Hillsboro High Sports | The Journal-News

Hillsboro's Noah Satterlee clears the high jump bar at 1.85 meters (6'0.75") to move on to the next height at the IHSA Class 1A State Track Meet on Thursday, May 28. Satterlee also cleared the next height of 1.88 meters, which moved him on to Saturday's finals, where he'd finish 16th overall.

Satterlee, Toppers Make Big Jump At State

Competing on day one of the IHSA Class 1A State Track Meet was a big step for the Hillboro High School boys track program. But competing on day three as well? That was a giant leap. The first of six … more

6/1/26

Toppers Nearly Knock Cavies Out Of Regionals

After a pair of tough losses to end the regular season to Chester (15-1) and Carlyle (10-0), the Hillsboro High School baseball team put a scare into Carlinville in the opening game of regionals … more

5/28/26

Tyson Edwards (left) and Kaleb White (right) punched their ticket to state by finishing fourth at the IHSA Lake Springfield Sectional on Thursday, May 21. The duo caught five fish weighing 10.91 pounds to advance to the state tournament June 5-6 at Lake Shelbyville.

Toppers Tandem Headed To State

It was tough going for several of the 30 teams competing for a spot at state at the IHSA Lake Springfield Bass Fishing Sectional on May 21, but not too tough for a pair of Hillsboro's best anglers. … more

5/28/26

Toppers Sending Four To State Track Meet

Last year, Hillsboro’s Elijah Patton finished 27th at state in the 800 meters, representing one of the smallest schools in Class 2A. Now, Patton will get his shot at the 1A crowd at state. The … more

5/28/26

The Litchfield-Mt. Olive girls soccer team picked up their eighth regional championship and a team-record 22nd win on the season on Saturday, May 23, with a 9-1 victory over Hillsboro in the championship game of the Hillsboro Regional. In front, from the left, are Maya Estell, Alli Frerichs, Avery Stewart and Chloe Law. In the middle are Kyndal Law, Lydia Gruelle, Emma Weidner, Lynzie Reid, Kathryn Cox, Halle Rogers and Savannah Carle. In the back are Melody Vazzi, Eva Essington, Madison Betz, Cheyenne Cobix, Justice Binney, Charlotte Reyes, McKenna Harmon, Mataya Melchert, Kilee Hoover, Zoei Schmitz, Emily Buzick and Adia Melchert.

Panthers Punch Ticket To Sectionals

The last time the Hillsboro and Litchfield-Mt. Olive girls soccer teams met at the Hillsboro Sports Complex, the Lady Panthers needed 33 minutes to get goal number one. Less than a month later, … more

5/26/26

Hillsboro junior Amya Greenwood made her state debut on Thursday, May 21, going 9.64 meters (31'7.50") to place 31st in the preliminary round of the triple jump at the IHSA Class 1A State Track Meet.

State Trip Just The Start For Lady Topper Track

After two years in Class 2A, the Hillsboro High School track team returned to Class 1A and qualified for state in seven events out of the Carlinville Sectional, the most since 1997 and probably well … more

5/26/26

Tigers Find Way To Stop Toppers

With an average of more than nine runs scored per game, offense has been one of the Hillsboro softball team’s strengths this season. But in softball, pitching always seems to be a difference maker … more

5/26/26

Hillsboro Blasts North Mac In Regionals

While the regional championship game didn’t end how the Toppers would have liked, the Hillsboro girls soccer team was able to come away with one highlight from the regional tournament. On … more

5/26/26

It was a big day for area anglers as the Nokomis, Hillsboro and Mt. Olive high school bass fishing teams snagged the top four spots at the IHSA Coffeen Lake Regional on Thursday, May 14. From the left are first place finishers Andrew Suslee, driver Mark Wiseman and Daryl Evans of Nokomis; second place finishers Kaleb White and Tyson Edwards of Hillsboro; third place finishers Tucker Durbin and Max Durbin of Mt. Olive; and fourth place finishers Kash Malloy and Logan Ellis of Hillsboro.

County Anglers Land Sectional Spots At IHSA Regional Tourney

It’s hard to know if it is still “home field advantage” when the sport is on the water, but Montgomery County’s bass fishing teams definitely took advantage of their IHSA bass fishing … more

5/21/26

We received a photo of the Litchfield boys track team celebrating their sectional championship pretty fast, almost as fast as the Panthers were on Wednesday night in Gillespie. Litchfield picked up nine state qualifying berths in eight events in Gillespie, giving them back-to-back sectional titles on the boys' side for the first time since they won five in a row between 2001 and 2005.

