Hillsboro High Sports | The Journal-News

Topper Track Gets Six Wins, Six Seconds At Home Meet

The Hillsboro boys track team picked up six wins and six second place finishes at their home meet on Tuesday, April 15, as they welcomed Carlinville and Pana to Topper Territory. Four of the six … more

4/17/25

Hearts Attack Hillsboro In First Inning

The Hillsboro High School softball team made the hour-long trek to Effingham on Monday, April 14, to play the Flaming Hearts in Hillsboro’s 12th game of the season. The hosts were less than … more

4/17/25

SCC Opener A Gem For Hiltoppers, Piasa Birds

With apologies to the songwriter who once penned “I pity anyone who isn’t me today,” as a baseball fan I can write I pity anyone who didn’t see the Piasa … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 4/14/25

Hillsboro's Sloan Bertolino works to get the ball away from Pleasant Plains sophomore Callie Wagner during the Lady Hiltoppers home game on April 12. The undefeated Cardinals looked to be in mid-season form against Hillsboro as they scored ten times in the first half for a 10-0 victory.

Plain And Simple, Cardinals Are Good

The South Central Conference showdown between Hillsboro and Staunton was cancelled on Thursday, April 10, after storms rolled through Bulldog Country ten minutes after the game began. While they may … more

4/14/25

Toppers Score Shutout In First Match Back

Between wet weather and several players in the operetta, it had been two weeks since the Hillsboro boys tennis team had been on the courts for a match when they hosted Taylorville on April 9. … more

4/14/25

Hillsboro's Briley Kirby hustles down the line to beat the throw to first during the Lady Hiltoppers' game against Southwestern on Friday, April 11. Kirby went 3-for-3 at the plate with three runs scored, but Southwestern took advantage of their opportunities in the fourth and fifth innings to score 17 runs in a 19-4 victory over the Toppers.

Errors Costly To Hiltoppers In Losses

Lapses on defense were costly for the Hillsboro High School softball team in their games against Jerseyville and Southwestern as the Lady Hiltoppers committed 15 errors in a pair of losses to the … more

4/14/25

Sophia Watkins, shown here during Hillsboro's home meet on April 1, set a new school record in the 100 meter dash on April 8, in Gillespie, running a 12.32 to eclipse Kyra Huber's 2017 mark by .04 seconds.

Watkins Sprints To New School Record

In 2017, Hillsboro sophomore Kyra Huber broke a 32-year-old school record by running a 12.32 in the 100 meter dash at the Pana Invite. On Tuesday, April 8, that record’s run came to an end. … more

4/10/25

Hillsboro outfielder Clayton Rufus climbs the left field fence in an effort to snag Jhude Walker’s high fly ball in the second inning of the Toppers’ game against Lincolnwood-Morrisonville on Monday, April 7. Walker also scored one of four Lincolnwood runs in the first as the Lancers came away with a 9-3 victory over the neighboring Hiltoppers.

Early Runs Lift Lancers Over Hillsboro

The Lincolnwood-Morrisonville baseball team built a four-run first inning into a 9-3 victory over visiting Hillsboro Monday afternoon, April 7; the Lancers moved to 3-4, while the Toppers fell to … more

by Ron Deabenderfer and Kyle Herschelman | 4/10/25

Hillsboro Boys On Top At Gillespie Quad

The Hillsboro boys track team picked up 99 points and a team victory on Tuesday, April 8, as they took the top spot in a quad meet in Gillespie. The Toppers finished 12 points ahead of Vandalia and … more

4/10/25

Eight-Run Fourth Lifts Jerseyville Past Hillsboro

Lesson learned for the 2025 Hillsboro baseball team – don’t mess with Panthers, especially those from Jerseyville, because, at least for this season when the Toppers are young and … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 4/10/25

Third Straight Shutout Gives Toppers SCC Win

The Hillsboro High School girls soccer team picked up their third straight shutout victory on Tuesday, April 8, as they defeated Southwestern 4-0 in the conference opener for both teams, at the … more

