Midway and Hobbton met up on the hardwood Friday night, renewing their old rivalry in a non-conference showdown. After initially looking like it would be the Raiders who ran off the court with the victory, the Wildcats turned up the heat in the second half and surged past the home team to capture the 58-50 win.
A high-octane Hobbton team drew first blood, but Midway countered with an 11-0 run as the Wildcats went cold. Hobbton did not score again until around the 2:30 mark of the first quarter when Amir Tate drilled a three-pointer from the elbow to make it 11-5. Free throws hurt the Wildcats early, as they left about six points at the line. After falling behind by 11 points, a celebration technical against Midway sparked Hobbton. Tate caught fire, scoring all of the Wildcats’ next eight points as Hobbton surged late in the first quarter, trailing 16-12.
Ace Matthews buried a three-pointer to open the second quarter. Tate answered a few minutes later, but the Raiders hit another spurt to extend their lead back to double digits. The game remained fast-paced as the teams traded baskets, neither able to fully take control. At halftime, Midway held a 33-21 advantage.
After the break, the Wildcats stormed out with five quick points to trim the deficit to 33-26, forcing the Raiders to call a timeout. Cold shooting mixed with turnovers began to plague Midway. Out of the timeout, Hobbton converted an easy layup to make it 33-28, then struck again on the next possession to cut the lead to 33-30. Tanner Williams hit a free throw for Midway to stop the bleeding, but Lathan Warren answered with a three-pointer to make it a one-point game. Richard Simpson then gave Hobbton its first lead at 35-34 with a strong finish. Another jumper by Simpson pushed the lead to 37-34 before Midway’s Harry Johnson answered with a layup to pull Midway within one at 37-36. The Wildcats ignited for 21 third-quarter points and carried a 42-36 lead into the fourth quarter.
Midway was unable to find any late-game magic as Hobbton controlled the pace down the stretch. The Wildcats completed an impressive second-half turnaround and returned to Newton Grove with the 58-50 victory.
Tate led all scorers with 28 points, while Simpson added 12 for Hobbton. For the Raiders, Johnson finished with 12 points and eight rebounds.
Midway dropped to 0-4 on the season and was set to rematch Hobbton on Tuesday before opening conference play Friday against Princeton. Hobbton improved to 2-2 and is scheduled to face the Raiders again on Tuesday, Western Harnett on Wednesday, and Clinton on Friday.
Following the win, Hobbton head coach Aydan Tart credited his team’s resilience and defensive intensity for the dramatic second-half turnaround.
“Right off the bat, the most impressive thing was the kids continuing to fight and being willing to punch back after you take a lick,” Tart said. “Everybody’s got a plan until they get punched in the mouth. We got punched, and at halftime we talked about it. We could either back down or fight back, and we chose to fight back.”
Tart felt his team finished the first half stronger than it started and carried that momentum into the third quarter.
“Before the game, after scouting Midway and looking at how we had played the last two games, I talked about what it would take to win. We had to have more intensity on defense and put more emphasis on rebounding,” Tart said. “I reiterated that at halftime, and we came out with more intensity on defense and focused more on rebounds. That’s really what helped us bring it back.”
Much of that defensive energy came from Hobbton’s press, which created turnovers and led to fast-break points.
“That’s something we try to do every game,” Tart said. “The last two games, it had been one of our weak points. We spent a lot of time on Thursday walking through our presses and positioning. Friday night, that really started to click. We forced more turnovers and got more fast-break points.”
Tart also highlighted Javonte Johnson’s impact on the defensive end.
“He could play a whole game and not score a point, and he’d still be valuable because of his defense,” Tart said. “He’s so fast and athletic, it feels like he’s everywhere at once. He’s a big asset because he forces turnovers just by being in the right position.”
Tart believes wins like Friday’s show Hobbton is changing how teams view the program.
“I want this to be a statement that we’re equal with Midway,” Tart said. “I want teams to start respecting and preparing for Hobbton. Ten years ago, people would overlook us. I want that to change.”
Midway head coach Jermaine McNeil pointed to ball security as the difference in the outcome.
“We had a lot of turnovers,” McNeil said. “First half, it wasn’t bad, but the second quarter we had around six, and then after halftime we got sluggish with the ball. We ended up with around 31 turnovers. That’s just too many.”
Despite the loss, McNeil believes the issues are fixable ahead of the rematch.
“They’re very fixable,” he said. “That’s the most important thing we’ve been working on since that game. I can guarantee it’ll be fewer turnovers next time.”
McNeil also noted that leadership is beginning to emerge within his group.
“I’ve got about three guys who can really step into that leadership role,” he said. “They just have to get their chemistry together. Once they do that, the sky’s the limit.”
One of those leaders is Williams, whom McNeil described as his go-to player.
“Tanner is something like my workhorse,” McNeil said. “When I need a basket, he’s going to get that basket. You always need that one leader who can pull everybody together and willing to do whatever.”
As Midway prepares for upcoming rivalry matchups, including Union, McNeil made his competitive mindset clear.
“Union is where I graduated, played, and coached, so it’ll feel funny going back,” McNeil said. “But I love my school, and I’m going there to win. That’s my mentality.”