Topper Nation Lets Ride!!
Fundraiser for the Hillsboro Hiltopers. Also a chance to own a print of Brianne Hubbart's work from Hubbart Wood in Hillsboro Illinois. Briannes father was a Graffic designer and she was raised doing art. She would attend college for architectural drafting at SIUE. One of her drawings of the Historic Montgomery County court house was displayed in the Library for many years. Her attention to detail is amazing and a big reason why our sculptures turn out the way they do.
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There are three variations of the print available from $40-$100. Made right here in Hillsboro Illinois from start to finish.
P.S The Topper Comic is in the works and will most likely not be out till next year. More on that later
After helping with the football program for the last several years in and out of JFL practices and games. This year we focused on making videos for each game of the JV and the Varsity. We made weekly highlights and a way for the team and family to download these memories forever. The links to those videos will be listed below.
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In doing so I got the chance to speak with Head Coach Joe Reed often. I got to see the equipment room I once hung my pads in and put my helmet on the same shelf that is there to this day. I heard talk about equipment we need both for the varsity side and the JFL side. We simply don't have the funds to get things that would make life so much easier safer and more efficient to teach the game of football.
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Here is the Seniors Send off video we made for the Toppers 2022 Football banquet. Download links will be posted below.
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Download the Harry Mack Hiltopper Nation Wav file on your device.
Harry Mack is a legend and he knocked this one out of the park. This song was costly and we are hoping it will fund itself and possibly even help raise some funds for the team.
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Any Topper Alum that dont have this on their phone within a year wont be able to sing this with the rest of us next year when it is played at the stadium. Just saying.
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Listen to the lyrics. We sent Harry some key bullet points and this is what he came up with.
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Orange and black, Topper Nation Lets Ride, Orange Crush, Black Tide, Topper Hit Squad, Ect ect.
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The way he flows the lyrics and meaning together is simply mind blowing. Take a listen its free. Download it forever cant wait to hear it Bumping around town.
Our Mission with the Toppers
I am a class 2004 Topper alum. Back to back final four running back linebacker. Mvp Senior year when we lost to the State Champs. Addison Driscole a Catholic school in Chicago that was disbanded after winning 9 state championships for recruiting i believe. Any way Al Bundy moment. Football changed my life and most likely saved it. My story below.
Free Video Downloads For Family and friends
The Videos are saved in Drop Box. It is an amazing app and site that you can share files on. Even if you don't have the app you can download the file. I am not sure how long i will be able to keep them where they are. But i will try to forever. After our senior year i borowed all the vhs tapes from my years as a topper and was making copies of them when our house burnt to the ground.
So if you are reading this from another school that played Hillsboro Illinois in 2002 and 2003 and have a game tape i would love a copy to show my son. And that is what brings us to why I do this.
I know more than anyone these are priceless memories and it warms my soul to think about the class of 2022 showing them to their children 10 to 20 years from now. Honestly as old men boys make sure you tip your hat and say a prayer for me when your sharing your old football stories. I am honored to be able to do this.
The link above takes you to a folder with all the folders in it. You will be able to choose freshmen, JV, and Varsity. In each of them folders. In the folders the names should give it away what they are. Each game I uploaded every clip clip by clip. So if you seen little Timmy doing something that I missed. It should be in there. For now in each folder of the teams we faced there is a Highlight video in there. It may be at the top or the bottom. These are for your enjoyment to have and keep forever so make sure you download all the clips you want.
My Topper Story
I was a very troubled young man. I lost my father when I was ten. He was a PTSD veteran that drank himself to death. I was mad at the world. I started smoking cigarettes when I was 11 or so. Worst decision I ever made. But the Marboro man was cool and they had awesome leather jackets. Well back then they seemed to be.
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Much like you idiots that are vaping that oil into your lungs. It is a life changing mistake. Addiction is real and i guarantee had some one made me quit back then it would of been a whole lot easier than in my adult life.
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We were from Witt Illinois and there was plenty of things to get you in trouble there. I had cousins that cooked meth. Thank god i was to little to be involved with them at the time and I made it out without ever trying it or wanting to.
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I started working when I was 12 or so with construction. Got grown men fired by the time I was 14 for working circles around them. I was strong as an oxe from pulling concrete young dumb and mad at the world.
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I didn't understand life and questioned everything. I wasn't afraid of anything.
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I was young dumb and I thought bullet proof.
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Then I met Rich Stewart. I was as sarcastic as they came as i was trying to ease the pain in my life by making a joke out of everything. Rich had my number.
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Now that we are in a new world and talking about Child Hood Trama and all that cool stuff.
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You cant over look the fact that Rich was Raised in East Hillsboro. I wont share his personal stories on here but i have gotten to know ole Stew pretty good over the years. He was defiantly raised in a situation that many couldn't imagine.
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I hated him. Literally in my mind wanted to run him off the road when he was on his motorcycle that he would ride. He dogged me, He cussed me out, He threatened me, he called me names, I did more up downs than any kid on the planet back then i guarantee you. I even had another coach that was new to the scene back then that still to this day says "I don't know how you didn't kill him".
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It wasnt untill I was setting in my dorm one night at Millikin University that I realized he made me so mad that I tried to prove him wrong with a vengeance. I realized I did as I was setting there as the first kid in our family to attend a University. One that came to talk to me because they had seen me play in the game tape the Mt. Zion coach showed them specifically to watch me.
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Stew went to coach Greenville college my Senior year which was the first year he didn't coach Hillsboro anymore.
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He hung it up after we went to the final four in 2002. I remember people saying well there goes the playoffs. You could feel the doubt in the air and the sarcastic snickers.
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I often miss this part because I am so busy talking about stew and our war. Wait first before I get to much further. I love Stew now. I know there are people out there that resent him but I don't. I feel that I truly understand him and that we are much alike in people misunderstanding us.
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We were fortunate to have Coach David Powell, Andy Stritzel, and even Mr Summers dry humor with a splash of coach Brian Harts laughter.
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I still call Coach David Powell Coach to this day. Powell was the real deal. He was tough as nails athletic and a quarterback. His offensive game was on point and we ran people over. Not only that but he was a great man. He was the kind gentle brilliance that could fight if he needed to. Andy Stitzel was our defensive coach that didnt have a neck. His shoulders and traps were so jacked he was just shaped like a defensive missile. He also played college ball and was a linebacker.
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Collectively they changed my life.
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Football also gave me the chance to get out on the field and prove myself. It doesnt matter how nice your car or truck is when you got that helmet on. It didnt matter how much money you had when them pads were bumping. There is nothing like hearing the wave of roars when you lay someone out or run someone over.
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It teaches you the importance of coming together team work and com-rotary. You have to get your blocks or your brother behind you is going to get lit up. If done right it teaches you the importance of family. It is a great game.
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It is dangerous but not nearly as dangerous as driving. Just how you have to learn to drive you have to learn how to play football. Which is one of the reasons you will hear me talk about building a learning center concession stand at our JFL field In the corner by the Tennis courts. We just need to sell a couple thousand of these prints first.
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Thanks for your time if you made it this far.
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Christopher Q.S. Hubbart
Hubbz32
A proud Topper
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