Garden Plain’s Luke Hillman

Garden Plain High School senior, Luke Hillman, is a three-sport athlete who wants the underclassmen to remember to play every play with everything they have and leave it all on the field.

“Simply put, I don’t want any regrets. I want to have graduated and leave the young pups with that same mentality as well. I want them to go through life knowing that they did everything they could to succeed,” said Hillman.

The senior loves playing with this group of classmates and coaches. Every practice and game are times Hillman and his teammates will remember for the rest of their lives.

“Being a part of the Garden Plain football team allows players, coaches and managers to form a second family together and share a bond of trust and competitive drive. I love being part of a program centered around fun. We put in the work to put ourselves in a position to succeed so we are able to have fun. Football is a sport. We should be enjoying what we do in the weight room, on the practice field, under the Friday night lights, and off the field,” said Hillman.

Hillman said playing under those Friday night lights is like one of his favorite quotes from boxer Mike Tyson.

“It’s a test of capabilities. Mental and physical. You can prepare all you want but like Mike Tyson said, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” It says a lot about you and your team when things don’t go as planned. You can give up or get back up. Seeing my brothers choose to get back up for the program gives me a sense of pride and respect for my teammates. My favorite part about Friday night lights is learning to overcome adversity as a team,” said Hillman.

that I may struggle with and aim to get better at that one thing every day. I would say that I look up to my defensive line coach, Coach Taylor. He brings a special type of energy to practice every day even though there are times where he probably has other things to take care of, he is just so excited and energetic about everything he does. If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well,” said Hillman.

Hillman has a plan for life after high school.

“After I graduate, I plan to attend Fort Hays State University majoring in sport and exercise therapy. After I earn a bachelor’s degree, I will enter the WSU Physical Therapy Graduate program to pursue a career in PT,” said Hillman.