Hillsboro High Sports | The Journal-News

Hillsboro's Brady Stritzel (#25) and Nico Clark (#3) meet up at the feet of Riverton's Jaxson Miller (#20) during the Toppers' game on the Hawks' home field in Riverton. Clark had three goals in Hillsboro's 6-1 victory, their 11th in a row.

Fresh off a huge 9-0 against North Mac on Thursday, the Hillsboro High School boys soccer team traveled to Riverton Saturday morning for a non-conference tilt against the Hawks. For the … more

9/30/24

Members of the Lincolnwood and Hillsboro soccer teams take a group photo with the family of Grace Herschelman following the second annual Grace Cup game between the two rivals. After finishing in a tie last year, Hillsboro won this year’s game by a 4-0 final score to take possession of the Grace Cup traveling trophy.

Grace Cup Goes To Toppers In 2024

There are two sides of the Lincolnwood/Hillsboro soccer rivalry. There is the feel good side. It’s the side that sees two teams come together to compete for the Grace Cup, a traveling … more

9/26/24

Litchfield's Brody Dykema looks for an opportunity to get the ball away from Hillsboro's Will Yeske during the South Central Conference clash in Litchfield on Tuesday, Sept. 24. The Toppers scored twice in the first half and three more times in the second to pick up a 5-1 win over the Panthers.

Win Keeps Hillsboro In SCC Title Hunt

The Hillsboro/Litchfield boys soccer game on Tuesday, Sept. 24, was as close to a must-win in terms of the South Central Conference title race. The Toppers entered the game with eight straight … more

by Kyle Herschelman | 9/26/24

North Mac Doubles Up At SCC Golf Tournament

Going into the 2024 South Central Conference golf tournament the same school had finished atop the standings in both the girls and boys tournaments seven times. On Tuesday, Sept. 24, the North Mac … more

9/26/24

Toppers, Panthers To Tangle Friday

The rivalry between Hillsboro and Litchfield High Schools isn’t as intense as it seemed to be sixty years ago when the ten miles between them weren’t as easy to travel, but it still … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 9/26/24

The Hillsboro High School volleyball team went 3-1 at the Vandalia Tournament on Sept. 21, beating Cowden-Herrick-Beecher City, East Alton-Wood River and Vandalia’s JV team before falling to Carlyle in a close championship game. In front, from the left, are Albany Kindernay, Amya Greenwood, Briley Kirby, Peyton Christian, Reagan Lentz. In the back row are Kailey Weiss, Kearstynn Davis, Addison Lowe, Tatum Christian and Peyton Chappelear.

Lady Toppers Take Second At Vandalia

For the second time this season, the Hillsboro High School volleyball team left a tournament with a winning record and a second place trophy as the Lady Hiltoppers were the runner-up in the Vandalia … more

9/26/24

Soccer Toppers Win Seventh Straight

The Hillsboro High School boys soccer team won their seventh straight game Thursday, Sept. 19, as they traveled to Greenville to face off against the Comets in a South Central match-up both sides … more

9/23/24

Thanks to a hole opened by Jesse Ringhausen (#76) and the Hillsboro offensive line, junior running back Amony Anderson found some running room early in the Toppers' match-up with Gillespie on Sept. 20. Anderson scored a 33-yard touchdown to give Hillsboro a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, but 21 unanswered points by the Miners gave them their first win of the season.

Gillespie Gets First Win Against Hiltoppers

“If only...” aren’t happy words for sports teams, coaches or fans to hear or think, but they certainly applied to Hillsboro’s fate in the football game played in Gillespie … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 9/23/24

Hillsboro's Claire Matthews returns a shot at the net during her match with partner Zoey Spinner during the Highland Doubles Tournament on Saturday, Sept. 14. The tournament was part of a busy six days for the Toppers, who beat Bunker Hill/Staunton, East Alton-Wood River and Roxana in the days after the trip to Highland.

