The final score didn’t fall in Perryville’s favor, but the effort left a lasting impression.
Despite a strong performance and a competitive battle throughout, the Pirates fell to Hillsboro 64-47 on Feb. 20 at the Perry County Middle School gymnasium. Hillsboro improved to 12-11 on the season, while Perryville dropped to 9-14.
Perryville stayed within striking distance much of the night, matching Hillsboro’s energy and refusing to let the Hawks pull away. Coach Eli Sample said the effort stood out as one of the team’s best of the season.
“I wasn’t upset at all with the boys,” Sample said. “One of my favorite games I’ve coached them this year, even though we didn’t come out winning. Overall effort and energy, and just uplifting each other and playing hard.”
Josiah Paisley led Perryville with 14 points, while Karston Schilli added 12 and Cole Rodewald finished with nine. The Pirates received contributions throughout the lineup, reflecting the balanced approach that kept them competitive deep into the game.
Hillsboro was led by Cooper McGrath, who scored a game-high 28 points. Karson Campbell added 18 and Colton Hicks contributed 11, helping the Hawks maintain their advantage down the stretch.
Sample said his seniors set the tone with their determination and leadership.
“They just brought a whole different energy,” he said. “They’ve done a really good job all year. I know they’re battling hard, being that it’s their senior year, it’s late in February, and they’re leaving it all out there, and you can tell.”
Even as Hillsboro made key plays in the final minutes, Perryville continued to compete, diving for loose balls and battling for rebounds.
“I think they did show a lot of heart, leaving it all out there,” Sample said. “That’s one thing I told them — don’t look back and regret not playing as hard as you can while you still have time.”
WINDSOR 67, PERRYVILLE 47
IMPERIAL — Perryville couldn’t recover from a fast start by Windsor on Feb. 17, falling 67-47.
Windsor took control early, building a 20-8 lead after the first quarter and extending the advantage to 38-20 by halftime. Perryville showed improvement in the third quarter, scoring 11 points, but Windsor answered with 23 of its own to maintain control and put the game out of reach.
Owen Haegele led Windsor with 20 points, while Colby Blake added 17 and Samuel Becker finished with 11. Windsor shot 51.1 percent from the field and connected on eight three-pointers.
Perryville scored 16 points in the fourth quarter, its best offensive stretch of the night, but the early deficit proved too much to overcome.
Windsor improved to 16-9 on the season, while Perryville fell to 5-8.
The Pirates will look to regroup as they continue their schedule and work toward postseason play.
