Hillsboro High Sports | The Journal-News

It’s been a memorable week for the Hillsboro High School cheerleading team as they took first with their game day routine at the Greenville Invitational on Sunday, Jan. 4, then placed tenth in the Large Team Varsity Game Day division at the Illinois Cheerleading Coaches Association State Championships on Saturday, Jan. 10, in Springfield. The HHS girls earned their spot at the state championships by finishing second at the Highland Invitational on Dec. 13.

Cheer Competitions In Full Swing For Hillsboro, Litchfield

The basketball games aren't the only competitions that the Hillsboro and Litchfield cheer teams are taking part in as both squads have been active in the Illinois Cheerleadin Coaches Association … more

1/12/26

Piasa Birds Prevail Over Short-Handed Hiltoppers

Cooks and basketball coaches both know that the product they produce must be built using the ingredients they have at hand, and that consistent results depend partially on using the same ingredients … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 1/12/26

Last year's McGraw Invite MVP Lucas Thompson (#32) and senior 1,000-point scorers Tyler Thompson (#34) and Nolan Keller (#13) lead the top-seeded Triad Knights into the 58th incarnation of the annual boys basketball tournament in Litchfield. Currently tied with the 1991-93 Jerseyville Panthers, the Knights are looking for a record-setting fourth straight championship at the McGraw Invite.

Triad Top Seed At 2026 McGraw Invite

The schedule for the 2026 Rick McGraw Memorial Boys Basketball Invitational was released on Wednesday, Jan. 7, with 12 teams set to play four games each between Jan. 19 and Jan. 24. The Triad Knights … more

1/8/26

Toppers Survive Cold Snap To Beat Auburn

Hillsboro jumped out to a 16-8 lead on the road and survived a cold snap in the second half to beat Auburn 33-25 on Monday, Jan. 5. Getting three threes from Delaney Adams, the Lady Hiltoppers … more

1/8/26

Hiltoppers Have Trouble Keeping Up With Explorers

Going to Alton to play the Marquette Explorers is seldom a fun trip for Hillsboro High School; going to Alton without their two lead scorers (vacation and injury) meant the trip would be longer than … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 1/8/26

Toppers End Rumble With Wins

The Hillsboro High School wrestling team joined 59 other teams in closing out 2025 at Abe’s Rumble in Springfield on Dec. 29-30. The Toppers went 0-4 in their pool, with two losses by single … more

1/5/26

Toppers’ Tarver Fourth At Jacksonville

Five members of the Hillsboro High School wrestling team competed in the Jacksonville Crimsons Girls Invite on Saturday, Dec. 27, joining wrestlers from 41 other schools from all over the state. … more

1/5/26

Altamont Scores Home Win Over Toppers

To visit the court the Altamont Indians utilize is a treat for fans of traditional high school basketball; in a way it resembles the pit in Gillespie, but one difference is the elevated scorers … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 1/5/26

Hillsboro's Eli Zaidi looks for a shot over the outstretched hand of Bunker Hill's Dean Throne during the first half of the consolation championship at the Carlinville Holiday Tournament. Zaidi had a team-high 22 points, but a 22-9 fourth quarter run gave the Minutemen a 65-53 victory over the Hiltoppers.

Minutemen Hold Off Hiltoppers

Jim Hlafka, basketball coach at Bunker Hill (BH) when the Minutemen had an incredible winning percentage, must have smiled a bit from his place in the next world when the current Minutemen used a … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 12/31/25

The Hillsboro High School girls basketball team went 3-1 at the North Mac Holiday Hoopfest and captured third with a 33-23 victory over Pawnee on Tuesday, Dec. 30. In front, from the left, are Kearstynn Davis, Delaney Adams, Karsyn Greenwood, Amya Greenwood and Peyton Christian. In the back are Coach Bret Tuetken, Kendall Peterson, Kaya Connor, Sadie Houchlei, Kinley Greenwood, Lainey Lessman and Liberty Helton.

Toppers Take Third At Hoopfest

A post-holiday stretch of four games in five days at the North Mac Holiday Hoopfest came to a close for the Hillsboro girls basketball team on Tuesday, Dec. 30, as the Lady Toppers defeated Pawnee … more

12/31/25

Hillsboro's Amya Greenwood goes up for two of her eight points in the Lady Hiltoppers' 58-13 win over Sangamon Valley/Tri-City in their opening game of the North Mac Holiday Hoopfest on Friday, Dec. 26. Hillsboro also won their second game of the tournament and will play second seeded PORTA in the semifinals on Monday, Dec. 29.

