Athletics
"Unique" may be the most effective word to describe the Athletics Department at Hill Country Christian School. While highly competitive and successful, there is no higher priority to the Knights' seasoned, veteran coaching staff than the development of authentic, Christ-like character in the lives of our student athletes. The unwavering belief of Hill Country's coaches is that if Godly character takes root, whatever results show up on the scoreboard will be more than acceptable.
The Christ-like character for which Hill Country Athletics strives should never be underestimated; it is about commitment to a cause greater than oneself, personal sacrifice, playing through pain, servant leadership, and being made up of a mentality tough enough to take on every challenge and fight through whatever adversity presents itself.
Hill Country Christian School boasts a core of coaches that have been on the staff together for over ten years. That continuity fosters an extremely resilient and consistent environment for athletic success, spiritual mentorship, and the development of life-long relationships.
Participation and development are central to both the philosophy and the success of Hill Country Athletics. The vast majority of upper school students participate in at least one sport, with a majority taking part in two or more. Athletes are encouraged to play as many sports as they can or desire to, rather than specializing.
At Hill Country Christian School, the exceptional athlete can develop a legacy, get noticed, and move on to the college ranks, like 2007 graduate Beth Fionda, the Lady Knights' volleyball career kills leader, who went on to play at Texas A&M/Corpus Christi and then at New York University. Or baseball catcher AJ Sanchez, a 2010 graduate, who rewrote the Knights' offensive record book before moving on to college ball at Kenyon College in Ohio.
The average athlete who has a strong work ethic and a burning desire to play can develop and contribute at Hill Country Christian School and possibly have next-level opportunities of their own, like 2002 graduate Chris Hunt, who played baseball his senior year – Hill Country's first year to have baseball – and went on to play all four years at The University of Texas/Permian Basin, before spending another year there as a graduate assistant coach.
With eight high school sports each offered to male and female students, and four and five sports respectively at the middle school level, there is a place for every student within Hill Country Athletics as the Knights compete at the local, district, regional and state levels. What will be YOUR legacy as a Knight athlete?
Grace, Peace and Go Knights!
Pete Craycroft
Athletic Director
Athletics Staff
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| Pete Craycroft |
| Athletics Director |
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A career educator, Athletic Director and Head Baseball Coach Pete Craycroft is in his 11th year at Hill Country and 30th overall. Coach Craycroft originally came to Hill Country as Head of Secondary in June 2000 before switching roles to Athletic Director in the summer of 2002. He started the school’s baseball program in the spring of 2002, and oversaw the start-up of the 6-man tackle football program in the summer of 2002.
A 1979 University of Texas graduate and career-long high school baseball coach, Coach Craycroft taught scholastic journalism for 19 years in Texas public high schools, starting out at John Marshall High School in San Antonio in 1981, and moving to Lanier High School in Austin in 1984, where he stayed until coming to Hill Country in 2000. Several dozen of Coach Craycroft’s baseball players at Lanier High School went on to play college baseball, and at least ten from Hill Country have also had the opportunity to play collegiately.
Coach Craycroft grew up in Dallas, where he became a Christian in 1974, about a year before graduating from Highland Park High School in 1975. He has been married to his wife Karen for 28 years, and they have three grown children: Katie, Greg and Brenna.
The Craycrofts began attending Hill Country Bible Church in 1993, and Coach Craycroft served on the elder board at HCBC from 1997-2000. They then became charter members of Hill Country Bible Church-UT in 2005, and Coach Craycroft currently serves on the HCBC-UT elder board.
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| Toby Thurman |
| Track and Field/Cross Country Coach |
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Other than the legacy he has created at Hill Country during almost the entire time the school has existed, perhaps Toby Thurman’s greatest accomplishment was something he never got to do. It was President Jimmy Carter’s mandated boycott in 1980 that kept Coach Thurman and the rest of Team USA from participating in the Moscow Olympics.
Coach Thurman’s cross country teams have produced one team state champion and two runners-up. In addition, Hill Country athletes have produced a total of nine individual TAPPS state championships under Coach Thurman’s direction. Six of Coach Thurman’s Knights or Lady Knights have been offered spots on college teams, with one – 2010 graduate Caroline Janssen – receiving a Division 1 offer.
A 1980 graduate of Round Rock High School, Coach Thurman experienced great success at Stephen F. Austin State University, where he graduated in 1984 with a BBA in Finance. While a Lumberjack, Coach Thurman was a four-year letterman in both cross country and track. He was named both All American and Academic All American in track, and held a Sports Illustrated Top 8 USA ranking in the metric mile.
Coach Thurman and his wife Margie have attended Hill Country Bible Church since 1989. The Thurmans have two adult children, Lauren and Justin, and their youngest daughter Megan is a Lady Knight athlete in cross country, track and field, volleyball and basketball in her junior year. During his time at HCCSA, he has also coached basketball, flag football, and middle school 6-man tackle football.
