Hill Says He’s Quitting as Orange Coach; Villa Park Wins

Dick Hill, Orange County’s all-time winningest coach, watched his final game from the Orange sideline Thursday night. He announced he was stepping down after the Panthers ended their season with a 14-0 loss to Villa Park at El Modena High.

“This is the time,” he said. “I think whenever you don’t produce with the situation you have, you have to realize that they should replace you.”

Hill, who coached one season at Downey before compiling a 212-111-4 record over 30 years in Orange County, didn’t close the door on coaching again.

“I don’t know what my future is because I haven’t made any decisions on it,” Hill said. “[But] when you’re a loser, you don’t get much [attention].”

Hill, who doesn’t teach classes at Orange, said he and the school administration both believe an on-campus staff was in the best interest of the players.

“We have agreed that they should get people that are there to work with the kids,” he said.

Orange (3-7, 1-4) couldn’t send its coach off with a victory. The Panthers’ only play that gained more than 10 yards was Mike Hall’s 68-yard run to the Spartans’ 17.

Villa Park (6-3-1, 4-1), which clinched a share of the league title, didn’t score following its two biggest plays either, a 74-yard run by Ryan Wann and Dache Dameron’s 71-yard kickoff return. But the Spartans did put together a 10-play, 76-yard scoring drive in the fourth quarter capped by Mike Jackson’s 27-yard touchdown pass to Dallas Dapper.