Blake Hooper  was a 2014 graduate and a four year member  of the Taylorville High School football, wrestling and track teams. 

Blake was selected to the Central State All-Conference Football Team during his junior and senior years and earn All-Central State Eight Academic Honors his final three years. Voted as THS Most Valuable Lineman following his senior year, Hooper attended Illinois State University joining the Redbird football team and receiving a full scholarship his senior season.

Earning four letters in wrestling, Blake was selected an All-Central State 8 Wrestler each of his sophomore, junior and senior seasons and earned All-State honors his senior season. As a junior, he had a 34-8 record and as a member of the record setting 2012-13 wresting team, Blake was one of six individual Sectional Qualifiers. As a senior, he compiled a record of 40-8 as the Tornadoes’ heavy weight division wrestler and again qualifying for the State meet and became the first THS wrestler to  place in the IHSA State Tournament , placing 6th place in the Class 2A Individual Heavy Weight Division. 

A defining record in the weight room was established by Blake when in 2014 he set the THS the standard with a combine total Bench, Squat and Clean of 1385 pounds.