Hillsboro High Sports | The Journal-News

After finishing fifth at state last year in the high jump, Hillsboro Junior High eighth grader Jaida Linn cleared 5'1" and beat Beardstown's Jenny Bongo in a jump-off to claim the state championship in the event on Saturday, May 20, at the IESA State Finals in East Peoria.

For the fifth time since 1985 and the first time since 2017, Hillsboro Junior High is the home of an IESA track state champion. Hillsboro eighth grader Jaida Linn cleared a 5’1” in … more

5/25/23

Litchfield High School senior Kendall Stewart (right) spoke about suicide awareness prior to the start of the Panthers' volleyball game in Hillsboro on Thursday, Aug. 31. Both teams sported "Spike Out Suicide" shirts prior to the game in honor of Suicide Awareness Month, which began Sept. 1.

Toppers Win Streak Continues At Expense Of Rival Purple Panthers

Nothing would have made the Hillsboro volleyball team happier than extending their season opening win streak to four games at the expense of their biggest rival, the Litchfield Purple Panthers. The … more

by Kyle Herschelman | 9/5/23

Carlinville All-Star Basketball Roster Set

The top 51 boys and girls basketball seniors from South Central Illinois will be playing in the 20th annual Carlinville Rotary Club All-Star Basketball Classic, presented by Prairie Farms Dairy and … more

3/21/24

Hillsboro's Quinn Hunt returns a shot during the Toppers' match with Rochester on Monday, April 15. While things didn't go great against the visiting Rockets (Rochester won 9-0), Hillsboro did better the following day as they beat Roxana 7-2, with Hunt picking up a win in singles and doubles with partner Mark Mattson.

Tennis Toppers Split With Rockets, Shells

The Hillsboro boys tennis team split a pair of matches to start the week as they fell to Rochester 9-0 on April 15, but beat Roxana 7-2 the next day. The match of the day on Monday at the … more

4/18/24

Hillsboro's Aubrey Evans launches herself toward the baseline to save a loose ball from going out of bounds during the Toppers' 50-22 win over Alton Marquette on Wednesday, December 6.

Lady Hiltoppers Score Key Conference Win

The Hillsboro girls basketball program is the only South Central Conference team that has finished fourth or better every year since the conference eliminated divisions in 2012-13. The Lady … more

12/11/23

Hillsboro senior Kinley Richardson scored twice against Staunton on Saturday, April 13, but a late goal by the Lady Bulldogs tied the game up at 2-2 going into regulation. Luck wasn't on the Toppers' side on Saturday as they hit the post with one shot in overtime, then fell to Staunton 2-1 in penalty kicks for their first South Central Conference lost of the season.

Staunton Gets Past Toppers In Penalty Kicks

Hillsboro Coach Dave Mattson knew it was coming, but he also knew there was nothing he could do to stop it. Back on March 30, Mattson was in the stands in Litchfield when Staunton junior Samantha … more

4/18/24

Lady Toppers Take Third At Pana Invite

The Hillsboro girls track team was small in numbers, but big in points on Saturday, April 13, in Pana as the Lady Hiltoppers finished third in the team standings at the Panthers’ invitational. … more

4/18/24

Hillsboro seniors Ketch Mills (left) and Jace Stewart were two of the bright spots for the Toppers this season as the pair earned first team South Central Conference all-conference accolades for their play this season.

Eight Great For Toppers In SCC

Eight players from the Hillsboro High School football team earned all-conference recognition this season as this year’s honorees were announced this week. more

by Kyle Herschelman | 11/9/23

Sandwiched in between Hillsboro's Kamdin Civitate (#34) and Jace Stewart, Litchfield's Victor McGill rises up for two of his 24 points in the Panthers' 63-32 victory over the Hiltoppers in both teams' first game at the Rick McGraw Memorial Invitational on Jan. 13. McGill nailed a three-pointer to start the game, becoming the 17th member of the program's 1,000 point club.

