Hillsboro High Sports | The Journal-News

Hillsboro's Amya Greenwood closely guards Litchfield's Kyndal Law during the match-up between the two Montgomery County foes on Monday, Dec. 11. Law and company gave Hillsboro all they could handle for three quarters, before the Toppers used a 17-0 fourth quarter to pull out a 49-24 win.

At first glance, Hillsboro’s 49-24 win over Litchfield looks exactly like what you would have predicted if you just looked at the team’s records before the game. The Toppers were 5-5 … more

by Kyle Herschelman | 12/14/23

Hillsboro's Dylan Lessman (#32) had 69 yards on 14 carries before an injury knocked him out of the Toppers' game at Vandalia on Friday, Oct. 6. Hillsboro held a 3-0 halftime lead against the Vandals thanks to a Hunter Payne field goal, but Vandalia scored 27 unanswered points to escape with their fifth win of the year.

Injuries, Vandals Take Down Toppers

The Toppers versus Pana game in Hillsboro last Friday, Sept. 29, had the Hillsboro fans at least mildly depressed at halftime but enthused by the end of the game. That enthusiasm carried over through … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 10/10/23

County Dual Heads North To Mt. Zion

For several years, the annual regular season meeting between the Litchfield and Hillsboro wrestling teams took place in one of three places: Hillsboro, Litchfield or Mt. Olive, who was the customary … more

12/14/23

Cumberland's Kelby Bierman (left) and Hillsboro's Nathan Matoush fight for possession during the third place game of the St. Elmo Holiday Tournament on Saturday, Dec. 16. The pair led their respective teams in scoring, with Bierman scoring 13 and Matoush finishing with 15, as the Pirates escaped with a 53-46 come-from-behind victory over the Hiltoppers.

Toppers Can't Close Gap With Cumberland

Poor free throw shooting and eight fourth quarter turnovers were the primary reasons Hillsboro’s boys basketball team fell to the Cumberland Pirates 53-46 in the third place game at the St. … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 12/18/23

Toppers Start Tourney With A Win

As the top seed in the St. Elmo Christmas Tournament, the Hillsboro Hiltoppers had two distinctions; they were selected to play the opening game on Tuesday, Dec. 12, and they were pitted against the … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 12/14/23

Beating the throw from the outfield to Lincolnwood-Morrisonville catcher Kaci Bethard, Hillsboro’s Audrey Shultz slides into home plate for the Lady Hiltoppers’ eighth run of the game. Hillsboro went on to score two more after Shultz’s sprint to the plate as they defeated the Lady Lancers 10-5 in Hillsboro on Monday, March 11.

Hillsboro, Lincolnwood Square Off In Softball Season Opener

It’s usually a toss-up when it comes to early March weather in Illinois, but the Lincolnwood and Hillsboro softball teams had about as good of conditions as you can get for their season opener … more

by Kyle Herschelman | 3/14/24

Hillsboro senior Ellie Miller (#12) sets up Addison Lowe for the attack during the Toppers' home game on Oct. 5, against Staunton. The Bulldogs picked up their 38th straight win in the South Central Conference, beating the Toppers 25-10, 25-21.

Staunton Still Top Dog In SCC

With a 4-0 South Central Conference record in 2023 and a 37-game SCC win streak dating back to 2019, Staunton was the consensus favorite to win the conference title for a fourth straight year in … more

10/10/23

Hiltoppers Shut Down Cavaliers

Relying on Nathan Matoush’s left arm, Hillsboro downed Carlinville 11-1 in five innings of South Central Conference baseball action Friday afternoon, April 12. Partially because the Topper … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 4/15/24

Hillsboro Rally Comes Up Just Short

One never knows. When rain fell Wednesday night, April 10, I for one assumed the Toppers game at Breese Mater Dei would be washed off the schedule. As the bus … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 4/15/24

Redskins Shut Out Staunton

Six Nokomis pitchers combined for a two-hit shutout on Monday, March 11, as the Redskins defeated Staunton 5-0 in the season opener for both teams. The combination of Ian Keller, Drake Taylor, … more

3/14/24

Three Toppers Medal At Jersey Meat Grinder

Ten members of the Hillsboro wrestling team hit the junior varsity circuit and competed at the Jersey Meat Grinder JV Tournament in Jerseyville on Saturday, Dec. 9. Hillsboro finished eighth at the … more

12/14/23

Salem Spoils Greenwood's 20-Point Game

A difficult third quarter spoiled a career night by Ella Greenwood as Hillsboro fell to Salem 57-51 on Saturday, Dec. 16, on the Wildcats’ home floor. Both teams entered the game with a … more

12/18/23

Hillsboro senior Dawson Guinn gets a fist bump from first base coach Joshua Fulhorst after being robbed of a hit by the Rochester shortstop in the seventh inning of the Hiltoppers’ season opener in Hillsboro on Monday, March 11. The Rockets return their starting nine from last year’s team that made it to the sectional championship game in Class 3A and looked like a team to beat on Monday as they defeated the Toppers 12-0 in seven innings.

Rockets Power Past Hillsboro

When Hillsboro’s varsity baseball team opened their 2024 baseball season by hosting Rochester Monday afternoon, March 11, the weather, windy but in the 60s at game time, was better than one … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 3/14/24

Metro-East Lutheran goalkeeper Emily Kober can do nothing but watch as Hillsboro's Reagan Lentz taps in her fourth goal of the game after taking a pass from Kinley Richardson. The goal was Lentz's seventh in two games and Hillsboro's seventh of the game as they went on to beat the Knights 9-0 on Monday, March 18, in Hillsboro

Soccer Toppers Shut Out Knights

Hillsboro scored nine goals against Metro-East Lutheran on Monday, March 18, as the Toppers shutout the Knights at the Hillsboro Sports Complex. Scoring started early for the Lady Hiltoppers as … more

3/21/24

Hillsboro Boys Score First SCC Victory

The Hillsboro boy’s basketball team gave their fans an early Christmas present Friday evening, Dec. 15, by invading Vandalia to claim a 57-47 South Central Conference win over the Vandals. … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 12/18/23

Hillsboro's Landon Reincke (#51) tries to create some running room for teammate Treyton Kuhl (#5) during the Toppers' week eight game against Carlinville on Oct. 13. Kuhl had 108 yards for the Toppers, but Carlinville managed to keep the home team out of the end zone enough to collect a 28-7 victory.

Cavaliers Keep Toppers From Fifth Win

The football team that emerged from the Carlinville busses Friday evening, Oct. 13, wasn’t the one local fans in Hillsboro were expecting. The Cavies were 4-3 with a formidable offense, but … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 10/16/23

Records Fall As Litchfield Goes Outside

With nine wins, 27 personal records and one new school record, it’s not hard to say that the outdoor debut was a big success for the Litchfield boys track team, even without some key … more

3/21/24

Topper Track Takes The Long Way To Success

Hillsboro may have been the runner-up in Tuesday’s outdoor season opener in Virden, but the Toppers were more of a distance second than a distant one. The Toppers finished with 135 points … more

3/21/24

Hillsboro Girls Pick Up Win Over Auburn

After their six-game win streak was snapped on Saturday, the Hillsboro girls basketball team picked up their seventh win of the season on Monday, Dec. 18, with a 56-50 victory over Auburn. Ella … more

12/21/23

Warriors Come Out To Play Against Hillsboro

When Hillsboro’s boys took the floor against the Calhoun Warriors mid-afternoon Tuesday, Dec. 26, to open play in the Red Pool of the boys’ side of the 57th … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 12/28/23