The Hillsboro Hiltoppers were the 28-14 winner over the Southwestern Piasa Birds when they last played one another back in October of 2022, but their luck changed this time around. Hillsboro was dealt a 35-7 defeat at the hands of Southwestern on Friday. Hillsboro was in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 21-0.
Southwestern's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Blake Rimbey, who rushed for 92 yards and two touchdowns on only 11 carries, and also threw for 84 yards and a touchdown while completing 80% of his passes. Rocky Darr and his 81 yards on the ground were also a key factor in Southwestern's win.
Hillsboro's loss was their fifth straight on the road, which dropped their overall record down to 3-6. Admittedly, the team was facing some tough opposition over that stretch, including 9-0 Greenville and 6-3 Vandalia (their opponents had an average overall winning percentage of 64.4% over those games). As for Southwestern, they now have a winning record of 5-4.
Hillsboro does not have any more games scheduled as of now. Southwestern will head out on the road to face off against Athens at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Athens presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Southwestern in Illinois (Athens is ranked 110th, while Southwestern is ranked 327th).