Panthers Beat Toppers In Opener

Two items of dramatic interest were decided early last Saturday afternoon, Jan. 13, 2024, when Hillsboro’s boys’ varsity basketball team took the floor against the host Litchfield Purple … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 1/16/24

Gillespie Holds Off Lady Hiltoppers

Fresh off a Macoupin County Tournament title and securing their first 20-win season since 2016, the Gillespie girls basketball team is in the midst of a memorable year. The Miners are also in the … more

1/29/24

Second Quarter Sends Pana Past LHS

A strong second quarter helped Pana collect their second South Central Conference victory of the season on Thursday, Jan. 25, at the expense of the Litchfield Lady Panthers. Playing on their home … more

1/29/24

Hillsboro Boys Score Third At Pana Invitational

The Hillsboro boys track team took home two wins and ten top five finishes at the Pana Invitational on Saturday, April 13, as the Toppers finished third overall in the team standings. … more

4/18/24

It was eighth grade night for the Nokomis Junior High girls basketball team on Thursday, Nov. 9, before the Lady Braves’ game against Vandalia. Eighth grade players, in front, from the left, are Hannah Tarter, Brooklyn Marley, Quincee Riebe, Kara Beaty, Emily Harston, Lily Broers, Carsyn Bertolino and Kendree Dean. In the back are Deanna Tarter, April Marley, Ben Tarter, Jamie Marley, Aaron Marley, Corey Riebe, Keri Riebe, Jake and Katina Beaty, Kelly and Diantha Harston, Heather Broers, Aaron and Shandy Bertolino, Amy Fox and Joe Dean.

Nokomis, Litchfield To Play For 8th Grade Regional Titles

Two Montgomery County eighth grade girls basketball teams will be playing for regional championships on Wednesday, Nov. 22, as the Nokomis Lady Braves and Litchfield Lady Panther Cubs both punched … more

11/22/23

Trip To Altamont Not A Good One For Toppers

If there was a lesson for Hillsboro’s boys’ basketball team to learn in the pre-Christmas St. Elmo tournament, it could have been that smaller schools … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 1/16/24

Members of the Hillsboro High School girls soccer team who earned spots on the all-conference team were honored by Coach Dave Mattson during an end-of-season awards banquet on Tuesday, May 30, at the Hillsboro Sports Complex. From the left are third team all-conference members Ava Pollard and Allie Kuhns; second team all-conference members Avery Walden, Sierra Compton and Isabella White; and first team all-conference honorees Sally Mattson and Kinley Richardson.

Ten From County Earn All-SCC

Seven Hillsboro players and three Litchfield players earned all-conference accolades from the girls soccer coaches of the South Central Conference by virtue of their play this past season. … more

6/1/23

Hillsboro's Zander Wells finished fifth at the Rich Lovellette Classic on Saturday, Jan. 27, in Litchfield, beating Carson McPeek of Lena Winslow in the fifth place match.

Wells Wins Out To Finish 5th At Lovellette

Hillsboro senior Zander Wells rallied back from a second round loss to win three straight matches and take fifth place at the Rich Lovellette Classic in Litchfield on Saturday, Jan. 27, as the … more

1/29/24

Short-Handed Toppers Fall To 'Dogs, Panthers

Even with four South Central Conference still on the schedule after it, Thursday’s game at Hillsboro had potential championship implications. And it couldn’t have come at a much worse … more

1/16/24

Second Half Sends Toppers Past Miners

What a difference a half makes; at least it did in Gillespie Friday night, Feb. 26, when the Hillsboro Hiltoppers converted a 9-0 start-of-the-game deficit into a 68-50 end-of-the-game win. The … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 1/29/24

Soccer Toppers Take Down Dogs

After playing in an absolute epic match Monday during the inaugural Grace Cup, no one would blame the Hillsboro High School boys soccer team for being mentally, emotionally and physically exhausted. … more

9/21/23

Triad Wins Third McGraw Title In Four Chances

The Triad High School boys basketball team defeated Civic Memorial 52-37 to win their second straight Rick McGraw Memorial Invitiational title on Saturday, Jan. 20, and their third championship in … more

1/22/24