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| John Horvath |
| 7th/8th Grade Volleyball Coach |
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In his tenth year of guiding the 7th/8th grade volleyball program, New Jersey native John Horvath’s teams have a habit of dominating the Austin Christian Athletic Association, annually either winning the league championship or challenging for it.
Coach Horvath originally moved to Texas to become a youth pastor after graduating from Philadelphia Biblical University in 1996. He started at Hill Country in 2000, and has taught Bible the entire time. Coach Horvath coached both of Hill Country’s current high school volleyball coaches, Janean Greer and Rachel England, in their days as Lady Knights.
Coach Horvath grew up in Manahawkin, NJ, and graduated from Southern Regional High School, where he was on the wrestling team, in 1993. Coach Horvath and Carolyn Horvath have been married for 13 years, and have two sons, Keli’i and Kimo. The Horvaths attend Hill Country Bible Church NW.
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| Nichole Perez |
| Girls JV Basketball Coach |
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A relative newcomer to Hill Country, JV girls basketball coach and Student Council adviser Nichole Perez also teaches high school math and assists with track and field. In her eighth year in education, the Las Vegas, NV native has taught in private Christian schools in Denver and Las Vegas, and started at Hill Country in 2009.
Coach Perez, who married native Austinite Roy Perez at Christmastime of 2009, is a 2002 graduate of Concordia University in Wisconsin, and is currently working on her Masters in Educational Administration at Concordia University of Texas.
Coach Perez and her husband Roy attend Our Savior Lutheran Church, where she plays in the handbell choir and serves on the childcare and elementary school board.
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| Jeff Marx |
| Varsity Football Defensive Coordinator |
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That’s Doctor Jeff Marx, by the way. Coach Marx earned his PhD in 1995 from Texas A&M University, following his Bachelor of Science (’87) and Master or Science (’91), also from A&M, where he competed on the Aggie swim team as an undergrad. Dr. Marx also has a Master of Arts (’04) in Christian Education from Dallas Theological Seminary.
Coach Marx, who is also the Academic Dean of Math, Science and Technology for the upper school, is in his seventh year of coaching six-man football. He coached at McKinney Christian Academy for two years, and is in his fifth year at Hill Country. He says he loves the intense discipleship that occurs within the context of the Knights football program.
Before becoming an educator, Dr. Marx was the cofounder of an optical networking startup company, Qtera, which he sold to Nortel Networks in January of 2000.
A Christian for the last 16 years, Dr. Marx and his wife Sherri have been married for 21 years. The Marxes have three children – Lewis (7th), Oliver (4th), and Grace (2nd), all of whom attend Hill Country.
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| Janean Greer |
| Head Volleyball Coach |
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Home-grown head volleyball coach Janean Greer graduated from Hill Country in 2004 before earning her bachelor’s degree from Baylor University in physical education and coaching in 2008, and then marrying her high school sweetheart, Josh Greer, who also graduated from Hill Country in 2004. Josh was an outstanding football, basketball, baseball and track and field athlete during his days as a Knight. The Greers attend Hill Country Bible Church Northwest.
While at Hill Country, Coach Greer earned All-State honors while playing in a volleyball state championship match in 2002, and winning the TAPPS 2A long jump and 400 meters state championships in 2003 in track and field under Coach Toby Thurman.
Coach Greer is an elementary P.E. teacher at Hill Country, as well as the Athletics Administrative Assistant for Athletics Director Pete Craycroft.
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| Philip Hudgens |
| Head Varsity Football and Golf Coach |
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In his 11th year at Hill Country and 12th overall, Philip Hudgens and Scott Horne realized a dream when they started the Knights’ 6-man football program in the summer of 2002. The Knights have been an area and state power ever since, advancing to the playoffs every season but two.
A 1998 graduate of the University of Mary-Hardin Baylor in Belton, Coach Hudgens first taught at the middle school level in the Little River-Academy ISD. He first moved to Austin in 1999, working first for Motorola and then Dell in sales before re-entering the field of education at Hill Country, first as an art teacher for one year, and teaching elementary P.E. ever since. Literally hundreds of Hill Country students have earned their Presidential Fitness Award through the years under Coach Hudgens’ mentorship. Serving as the Knights head golf coach in the spring, he is the assistant baseball coach, and has been an assistant track and field coach in the past as well.
A native of Lubbock, Coach Hudgens graduated from Coronado High School in 1993. He and his wife Joy have been married for twelve years, and have four girls – Grace, Kristen, Anna-Kate, and Chelsea – all of whom attend Hill Country. The Hudgens have attended Hill Country Bible Church Northwest since 2004, where Coach Hudgens worked in Children’s Ministry for two years, and has been leading JourneyMen small groups consisting of Hill Country football players for the past three years.
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