The Hobbton Wildcats saw their playoff run come to an end Friday night, falling 47-12 on the road to perennial power Tarboro in the third round of the NCHSAA 2A state playoffs. The Wildcats faced a fast, physical Vikings team that seized control early and never looked back, sending their home crowd off with another postseason win.
Tarboro struck quickly behind its signature ground attack, and Hobbton found itself battling from behind after a tough opening quarter. Still, the Wildcats continued to scratch out plays, eventually piecing together a long, 15-plus-play scoring drive to open the second half. That march down the field was one of the bright spots in a night where consistency was difficult to maintain against one of the state’s most dominant programs.
After the game, first-year Hobbton head coach Adam Scronce said he was proud of how his team kept competing.
“I thought we were a little shell-shocked to begin with,” Scronce said. “But once we settled down a little bit after the first quarter, our guys played hard the rest of the game. I didn’t think we quit. Tarboro is good, and they’ve been good for a long time. We did everything we could.”
Scronce said the experience of playing a program of Tarboro’s caliber is something his young roster needed to see firsthand.
“It was a good learning experience,” he said. “It showed our guys what that level of football looks like and what we aspire to be. The physicality, the attention to detail, how hard you have to work in the offseason — all of that was on display.”
The Wildcats, who earned a share of their first conference championship since 2000, will graduate a meaningful senior class, a group Scronce said helped establish the foundation of the program’s new direction.
“That senior class has as much leadership as any I’ve been around,” he said. “They accepted me, they bought in, and they went to work every day. Getting a piece of the conference championship was something that hadn’t been done here in 25 years. That speaks for itself.”
Scronce added that he is excited about the large junior class returning next fall and the opportunity to finally have a full offseason with them.
“I came in late on June 24, and everything had to happen fast,” Scronce said. “Next year we’ll have time — spring workouts, weight room, and real teaching of techniques. I expect us to be a whole lot better fundamentally and to open things up more on offense.”
Despite the loss, Scronce said the season can be summed up by one thing: belief.
“These kids believed in what we were doing,” he said. “Even when things didn’t look good early in the year, they never wavered. They kept trusting, kept working, and it eventually came together. I’m proud of them for that.”
Hobbton closes its season having made significant strides in year one under its new head coach and setting the groundwork for what comes next.