Hobbton’s junior varsity football team finally broke through Thursday night, turning a strong week of preparation into their first victory of the season with a 22-12 win over visiting non-conference rival Rosewood.
The victory moved Hobbton to 1-3 on the season and, according to head coach Dasmine Joyner, rewarded a young group that had been close to putting everything together through the opening weeks.
“I just told them it was the level of energy, effort and focus at practice this week,” Joyner said. “All week long, I could tell the difference in the detail. After that last game, the guys realized, ‘Hey, something has got to flip. Something has got to change, and it has got to start with this game here.’ Preparation at practice really helped us tonight.”
The scoreboard showed a two-touchdown advantage at halftime, but even that did not fully reflect how much control Hobbton had throughout the opening two quarters.
Freshman Kevin Morrisey accounted for both of the Wildcats’ first-half touchdowns, helping Hobbton build a 14-0 advantage before the break. Rosewood had an opportunity to generate some momentum late in the half, but Travis Williams came away with a big interception and nearly broke the return all the way for another score.
That defensive effort stood out to Joyner after he challenged his players to improve on that side of the football.
“Defense,” Joyner emphasized when asked where he had seen the most improvement. “It seemed like the last two weeks we were lazy, we were arm tackling and we weren’t flying to the ball. But tonight, the defense really showed up and impressed me, definitely in that first half and that second half. It was just like, ‘Hey, we’ve got to lean on y’all.’”
Rosewood finally broke through with 5:18 remaining in the third quarter, cutting Hobbton’s advantage to 14-6 after failing to convert the ensuing 2-point attempt.
The Wildcats responded with a possession that showed some of the grit Joyner had been looking for. Facing third-and-16 following penalties, Morrisey powered Hobbton into a manageable fourth-and-1 situation. The Wildcats then used a fake snap count to draw the Eagles offside and keep the drive alive.
Julian Pope-Flores followed with a big run up the middle to move Hobbton onto Rosewood’s side of the field, and the Wildcats ended the third quarter threatening in the red zone.
Kyrie Best helped move the ball to first-and-goal before Pope-Flores finished the drive by punching his way into the end zone. Sharmarjay Oates converted the 2-point attempt, extending Hobbton’s advantage to 22-6.
Joyner credited Oates, one of only three sophomores on a roster filled primarily with freshmen, with helping set the tone for Hobbton’s younger players.
“My biggest thing is constantly talking to Sharmarjay,” Joyner explained. “He’s a sophomore, and I’ve got a team full of freshmen, so I tell Sharmarjay, ‘You’ve got to be a leader, and after they see you lead, they’re going to follow.’ All week long, Sharmarjay had been a voice even before the coaches. Tonight, it was the same way. Now Julian and Kevin are on board with him, getting downhill and running hard.”
Rosewood made one final push, connecting on a touchdown pass with 4:19 remaining in the fourth quarter. Another failed 2-point conversion kept Hobbton comfortably ahead, 22-12.
The Eagles eventually regained possession with an opportunity to make things interesting, but Hobbton’s defense refused to surrender another score. The Wildcats took over and ran out the remaining time to secure their first victory.
With the non-conference portion of the schedule giving Hobbton a taste of the win column, Joyner wants his young Wildcats to carry that momentum into the games that matter most.
“I told them, ‘Hey, look, you got the taste. Now it has got to flow every week,’” Joyner said. “This was a non-conference game. Now it’s conference, and this is what counts. You don’t win a championship in non-conference; you win a championship in conference. So next week it starts. You got the taste now, so let it continue to roll over.”