It's Wednesday, Do You Know Where Your Teams Are?

Wednesday high school sporting events are usually fairly rare, but it's May and that means all bets are off when it comes to scheduling the final games of the season. I cover 17 teams from four … more

by Kyle Herschelman | 5/21/26

From a raw talent to one of the top defenders in the conference, Brady Stritzel has come a long way in his four years playing for the Hillsboro High School boys soccer team. Now soccer has taken Stritzel a little further, to play for Blackburn College. Pictured with Stritzel are his parents, Andy and Tracey Stritzel, and Hillsboro boys soccer coach Jason Burke.

Stritzel's Efforts Earn Him Spot At Blackburn

It’s a different sport and a different town, but Hillsboro High School is sending another Stritzel to play in college. On Monday, May 11, Brady Stritzel committed to play soccer and continue … more

by Kyle Herschelman | 5/21/26

Tennis Toppers Take Down Shells

The Hillsboro High School boys tennis team made short work of Roxana on Thursday, May 14, beating the Shells 9-0 on their home courts. The closest of the six singles matches was the number six … more

5/21/26

Hillsboro Girls Track Sending Seven To State

The Hillsboro High School girls track team qualified for state in just under half of their entries at the sectional in Carlinville on Wednesday, May 13, as the young squad continues to rewrite the … more

5/18/26

Late Surge Pushes Toppers Past Cahokia

Two big innings helped Hillsboro score a 22-6 victory over Cahokia on Thursday, May 14, on the Comanches’ home field. Despite the final score, the game was close early on as Cahokia led 2-1 … more

5/18/26

Hillsboro's Gracie Chambers (#3) and Emma Andrews (#31) converge on Wesclin's Arely Diaz-Lopez during their game on Saturday, May 16, in Trenton. The Warriors scored five goals in the first half, en route to a 5-2 win over the Toppers in the regular season finale.

Strong First Half Lifts Warriors Past Toppers

May hasn’t been a great month for the Hillsboro High School girls soccer team, but the Lady Hiltoppers are hoping that home field advantage will change their fortunes around this coming week in … more

5/18/26

Hillsboro Wins Last Two In Regular Season

After losing for the first time since April 13, the Hillsboro High School softball team rebounded from their narrow loss to Gillespie on Tuesday to pick up back-to-back wins over Alton Marquette and … more

5/18/26

Hillsboro Girls Win Big Before Miners Stop Streak

The Hillsboro High School softball team saw their win streak come to an end on Tuesday, May 12, with a 5-2 loss to Gillespie, but not before adding two more wins against Father McGivney and North Mac … more

5/16/26

On Saturday, May 2, long-time Hillsboro statistician, coach and sportswriter Ron Deabenderfer was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame as a Friend of Basketball. Pictured with Deabenderfer is IBCA board member Blake Lucas.

Deabenderfer Inducted Into IBCA Hall Of Fame

A fixture in the Hillsboro High School sports scene for nearly 60 years, Ron Deabenderfer was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) Hall of Fame during the IBCA banquet on … more

5/14/26

With ten seniors on this year's team, Litchfield Head Coach Rocky Giannuzzi was able to field a whole squad from the Class of 2026 on senior night, May 12, against Hillsboro. Seniors and their parents, from the left, are Ethan Saathoff, with mom Tiffany Ostermann; Titan Hires, with parents Gregg and Kari Hires; Max Leitschuh, with parents Nikol and Robert Leitschuh; Matthew Bywater, with parents Gail and Blake Bywater; Cal Frerichs, with parents Mary Ann and Tom Frerichs; Tucker Maguire, with mom Briann Maguire; Sam Schwab, with parents Ben and Jenny Schwab; Tucker Pastrovich, with parents Brad and Marisa Pastrovich ; Laidyn Jones, with parents Misty and Isaac Pizzo; and Kaiden Law, with mom Jes Kruse.

Seniors Get Their Moment In Panthers’ Win Over Hillsboro

The Litchfield-Mt. Olive baseball team said thank you to their ten seniors on Tuesday, May 12, then handed Hillsboro a 17-0 loss in a non-conference game between the two rivals. Sam Schwab, Tucker … more

5/14/26

Blackburn’s Gem Gives Hiltoppers Fourth Win

Hillsboro’s Liam Blackburn held Bunker Hill to two hits and the Toppers overcame an early deficit to pick up their fourth win of the season on Monday, May 11, at Bunker Hill. Offense was at a … more

5/14/26