Lady Hiltoppers Start Holiday Hoopfest 2-0

The Hillsboro High School girls basketball team picked up their fourth and fifth consecutive victories and advanced to the semifinals of the inaugural North Mac Holiday Hoopfest with wins over … more

12/29/25

Calhoun Makes Short Work Of Hillsboro

When the Calhoun Wariors took the floor for pre-game warmups, an unbiased observer would have said to himself, the Hillsboro Hiltoppers are in for a long night. The 5-1 Warriors (the lone loss was to … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 12/29/25

Hiltoppers To Play For Consolation Title

The tested-by-time expression “What a difference a day makes” applies often as we experience what life has to offer, but it’s seldom as obvious as it was to the Hillsboro boys’ basketball … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 12/29/25

2025-26 Holiday Basketball Tournaments

Below are the schedules for the holiday basketball tournaments involving the boys and girls basketball teams from Hillsboro, Litchfield, Nokomis and Lincolnwood. Carlinville Holiday Boys … more

12/28/25

Hillsboro High School senior Makenzie Jarman, seated, center, made her decision to continue her athletic and academic career at William Woods University official on Thursday, Dec. 18, in front of her friends, family and coaches. Seated with Jarman are her mom Jennifer Jarman and step-father Alex Carter. In the back are Jarman's coaches, Grant Hart and Randy Cherry with Bluff City Softball.

Rejuvenated Jarman Bound For William Woods University

In a world where travel ball horror stories are all too common, Mackenzie Jarman’s experience gives parents and players hope that not all is lost. Jarman, a senior at Hillsboro High School, … more

by Kyle Herschelman | 12/24/25

Toppers Take Third At St. Elmo Tourney

Hillsboro’s boys’ basketball team defeated the St. Elmo/Brownstown Eagles on the Eagles’ home court, 59-56, to claim third place in the St. Elmo gym Saturday evening, Dec. 20, ‘25; but it … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 12/22/25

Hatchets Cut Down Toppers In Semifinals

Athletic teams as inexperienced (young) as the ‘25-’26 Hillsboro boys’ basketball squad quite often face a steep learning curve when their season begins. That was evident in the first half of … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 12/22/25

Hiltoppers Push Past Gillespie At ‘The Pit’

Hillsboro’s boys’ basketball program didn’t know what to expect when they traveled to “The Pit,” the home of their Gillespie counterparts, for South Central Conference action Friday … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 12/22/25

Once a year, Montgomery County's two high school wrestling teams lock horns with a year's worth of bragging rights on the line. On Tuesday, Dec. 16, Hillsboro earned those rights with a 45-36 victory over the Purple Panthers at Simmons Gym in Litchfield. Pictured in the top row, from the left, are 138-pounders Thayden Bailey of Litchfield and Briar Kuhl of Hillsboro, 157-pounders Gavin Shomaker of Hillsboro and Nicholas Adam of Litchfield and 190-pounders Jayden Ellinger of Litchfield and Olan Lentz of Hillsboro. In the bottom row are 215-pounders Evan Fricke of Litchfield and Tytin Wells of Hillsboro, 165-pounders Braxton Kieffer of Litchfield and Westin Fenton of Hillsboro and 120-pounders Rilynn Younker of Litchfield and Landon Bandy of Hillsboro.

Hiltoppers, Purple Panthers Go Head-To-Head

It was about as close as it could get in Litchfield on Tuesday, Dec. 16, but in the end, the Hillsboro High School wrestling team scored bragging rights over their rivals to the west as the Toppers … more

12/18/25

With Litchfield's McKenna Harmon (right) blocking her path to the basket, Hillsboro's Kearstynn Davis looks for an another option in the first quarter of the South Central Conference showdown in Litchfield on Dec. 15. Davis had 11 points in Hillsboro's 58-44 victory over the Lady Panthers, which kept the Toppers tied atop the SCC.

Quick Start Pushes Hillsboro Past Litchfield

A 30-13 first half lead was enough to pave the way for a 58-44 victory for the Hillsboro girls basketball team over Litchfield on Monday, Dec. 15, at Simmons Gym. The Lady Hiltoppers scored the … more

12/18/25