Dylan Ledahl is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Trevor G. Browne High School for AZPreps365.com

Captains on a football team are expected to be leaders and maintain control in high-pressure situations, while being looked at as a model by their teammates and coaches.

Despite a 3-7 outing in 2023, Trevor G. Browne first-year captain, junior defensive lineman Raevonta Hill, showed just that.

Hill finished the season with 12 sacks, 41 solo tackles and 22 tackles for a loss. This was enough for him to be named defensive player of the year for the 5A Metro conference. 

But Hill also cherishes being a captain to this team. He is one of four captains for the 2023 football season, including senior quarterback Andrew Romero, senior wide receiver Luis Fierro, and junior defensive back Mannie Campos.

“The role of a leader naturally fits my personnel,” Hill said. “My role as a captain is to uplift those who don’t have the ability to maintain a leveled mindset while going through endeavors.”

At Trevor G. Browne, there are two captains on the offense and two on the defense – a ratio Trevor G. Browne head coach Francisco Rangel said he prefers. However, the other coaches do get a vote, Rangel said, and what the team decides is what they go with.

Rangel also allows his players to vote for who the captains are because they are the bridge between the coaches and players. However, since Rangel became the Bruins head coach, he hasn’t yet named a captain younger than a junior.

“Last year, we were close to naming a sophomore as captain,” Rangel said. “But I think time and maturity was a big deal when our team eventually decided who our captains would be that year.”

The way Hill has approached games hasn’t changed since being named captain, he said.

“I gave myself more time to prepare for games, like watching a lot of film and studying our opponents’ tendencies,” Hill said. “I don’t want a title to change that. Being named a captain is a standard that the coaches think you meet. It’s not about the athleticism a player has, it’s the tenacity built within a player.”

Both Rangel and defensive line coach James Bagley have talked about the type of person Hill is and why he fits as a captain.

For Rangel, it’s about Hill’s leadership.

“Raevonta has done a lot of great things as a captain,” Rangel said. “His leadership style is still developing, which is exciting because, as a leader, you never want to stop learning and growing.”

For Bagley it’s about the type of kid he is.

“Raevonta is the most coachable kid I’ve ever had the pleasure of coaching with,” Bagley said. “He does everything I ask him to do. He stays after practice to do extra things. There are times where he is by himself, working to get better. That just goes to show the type of person he is.”

With Hill only being a junior, there is a good chance that he will be named captain again his senior season, but Hill said he believes he still has to earn it.

“I’m striving to be named captain again,” Hill said. “But if I am or not, I’m going to be the same me. Becoming captain again is a goal, but the main goal is allowing others to see the potential within themselves that they will further carry on in life, is what I’m striving for.”