Toppers Collect Wins During A Busy Week

It was a busy six-day span for the Hillsboro High School girls tennis team as the Lady Hiltoppers played in a doubles tournament and three regular season matches between Sept. 14 and Sept. 19. The … more

9/23/24

Lincolnwood Girls Add To Victory Total

The Lincolnwood-Morrisonville girls golf team continues to hone their skills as the season winds down, with the Lady Lancers playing some of their best golf as of late. In their two matches to … more

9/23/24

Hillsboro’s Mitchell Cunningham (#7) celebrates with teammates Alec Pollard (#9) and Clayton Rufus (#12) after Mark Mattson (#10) put the Toppers on the scoreboard against Civic Memorial on Saturday, Sept. 14, at the Hillsboro Sports Complex. Hillsboro went on to beat the Eagles 3-0 for their fifth consecutive win after starting the season with three losses in their first four games.

Hiltoppers Shut Down Bulldogs, Eagles

Fresh off big back-to-back wins against the Southwestern Piasa Birds Tuesday and the St. Anthony Bulldogs Wednesday, the Hillsboro High School boys soccer team traveled west Thursday afternoon, Sept. … more

9/19/24

Hillsboro's Tycen Thacker shot a 3-over-par 39 at the Hillsboro Country Club on Monday, Sept. 16, helping the Toppers to a 172 as a team.

Albatross Helps Marquette Swoop Past Hillsboro Boys

Golf was for the birds on Monday, Sept. 16, at the Hillsboro Country Club, as the Hillsboro boys golf team hosted Alton Marquette and Pana. Marquette junior Andrew Belkin used a three hybrid to hole … more

9/19/24

Hillsboro Football Looks To Get Right In Gillespie

The football Toppers travel to Gillespie Friday, Sept. 20, for a contest between the only zero win teams in the South Central Conference; neither has cobbled together a win in the three games each … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 9/19/24

Hiltoppers Fall To Marquette After Busy Weekend

If 2024 is any indication, Montgomery County’s volleyball teams may want to take a few days off next year after the Grace Tournament. All four county schools played either Monday or Tuesday … more

9/19/24

Trading in their orange and black for purple, the Lincolnwood and Hillsboro volleyball teams shake hands prior to the championship match of this year's Montgomery County Invitational Grace Tournament, held in memory of the late Grace Herschelman. The Lancers and Toppers wore the "Grace" jerseys throughout the tournament and met up in the championship game on Saturday, Sept. 14, for the third straight year, with Lincolnwood beating Hillsboro for their third consecutive title.

County Teams Go For The Gold For Grace

Be it county rivalries or the cause associated with the Montgomery County Invitational, the 16-team event dubbed the Grace Tournament just seems to mean more for Lincolnwood, Hillsboro, Nokomis and … more

9/16/24

With doubles partner Rylee Rogers backing her, Hillsboro’s Avery Reynolds returns a shot during the Lady Hiltoppers’ match with Father McGivney on Tuesday, Sept. 10, at the Hillsboro Sports Complex. While the Toppers fell to Father McGivney at home, they rebounded with a 6-3 win over Vandalia on Thursday, Sept. 12.

Toppers Single Out Vandalia

The Hillsboro girls tennis team picked up their third win of the season on Thursday, Sept. 12, beating Vandalia 6-3 on the Vandals’ home courts. The Toppers went 5-for-6 in singles play, … more

9/16/24

Weiss Leads Toppers Past Rochester

The nine holes at the Hillsboro Country Club were playing tough for everyone on Thursday, Sept. 12, as the Hillsboro boys golf team hosted Rochester. Well, almost everyone. Hillsboro’s Colton … more

9/16/24

Hillsboro's Ethan Hamby bounces off his block into open space during the Toppers' home game against Staunton on Friday, Sept. 13. Hamby had 109 yards on the ground for the Toppers, but Staunton escaped with a 21-14 win.

Luck, Victory Evades Toppers Against Staunton

Several faulty reasons for Hillsboro’s 21-14 loss to Staunton floated around the Hillsboro campus Friday evening, Sept. 13, when the two 0-2 football squads met in what became the most … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 9/16/24

Lady Panthers Bounce Back Against Hillsboro

Round two on Sept. 12, between the Hillsboro and Litchfield volleyball teams had the distinct feeling of deja vu, but from different moments in the past, depending on which team you were cheering … more

9/16/24

Toppers Win South Central Opener

After three games on the road in Williamsville and one in Wesclin, the Hillsboro High School boys soccer team finally came back to the green, green pitch of home Tuesday, Sept. 10, as they hosted the … more

9/12/24