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Hillsboro Tigers winter sports preview
Boys basketball opens Dec. 11 at Royall; Wrestlers host Kickapoo/La Farge Dec. 1
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The WIAA winter sports season is kicking off around the state.

Boys’ basketball

The Hillsboro boys’ basketball team was originally scheduled to open its season Dec. 8 at Richland Center, but the game has been moved to Just A Game Fieldhouse in Wisconsin Dells on Saturday, Dec. 12.

The Tigers’ JV game will begin at 11:10 a.m., followed by the varsity at approximately 12:50 p.m.

Hillsboro will now open the season Friday, Dec. 11 at Royall.

Second-year coach Curt Hildreth returns six of his top  seven scorers from a year ago, when the Tigers finished 23–6 and advanced to the WIAA Division 5 state championship.

Senior forward Max Stockwell (17.7 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 2.3 apg) and senior point guard Joey Helgerson (9.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.0 apg) were first-team All-Scenic Bluffs selections a year ago.

Starting power forward Hunter Stanek (8.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg), an honorable mention All-SBC pick a year ago, also returns to the starting lineup.

Senior guards Tyler Crandall (5.7 ppg) and Tommy Crandall (4.7 ppg) will likely round out the Tigers’ starting rotation.

Girls’ basketball

The Hillsboro girls’ basketball opened its season with a 57–20 non-conference victory over North Crawford last Thursday night.

Wrestling

The Hillsboro wrestling team will open its season Tuesday with a non-conference home dual against Kickapoo/La Farge.

The Tiger mat men will then host Weston/Ithaca in another non-conference dual on Thursday, Dec. 3 before taking part in the annual Royall Invitational on Saturday, Dec. 5.

Coach Snapper Verbsky will return a large group of sophomores that experienced success a year ago as freshmen.

Jason Griffiths went 17–12 and qualified for sectionals a year ago as a freshman.

The Tigers will look to improve upon last year’s 3–4 record in dual meets and hope to have a number of sectional qualifiers and perhaps a breakthrough state qualifier.

Sophomore Jacob Urban went 16–13 a year ago and placed fifth at regionals.

Seniors Jacob Benish and Dylan Thew will be relied upon to lead this year’s young team. Benish went 17–15 and placed fourth at regionals as a junior. Thew went 7–11 last year as a junior.