All sporting events are overseen by the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA).

Sports at Hillwood High School include: The football team was state championship contender in the 1990s and early 2000s before their move from AAAA (4A) to AAAAA (5A), which was Tennessee's highest class.

William Brennan, who would later be a Major League pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs, played for Hillwood in 1981.

He later went on to coach college basketball at the NCAA Division I level for Colorado and later for Northern Illinois.

Their main rivalry is with Hillsboro High School in the annual "Battle of the Hills".