Hillsboro High Sports | The Journal-News

Hillsboro senior Samantha Page finished fourth in the long jump at the South Central Conference track meet in Carlinville on May 6, posting a best jump of 4.40 meters.

The Hillsboro High School girls track team walked into the South Central Conference meet on Tuesday, May 6, with 18 entries and emerged six hours later with 14 top eight finishes, including a … more

5/8/25

Hillsboro senior Austin Newingham took third in the discus at the South Central Conference track meet on Tuesday, May 6, with a season-best throw of 39.81 meters.

Toppers Close Out SCC Meet With Win

Almost six hours after the first events of the 2025 South Central Conference kicked off, the last race was decided by literally the blink of an eye. Neck and neck with the hosts from Carlinville, the … more

5/8/25

Hillsboro's Briley Kirby sprints toward third base after a double by Lainey Lessman in the fifth inning of the Toppers' game against Pana on May 5. Before the Pana centerfielder can pick up the ball, Kirby was already on the way home, scoring Hillsboro's third run of the inning.

Pana Holds Off Lady Toppers

Three runs in the bottom of the fifth helped Hillsboro crawl back from a 7-1 deficit on Monday, May 5, but Pana held off the Lady Hiltoppers for the final two innings for a 7-4 victory. Pana built up … more

5/8/25

Senior Clayton Rufus pitched the final two and two-thirds innings of the Hillsboro baseball team's 16-3 loss to Pana on Monday, May 5, striking out three batters.

Panthers Beat Hillsboro In Five

Hillsboro Baseball Coach Kyle McBrain warned his coaching staff when the Toppers’ gradual improvement during this season became evident in a 4-2 loss to Litchfield last week that improvement in … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 5/8/25

The eight senior members of the Hillsboro High School girls soccer team were honored prior to their game versus Wesclin on Tuesday, May 6. Impressively, all eight seniors played together all four years for the soccer Toppers. Pictured above, from the left are Tatum Christian with parents Bill and Heidi Christian, Addison Compagni with mother Angie Compagni, Brynn Connor with parents Jeremy and Shanna Connor, Kamryn Langston with parents Karita Reyes and Ronnie Langston, Reagan Lentz with parents Matt and Brandi Lentz, Sara Milanos with father Angelo Milanos, Aubrey Reincke with parents Vince and Heather Reincke and Zoey Spinner with parents Matthew Spinner and Victoria Spinner.

Lady Soccer Toppers Honor Eight Seniors

The Hillsboro girls soccer team will have a drastically different look to it in 2026, which was evident from the long line of honorees at senior night on Tuesday, May 6. Tatum Christian, Addison … more

5/8/25

With Litchfield's David Schoen glued to first base, Hillsboro's Joel Malloy peers in at Panther starting pitcher Max Leitschuh as he takes a trepidacious lead during the South Central Conference clash on Friday, May 2, in Litchfield. Baserunners were at a premium in the game, which Litchfield won by a 4-2 final score.

Purple Panthers Hold Off Toppers

Two young baseball teams were involved in a well-played, albeit delayed by weather-related field conditions, Friday evening, May 2, when Hillsboro invaded Litchfield for their first meeting of the … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 5/5/25

Hillsboro Girls Beat Personal Bests

The Hillsboro girls track team finished fifth or better with eight of their 14 entries and recorded six personal records on Friday, May 2, as the Lady Hiltoppers competed in the Don Williams … more

5/5/25

Hillsboro Boys Top Pana, Rochester

Hillsboro finished either first or second 16 times at the triangular meet in Pana on Tuesday, April 29, with several personal bests dotting the results of the meet as well. The Toppers finished the … more

5/5/25

Lady Toppers A Close Second At Pana Meet

It was a good day to have a good day for the Hillsboro girls track team as they finished second by just one point to host Pana at the Panthers’ triangular on Tuesday, April 29. Hillsboro … more

5/5/25

Litchfield's Kristin Gruelle tries to cut off Hillsboro's Chloe Atkins before she can send a ball back down the field during the South Central Conference match-up in Litchfield on Tuesday, April 29. The Panthers had it going on both sides of the field as Gruelle and the LHS defense scored their fourth straight shutout, while the Litchfield offense scored nine times, with #6 Adia Melchert picking up one of those goals and assisting on three others.

