and our bond has gotten stronger as the season’s gone on. I think it’s an honor to be here honestly because there’s only so many teams that’re still playing, so I think our team and program just works harder than anyone in the state, I’d say, and I say that confidently,” Hill said. “That’s how much trust I have in them and without them I wouldn’t be here.”

Her trust in her teammates have only strengthened with time, and she’s never believed in them more than this quarterfinal round.

“One more and one game at a time. I just think practice has been hard and I don’t think we’ve let up for anything because it’ll just get harder as the season goes on, so I think the more preparation and more time we put into it watching film and breaking down time, we’re going to be ready,” Hill said. “This is a great opportunity in front of us. Last year we fell short, so our yellow shirts of course have two scores on them. We’ve got our district championship and then elite eight which we didn’t make it out of so this year we take these numbers to fuel us into fire to keep going and to push through.”

Hill has enough motivation on her own to be successful, but what also motivates her to be her best is her dad doubling as her coach.

“I would say it’s not easy because to most people you probably wouldn’t be able to tell he’s my dad because of how he coaches me so hard. We bump heads sometimes and it hasn’t always been easy, but I think that has molded me to be the person, teammate and player that I am, so I’m just grateful for that in itself honestly.”

“It’s our last ride together,” said Coach Hill. “It’s kind of one of those things where we can just kind of breathe because there’s been a lot of intense moments. I moved Aubrey up as an eighth grader so she’s been with us for five years. This is her fifth year so she’s kind of like a fifth year senior. She knows our system in and out not because I go over it with her everyday, but because she prepares.”

As the Hill family prepares to get over the hump and hoist the gold ball with their Lady Indians, the father side of Coach Hill is already proud of Aubrey as she has already signed to continue her career at Pearl River Community College.

“I truly believe that her best days are ahead of her. I’m excited to see her play for a coach like Coach Fletcher who can pull the best out of her. I can pull it, but you know daddy has to step in sometimes so I’m excited to go and sit in the bleachers and watch her. I’ve never been able to do that on the basketball court, so that’s the most exciting part for me. I’m super proud of her, the dad is proud of her and the coach is proud of her.”