4/10/25

Errors Costly For Toppers In Loss To Mater Dei

Six errors resulted in six unearned runs for the Hillsboro High School softball team on Monday, April 7, as the Lady Hiltoppers fell to Breese Mater Dei 9-4 at the Hillsboro Sports Complex. The … more

4/10/25

Hillsboro High School senior Brynn Connor was joined by her family, coaches and teammates on Thursday, March 27, as she signed to play soccer for Coe College in Cedar Rapids, IA, after graduation. Seated with Connor are her parents, Shanna and Jeremy, and younger sister Brylee, with Hillsboro High School girls soccer Head Coach Dave Mattson and Assistant Coach Matt Lentz behind her. Unable to be at the signing was Connor’s older brother Bryce, a student at the University of North Carolina in Wilmington.

From Turf Worm To Topper, Connor's Effort Leads Her To Coe

Brynn Connor sees a connection between her two passions, soccer and dance, both of which she has been doing for most of her life. The first aspect is the physical. The improvement in athleticism … more

by Kyle Herschelman | 4/7/25

Hiltoppers Fall To Kahoks Before Break For Operetta

The Hillsboro High School boys tennis team lost their first match of the season on Wednesday, March 26, as they fell to 2-1 with a 6-3 loss in Collinsville. The Toppers had the most success in … more

4/7/25

Hillsboro's Will Yeske (left) and Antonio Valentin lead a pack of runners in the 800 meters during the Toppers' home meet on Tuesday, April 1. The pair finished sixth and fifth, respectively, in the 800, while their fellow Toppers pictured a few yards behind them, Braylen Stewart and Brodie Clinard, finished 11th and 12th.

Toppers Take Top Spot At Home Track Meet

The Hillsboro boys track team was at home on Tuesday, April 1, as they hosted a four-team meet at Sawyer Field. The Toppers put their numbers to work and picked up 91 points at the meet to take the … more

4/3/25

Hillsboro's Sophia Watkins reaches back to take the baton from Kailey Weiss for the anchor leg of the 4x100 meter relay at the Toppers' home meet on Tuesday, April 1. Watkins, who won the 100 and 200 meter dashes at the meet, closed out the win for the Toppers, who nished 1.8 seconds ahead of Staunton with a time of 54.9.

Hillsboro Girls Get Six Wins In Seven Events

What the Hillsboro girls track team lacks in quantity, they more than make up for in quality, as they showed on Tuesday, April 1. Hosting Southwestern, Staunton and Greenville, the Lady Hiltoppers … more

4/3/25

Toppers Win Tourney Opener

The Hillsboro High School girls soccer team picked up their second straight win on Monday, March 31, as they defeated North Mac 9-0 at the Litchfield Tournament. The Toppers, who beat East … more

4/3/25

Hillsboro Girls Add To Taylorville's Woes

After a tough loss to Auburn on Monday, the Hillsboro High School softball team came from behind to beat Taylorville 5-4 on Tuesday, April 1, at the Hillsboro Sports Complex. The Tornadoes entered … more

4/3/25

Hillsboro's Jackson Tuetken takes a cut during the Toppers' home game against Staunton on Monday, March 31, at the Hillsboro Sports Complex. Tuetken and the rest of the Toppers didn't have much luck against Staunton starter Reese Bohlen, who struck out 17 batters in a 7-0 no-hit victory.

Bohlen's Gem Sinks Hiltoppers

Usually one never knows what to expect when attending a last day of March high school baseball game in mid-Illinois. The weather is often problematic; young pitching arms have yet to settle into a … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 4/3/25

In front is Brenden Rayl with his parents, Justin and Carrie (Barnhardt) Rayl. In the back are Assistant Coach Corey Ford, Brenden’s sister Ariel, his uncle Jose Briagas, his grandparents Larry and Margaret Barnhardt and Head Coach EJ Brooks.

Rayl Signs To Wrestle For MoBap

Belleville Althoff senior Brenden Rayl will continue his athletic and academic career at Missouri Baptist University after signing to wrestle for the Spartans last week. Rayl, the grandson of Larry … more

4/3/25