Litchfield Tops Hillsboro For SCC Win

In general, the Litchfield versus Hillsboro girls soccer rivalry has been pretty even the last few years. Going into this year’s match-up on April 29, in Litchfield, nine of the last 13 games … more

5/1/25

Matoush, Morrow Duel It Out At North Mac

One never knows. Hillsboro baseball fans (and probably some of the players) awakened to raindrops on Tuesday, April 29, and assumed, “No game today.” Then came a call from Virden, the … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 5/1/25

County Scores 11 Wins At SCC F/S Meet

The Hillsboro girls won six events and placed second in the team standings at the South Central Conference Freshman/Sophomore Meet on April 24, while the Litchfield girls added three wins and also … more

5/1/25

Hillsboro Blasts North Mac In Five

Hillsboro's game may have been moved to Virden on April 29, but the Lady Hiltoppers played like they were at home sweet home as they defeated North Mac 12-2 in five innings. The Toppers scored … more

5/1/25

Hillsboro's Amony Anderson was part of three of the Toppers' four runner-up finishes at the Comet Relays in Greenville on Friday, April 25, as he ran a leg in the sprint medley and the 4x400 relays and jumped 6.13 meters in the long jump, the second best jump of the day.

Hiltoppers Hit The Track At Greenville

The Hillsboro High School track team competed in the Comet Relays in Greenville on Friday, April 25. The Hillsboro boys placed third in the seven team meet, behind only Vandalia and Nashville, while … more

4/28/25

Hillsboro Soccer Splits With Panthers, Crimsons

The Hillsboro High School girls soccer team split a pair of games to end the week as they defeated North Mac 4-1 on April 24, before falling to Jacksonville 1-0 on April 26. The Toppers defeated … more

4/28/25

Six years after the Matoush family gathered for one signing, they were back at Hillsboro High School for another college announcement. Hillsboro senior Nathan Matoush will be heading to Dartmouth University in Hanover, NH, where he will continue his academic and baseball career. Seated with Matoush are his parents, Jill and Chris, and sister Sammi. In the back are Hillsboro Head Baseball Coach Kyle McBrain and Assistant Baseball Coach Matt Burke.

Matoush’s Path Leads To Dartmouth University

It’s April and Chris and Jill Matoush are sitting at a table on the far side of the Hillsboro High School gym as their child, the all-time leading scorer in the history of Topper basketball, … more

by Kyle Herschelman | 4/24/25

Lady Toppers Beat Gillespie For Mattson's 100th

Two goals in the final five and a half minutes gave the Hillsboro girls soccer team a 6-4 win over Gillespie on Monday, April 21, as the Toppers picked up their second South Central Conference … more

4/24/25

Hillsboro pitcher Liam Blackburn brings it to the plate during the Toppers game in Greenville on Tuesday, April 22. Blackburn allowed one hit in four innings against the Comets, who picked up an 8-5 win over Hillsboro.

Hiltoppers Fall To Greenville

If one compared the records of Hillsboro and Greenville High’s baseball teams before their game in Greenville on Tuesday, April 22, on the Comet’s field, he’d have predicted an easy … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 4/24/25

Tennis Toppers Topple Rockets

A pair of doubles wins gave the Hillsboro boys tennis team a 5-4 victory in Rochester on Monday, April 21, as the Tennis Toppers improved to 4-2 on the season. The two teams split singles play, with … more

4/24/25

Hillsboro outfielder Brooklyn Fisher gets the ball back into the infield after a Greenville hit in the Toppers' game against the Comets on April 22. Greenville broke a 2-2 tie with seven runs in the bottom of the fourth to hand Hillsboro a 9-2 loss, their ninth of the season.

Big Inning Lifts Comets Past Lady Hiltoppers

The Greenville High School softball team scored seven runs in the fourth inning to pick up a 9-2 victory over Hillsboro on Tuesday, April 22. The Comets’ big inning came courtesy of five … more

4/24/25