Their saving grace

He was the kid with asthma, the one who was allergic to grass and forced into the goalie's box as a result.

As a tike playing at the river bottoms, Josh Hill couldn't streak down the sideline like a forward or work the midfield. Since he was 4-years-old, Josh Hill's been a keeper.

Now he's a state record holder, a result of making 840 saves over his prep career protecting Faith Christian's goal.

"He just seemed to have a knack for it," Lions coach Robert Ripley said.

For Hill, being a goalie quickly transformed from a contingency position to a big part of his life. His love of keeping extends beyond those fields where he eventually "beat up" his asthma, past all those soccer camps where he honed his skills and the hours spent watching Premier League soccer.

"I've been playing (goalie) my entire life, it's all I've known," Hill said.

Just take a look at the vanity plate on his Dodge Ram: "I Keep."

He plays basketball and baseball too, but they're secondary to putting on those gloves and stopping the best the opposition can kick at him. It's why he wants to walk on at Santa Rosa College next year, earn a construction management degree and start leading a youth team.

"I'll be coaching some other kid to be a great goalie," Hill said.

And in the eyes of his coach, Hill has the knowledge.

"He probably taught me as much about goalkeeping as I taught him," Ripley said. "Actually, he probably taught me more."

Hill's prep dominance began as a freshman and carried all the way until his final game this season, where he made 24 saves in a 1-0 loss.

With the strong finish, he further padded his lead over Mike Zahorski, who made 803 career saves from 1991 to 1994 playing for Whitney in Cerritos, CalHiSports' Mark Tennis said.

The biggest hurdle to get Hill into the organization's record book will soon be fulfilled after Ripley submits the proper paperwork and ensures the authenticity of the number, he said. Until then, Tennis can't officially confirm the total, but said the number of saves "would certainly make the book."

But for Hill, the number is secondary.

"The great memories were those super close games where our team played whole-hearted and meshed super good," he said.

That feeling even surpasses an almost unprecedented moment from his junior year.

His teammates asked him to clear it. Instead he scored a goal after he dropped-kicked the ball and it bounced off a defender and into the net.

Hill didn't know what to do. He'd spent his who life trying to keep points off a scoreboard, not tack them on. So he improvised.

"I did a backflip," he said.

By the numbers

Nov. 11, 2008 — Hill corrals 23 saves in their final game of the season against Tioga.

Sept. 25, 2008 — Hill scores a goal from the goal box against Victory Christian.

Aug. 27, 2009 — Hill records 31 saves against River City in the first game of the season.

Nov. 11, 2009 — Hill hauls in 24 saves in his final game at the section playoff opener. Faith Christian lost 1-0 to Tioga.

Contact sports writer Ryan Klocke at 749-4714 or at rklocke@appealdemocrat.com. For all your prep coverage go to advarsitysports.com.