Hillsboro softball is the epitome of what teamwork can accomplish

Before the start of the 2025 softball season, my wife and I were leaving a basketball game sometime in January or February when we ran into Hillsboro girls softball head coach Gary Breeden, and we started talking about the upcoming softball season. 

Coach Breeden was making sure I was going to attend games this season, as he always does, and he was telling us about how competitive the regular-season schedule for the Lady Indians was going to be in ’25, as you could tell they had big goals and the highest of aspirations. 

The goals for the Lady Indians were some of the most lofty they’ve ever been. It was easy to see their plans weren’t only continuing their Frontier Athletic Conference winning streak or to win their first district championship since 2002.

Coach Breeden made it clear his team had even bigger goals than winning a fifth consecutive FAC championship, improving to 50-0 in conference games (outscoring their conference opponents 134-21) and getting over the hump by winning the district championship for the first time in 25 years – all of which were accomplished – but those goals had to be completed to reach uncharted territory as the season continued. 

Coach Breeden told us about all of the strong teams the Lady Indians had on their upcoming schedule, and it was an impressive list to say the least, as two of their regular-season opponents eventually won state championships, those being Wheelersburg and Portsmouth Notre Dame. 

Hillsboro in their state runner-up season was one of the most impressive teams I’ve covered in nearly 20 years of writing about sports, because they accomplished things I've never had the chance to write about covering Highland County athletics. 

HHS battled strong during the regular season where they had just three losses combined by fewer than five runs. They won 18 regular-season games and eventually finished with a 23-4 overall mark, putting them at the top of the softball record books for the HHS program’s history. The Lady Indians also became the first team in school history (boys or girls) to win a regional championship, and they were one of just a handful of varsity teams to qualify for state competition. 

Watching this Hillsboro team was fun this season and at times an excellent way to enjoy sports for a couple hours. This team battled all season long, fending off the best effort from nearly every opponent they faced this season, and they did so by being the true definition of what a team should be. 

Even in their three regular-season losses, in no game did they lose by more than two runs, as they lost to aforementioned eventual state champions Wheelersburg (Division V) and Portsmouth Notre Dame (Division VII), and in the Division IV state finals they played a team in Kenton Ridge which had a rare undefeated season of 32-0. 

All in all this season, the Lady Indians outscored all of their opponents (in 27 games), 223-58. 

Talking with members of the community, coaches and the players throughout the tournament run, there were smiles, goosebumps, stories of the past, tears of happiness, tears of sadness, and all of that was because it was evident how much this team got along with each other. It was evident how much fun Hillsboro softball was having as they collected wins at the district, regional and state levels of competition. 

Never have I seen a collective team play for one another like the Lady Indians played this season. Yes, maybe this could be a biased statement, but having the community support like they did, and seeing how this team played most of their high school and most likely youth careers together, made a difference.

The ’25 Lady Indians worked their way up for the season they just completed, and being the state runner-up in Division IV is something to be proud of. Even more than how this team produced wins on the field, how they seemed to treat each other and be a team away from competition was just as impressive. I hope they realize how much joy they brought to their small-town community this spring.

Job well done, Hillsboro softball. Congratulations on all your success and accomplishments, but also thank you for showing many what teamwork, kindness and hard work can accomplish. 

Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of The Highland County Press. 

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