Train together, eat together, break records together, transform a program together — running backs Chuckobe Hill and Ree Simmons have done it all in tandem since arriving at Brunswick High School four years ago.
Naturally, the two also shared the spotlight on national signing day when the founding members of the “Wolf Pack” each announced commitments to Savannah State during a ceremony Wednesday in the high school’s auditorium.
Perhaps the greatest duo in Pirates history, “Thunder and Lightning” combined for 5,433 rushing yards, 1,135 receiving yards and 78 total touchdowns over their prep careers to propel the program to a 25-11 record, three playoff wins, two City Championships, and an outright Region 2-6A title over the past three seasons.
“I wouldn’t want to do it with anybody other than Ree,” Hill said with a smile.
“And it’s vice-versa,” Simmons chimed in. “And now our future upcoming running backs have something to look up to as far as you don’t have to do it by yourself. You can have somebody to do it with.”
While the numbers speak for themselves as to what the combo has meant to Brunswick, Hill and Simmons have an “all-for-one-and-one-for-all” mentality that has permeated through every inch of the locker room.
When a run play was called in the red zone, the pair would decide which ran the ball and which blocked for the other. If the Pirates failed to get into the end zone, they would alternate the ensuing run.
And in spite of the unselfishness, both running backs had career production rivaling any ball carrier in county history.
Hill’s 3,833 yards of offense rank second all-time in Brunswick history and third in Glynn County altogether. His 37 rushing touchdowns rank third all-time at BHS and fourth in the county, and his 2,990 rushing yards are the third-most by a Pirate in a single season.
Simmons isn’t far behind himself with 2,443 career rushing yards and 35 total touchdowns.
“We just came into the program small, not knowing what we were going to accomplish as far as becoming who we are, and we let the city tell us who we were,” Simmons said. “We just gave out the product, and they just gave us the income.”
Hill added: “Brunswick means everything to me. When they talk about Brunswick, they’re going mention my name — they’re going to mention our name, the Wolf Pack. We really made an impact I feel like, and that’s everything to me.
“That made me, I made that.”
Signing day often produces bittersweet moments for athletes as they begin to turn the page on high school while looking forward to the exciting possibilities that await in the next chapter of their lives.
Both signees acknowledged the opportunity that lies ahead.
“To be honest, I’m ready to see what it’s going to bring me. I’m seeing what my limits are — the sky is the limit, really. I’m just ready to see what it brings,” Hill said.
“It’s an opportunity, and it’s going to be a risk, but it’s a risk I’m willing to take to start something new, a new beginning,” followed Simmons. “I’m going to take everything I’ve learned and multiple it times 10 to try to get more knowledge and better myself for the next level.”
The Wolf Pack won’t have to travel far to start their college careers after choosing Savannah State, which picked up a number of commitments around Coastal Georgia on the day. Former teammates Amarion Whitfield and Xavier Bean are also on the Tigers’ roster.
Hill noted the success of Savannah State’s 8-2 season last year that saw the program finish second in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference as a factor in his decision, as well as a run-heavy offense that averaged 217.2 yards per game.
Simmons pointed out there is only one senior running back projected to return to Savannah State this upcoming season, making for ample opportunity to carve out an early role.
As the duo has proven, the sky really is the limit.
“We’re trying to be the next Shannon Sharpe,” Hill said.