Hillsboro High Sports | The Journal-News

Hillsboro Girls Soccer Knocks Off Lady Oilers

Kinley Richardson scored her second straight hat trick and the Toppers improved their record to 3-0 on the season with a 7-1 win over East Alton-Wood River on Thursday, March 21. Playing on the … more

3/25/24

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

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

Harston Tops Shot At North Mac Meet

The Hillsboro girls track team picked up a pair of wins and nine top three finishes on Tuesday, March 19, as they ventured outside for the first time in their 2024 season with a meet in Virden. … more

3/21/24

Toppers Score Back-To-Back Wins

If the first five games of the season have told us anything about the Hillsboro softball team, its that the Toppers have the ability to score a lot of runs. Hillsboro has scored nine or more … more

3/21/24

Vandals Slip Past Toppers Tuesday

When the Hillsboro High baseball team invaded Vandalia Tuesday afternoon, March 19, a four run rally in the top of the seventh meant a 5-5 tie entering the bottom of the seventh. The Vandals, now 2-1 … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 3/21/24

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 Kinley Richardson works to get possession during the Lady Hiltoppers' season opener against Maryville Christian on Friday, March 15. Richardson had the Toppers' first goal and assisted on two of Reagan Lentz's three goals in Hillsboro's 4-3 win over the Lions.

First Win Friday For Hillsboro Girls Soccer

It was a day of firsts for the Hillsboro girls soccer team on Friday, March 15. Not only was Friday their first game of the 2024 season, but it was also the first time they had ever played fledgling … more

3/18/24

Tennis Toppers Win 2024 Season Opener

The Hillsboro High School boys tennis team started their season off with a win on Tuesday, March 12, as they defeated Metro-East Lutheran 6-3. The two teams were tied at three wins each after … more

3/18/24

Hillsboro Splits With Warriors

The Hillsboro High School softball team split a pair of games with Granite City and Wesclin in Granite City on Saturday, March 16, as the Lady Hiltoppers moved to 2-1 on the season. The win came … more

3/18/24

Toppers Drop Two Tight Ones

When two teams enter any athletic competition, they face four possible outcomes, weather permitting; one team can dominate the other, one team can edge the other, one team can lose by a wide margin, … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 3/18/24

Rain Puts A Halt To Hillsboro Games

Thanks to the work of Bill Christian and Mike Cerutti, Hillsboro’s baseball and softball teams started their games on time Thursday afternoon, March 14, in spite of rain that morning. Sunshine … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 3/18/24

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

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

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

The Nokomis eighth grade volleyball team improved to 19-4 on the season with a three-set win over South Central at the Central A&M Regional on Thursday, March 7. In front, from the left, are Ripley Goodwin, CJ Yeske, Brooklyn Marley, Hannah Tarter, Quincee Riebe, Carsyn Bertolino, Lily Broers, Ilexia Doyen, Alaina Bugg, Haylie Spinnie, Camille Bertolino. In the back row are Coach Rebecca West, Lauren DeWerff, Addilynn Cress, Leni Johnston, Madilyn Marshall, Kennedi Aumann, Lexie Smith, Avry West, Rainee Linn, Laurelie Hill and Coach Krystal West.

Lady Braves Move On To Sectionals

The Nokomis Junior High eighth grade volleyball team moved a step closer to state on Thursday, March 7, as they captured the championship of the IESA Class 2A Central A&M Regional in Assumption. … more

3/11/24

Hughes, Linn, Smith Get Wins In Opener

The Hillsboro High School track team opened up the 2024 season with a bang on Saturday, March 2, at the Rushville-Industry Invite at King Fieldhouse on the campus of Illinois College in Jacksonville. … more

3/4/24

2023-24 Hiltoppers Grew As Season Went On

The 2023-24 basketball season was one of contrasts-low points (the home 53-21 loss to Pana in the first conference game of the season) was the lowest to me because as the Panthers’ season … more

by Ron Deabenderfer | 3/4/24

Hillsboro's Tatum Christian (left) and Ella Greenwood (right) were named to this year's South Central Conference all-conference team, earning a second and third team nod respectively.

Christian, Greenwood Make All-SCC

With three 20-win teams and one of the closest championship races one could imagine, the 2023-24 girls basketball season was another great one in the South Central Conference. And with just four … more

2/29/24