Nick Hill of Chelsea High School, the 2009 Washtenaw County football Player of the Year. (Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com)

The four-year varsity tailback took his last class at Chelsea High School last week, leaving behind plenty of memories, a plethora of records and accolades, and a little more green-and-white attire sprinkled around the football-crazy town.

Like that Spartan hat atop the head of Drew Anstead, a fifth grader at Chelsea’s South Meadows School and a die-hard Michigan football fan. He surprised even his own family with that purchase.

But Hill has been the most prolific football player the youth of Chelsea have been exposed to for the past four seasons, capping a stellar career by being named the Washtenaw County Player of the Year, All-State first team for the second consecutive year and the Associated Press’s Division 3-4 Player of the Year.

Chelsea coach Brad Bush just hopes all the supporters of his team realize what they’ve witnessed.

“It’s tough because Nick’s gotten a lot of publicity, so even the people in Chelsea that have seen him play so many games -- 47 varsity football games -- I don’t even think that they appreciate how good he has been,” Bush said. “When you get to be as consistent as he’s been, people can take it for granted a little bit.”

Hill capped his high school career by rushing for 1,989 yards and 33 touchdowns this fall, giving him a four-year total of 6,810 yards and 96 touchdowns. Those totals put him in fifth-place in both rushing yards and touchdowns in the MHSAA record book.

Surprisingly for his size (5-foot-7, 185 pounds) Hill was a workhorse, between-the-tackles runner at Chelsea and used his strength (330-pound bench press, 580-pound squat) to break tackles. But once free, his 4.4-second 40-yard dash time allowed him to run away from defenders.

But more than statistics, Bush points to Hill’s ability to make the big play Chelsea needed to win games. The Bulldogs had a 38-9 record with Hill on their roster.

And the last high school win Hill experienced was the ultimate example. The Bulldogs were trailing a Division 3 district championship game at Carleton Airport and were backed up on their own 12-yard-line with two minutes to play.

Game over? Not quite.

Bush called a dive play designed to get the Bulldogs out of the hole. Hill busted it for a 30-yard gain. On the next play, another basic running call, he went 58 yards for a game-winning touchdown.

“That was so symbolic of his career here,” Bush said. “Big plays in big games. I think what he’s done for four straight years is pretty rare.”

Now it’s on to the Big Ten to see how he can contribute to the Spartans.

Hill took extra courses to wrap up his academic requirements at Chelsea High School two trimesters early. He’ll graduate after completing a one-credit online class and will report to Michigan State on Jan. 4.

“It’s exciting and kind of sad at the same time,” Hill said. “I’ll miss my friends, but I’m looking forward to taking a new step and reaching the next level of my life - in football, in academics, and in responsibility.”

He says he’ll use the same attitude and work ethic in East Lansing that was so successful for him in Chelsea and hopes to start making an impression in spring practice.

“I have a mentality that I’m the best out there, there’s nobody better than me and I have to go out and prove it to everybody out there that has the same mentality,” Hill says. “That’s the kind of mentality I’m going to take up there with me to Michigan State.”

Hill says he chose Michigan State because of the emphasis head coach Mark Dantonio puts on academics and community involvement.

“I’ve been raised that way and that’s how we run things in Chelsea,” says Hill, a solid student and citizen. “I wanted to be a part of a program that has the same beliefs as I do.”

Despite the MSU hat on his head, little Drew Anstead insists he’s still a U-M fan first. But now he’ll pull for the Spartans, unless they are playing the Wolverines. Even that day, he’ll root for Hill to have a good game.

“I think that’s awesome,” Hill says of the influence he’s had on the youth of Chelsea. “I’m proud that I have carried myself well enough over the past four years that I’ve become a role model.”