Football Recap: Hillside Falls Short of Cardinal Gibbons in the Playoffs + How To Watch

Despite a phenomenal run in the regular season, Hillside couldn't carry that success into this playoff game. They came up short against the Cardinal Gibbons Crusaders on Thursday, falling 40-19. The defensive woes were uncharacteristic for the Hornets, who until this contest were averaging 8.25 points allowed.

Robert (Tre) Belcher III threw for 46 yards and two touchdowns. Tyler Williamson was his top target, picking up 40 receiving yards and one score. On the ground, Eric Mayo rushed for 82 yards and one TD.

Among those leading the charge was Conner Lindsey, who threw for 273 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 11.4 yards per attempt. Aaron Anderson helped Lindsey out on the ground, rushing for 92 yards, while also catching one TD.

Hornets

Previous 5 Games

11/20/25 @ Cardinal Gibbons	19-40
11/14/25 vs Ashley	33-0
10/31/25 vs East Chapel Hill	51-0
10/24/25 @ Northern Durham	49-6
10/17/25 @ Southern School of Energy and Sustainability	13-14

Hillside moved to 9-3 with that defeat, which also ended their three-game winning streak. As for Cardinal Gibbons, the win (which was their seventh in a row) raised their record to 11-1.

Hillside does not have any more games scheduled as of now. As for Cardinal Gibbons, they will square off against Garner at 7:00 p.m. on the 28th.