Ringgold duo ready to shine in college
Two more of Ringgold High School’s standout class of football seniors recently inked their names to letters of intent with schools in the Midwest.
Receiver/defensive back Malachi Hill will be joining the Lions of NCAA Division III Mount St. Joseph of Cincinnati, Ohio, while linebacker Donte Harris is set to suit up next season for the Warriors of Wisconsin Lutheran College, another NCAA Division III program located in Milwaukee.
Ringgold head coach Robert Akins said that both players came from great parents.
“They’ve really taught them about discipline, hard work, respect and all those things you aspire for your kids to be,” he said. “I think both of them are kids that can change the world because of their attitude, work ethic and leadership.”
Hill had an outstanding senior season with the Tigers. earning first team All-Region honors in 6-AAA. He caught 21 passes and turned them into 394 yards and seven touchdowns, while on defense he recorded 51 tackles, six pass break-ups and four interceptions to pick up second-team honors on that side of the ball.
That was coming off a second team All-Region campaign as a junior when he caught 30 passes for 327 yards and five scores.
“Playing football in college is the next step in my life and football career,” said Hill. “It’s an extremely important decision in my life to find the right fit for academics and football.”
“Malachi worked his tail off and he’s been outstanding for us, the last couple of years especially,” Akins added. “The evidence of that was when we lost him (to injury) at Hart County. Not having him that next week (against Thomson) really limited us. You can really tell when the great players are gone. He did an outstanding job for us.
“He was a captain and a quiet leader. He’s wasn’t really vocal, but you can tell he loved the game and he loved this team.
“I think he’ll do an outstanding job at Mount St. Joseph. He’ll go in and compete early. I think he can play corner or wide receiver because he’s very versatile. He’s just a great kid that any team would love to have.”
Hill said he chose Mount St. Joseph because “it felt like home” and that he would miss his coaches, teammates, and the love the Ringgold community showed him over the past four years.
“I’ll be able to contribute to their program due my work ethic and determination,” he added. “I’ll assist the program any way I can.”
The Lions play in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference. They were 6-4 last season, but 5-2 in conference play.
Meanwhile, Harris will be playing some 400 miles north of Cincinnati on the banks of Lake Michigan after a helping the Tigers to a runner-up finish in Region 6-AAA and their first playoff win in nearly a decade last fall.
“I’m excited to pursue college football for I will be the first in my family to play at the next level,” Harris said. “I also want to set a good example for my younger brothers.”
Harris transferred into Ringgold and played just one season for the Tigers, but Akins said it was more than enough time to make a very positive impression on his new coaches and teammates.
“We only had Donte for just this past year, but he came in and immediately made an impact at linebacker,” Akins explained. “He’s another kid that’s quiet, but very physical. He’s also very coachable and, like Malachi, comes from a great family.”
Harris played outside linebacker and some defensive end at Ringgold and was elected as a team captain. His 2022 numbers included 52 tackles, four tackles for loss and a pair of sacks, enough to earn a second team spot on the Catoosa-Walker Dream Team defense. He projects as a linebacker for the Warriors.
“Donte has a great work ethic and just an even-keeled mentality on the field,” Akins added. “He’s really a great player. Wisconsin Lutheran is getting a really good one and I really think he can also come in and make an impact early.”
Harris also said he chose Wisconsin Lutheran because it felt like home, adding that he would remember his time at RHS because of “the great environment, the great teammates (he) had, and the coaches” he played for.
“I intend to offer Wisconsin Lutheran a student-athlete who will bring maximum effort to the classroom and on the field,” he said.
Wisconsin Lutheran, a member of the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference, went 3-7 during the 2021 season.
Hill currently has plans to study sports management and business, while Harris plans to major in business management.