Under the lights of their own field, the Hobbton Wildcats left everything on the turf Friday night in the Carolina 1A/2A Conference Championship. Playing before a packed home crowd on Senior Night, Hobbton battled North Duplin in a back-and-forth contest that came down to the final play, with the Rebels narrowly holding on for a 20-14 victory.
The Wildcats set the tone early with a defensive stand, stalling North Duplin’s opening drive and forcing a fumble recovery that energized the home crowd. Hobbton’s offense began moving the ball with steady runs, though an interception ended their first drive. Moments later, Reggie Thompson recovered another North Duplin fumble deep in Rebel territory, keeping momentum alive for the home team.
Thompson, joined by backfield mates Amir Tate, Anthony Cowell, and Isaiah Williams, formed a relentless rushing committee that chipped away at the Rebel defense. Thompson finally broke through from short yardage to put Hobbton ahead 7-0 after the extra point.
North Duplin answered quickly as Carell Phillips broke through several missed tackles for a near 80-yard sprint to even the score at 7-7. Both defenses then tightened, trading punts as time wound down in the half.
Just before the break, the Rebels intercepted a pass from quarterback Joe Corbett and turned it into another long touchdown run to seize a 14-7 lead heading into halftime.
Hobbton came out with renewed energy after halftime. Behind Thompson’s determined running, the Wildcats clawed their way back. Thompson weaved through traffic up the middle, bounced right, and found the end zone to tie the game at 14-14, drawing a roar from the home crowd.
The Rebels responded on their next possession, with running back Ethan Turnage powering into the end zone to make it 20-14. The extra point attempt missed, leaving the margin at six.
As the fourth quarter clock ticked away, Hobbton’s offense faced multiple fourth-down situations. The Wildcats converted one after a close measurement, but a later fourth-and-three run by Thompson was stopped short by standout defender TreShawn Ruffin, giving North Duplin the ball back.
The Wildcats’ defense stood tall, forcing the Rebels to punt and burning timeouts to preserve the clock. A shanked punt set Hobbton up at the North Duplin 32-yard line with less than a minute to play, igniting hope for a last-minute comeback.
With Thompson now under center, the Wildcats gained ground after a pass interference call but were sacked on the next play. After spiking the ball with one second left, Hobbton had one final chance. Thompson completed a short pass to Cowell, who made a move toward the goal line but was stopped just shy as time expired.
After the game, North Duplin head coach Hugh Martin praised both teams for a hard-fought championship clash.
“It was just a heck of a football game. By them, by us; you know, we were able to get a break or two here and there and find a way to pull it out,” Martin said. “Coach Scronce does a fantastic job. Watching him on film, they do so many things well, and you can see the coaching that he’s doing with them.”
Martin credited his players’ determination and the community’s unwavering support.
“We got some resilient kids that just keep plugging away and keep going and keep going,” he said. “I’m super pleased, happy for our kids, happy for our community. We got great support.”
Looking ahead, Martin said the tough matchup would serve his team well in the postseason.
“Games like this help make you better,” he said. “Hopefully we can build from this and carry it into the playoffs with us.”
For Hobbton head coach Adam Scronce, the result was painful, especially on Senior Night, but he said the performance reflected his team’s heart and potential.
“We had a chance to win at the end, and that’s all you can ask for,” Scronce said. “We missed some opportunities throughout the game, turned the ball over a couple of times when we’re better than that. Without the penalties, that’s what stopped us. I didn’t feel like they stopped us all night. I felt like we stopped ourselves.”
Scronce emphasized that the Wildcats’ mistakes were correctable and that their effort remained unquestioned.
“It’s just penalties, a couple turnovers, a dropped ball, you know, it’d be a different ballgame,” he said. “We’ll be fine. Kids played hard. They’re starting to come around. We just got to get over hanging our heads every time something bad happens.”
Despite the loss, Scronce said his group is learning how to handle adversity, which will be key for the postseason.
“They just got to understand that games are going to be tight and sometimes the ball bounces your way and sometimes it doesn’t,” he said. “If you want to go a long way and play in December, then we got to cut out the penalties and the mental errors in key moments. That’s how you get there.”
The Wildcats will now turn their focus to the state playoffs, carrying lessons learned from a championship fight that showed they can compete with the very best. For the seniors who took the field one last time at home, it was a night that, while bittersweet, reflected the heart and pride of Hobbton football.