Hobbton crowned kings
Oct. 28—It was a beautiful evening out at Talton Field with the No. 1 Hobbton Wildcats facing off against the No. 2 Eagles of Rosewood. The match was electric as these two fierce rivals battled it out on the pitch with the Carolina 1A trophy on the line. Hobbton shut out the Eagles with their high-powered play, taking the gold back to Newton Grove, 4-0.
It was a fight until the bitter end for the Eagles and it remained so for the entirety of the match. Hobbton and Rosewood danced on the pitch, pushing play upfield, crisp passes, skill shots and dribbles were the theme in this powerhouse game. Hobbton would nab the first goal and never looked back.
The Wildcats would continue to punish the Eagles with their play and Rosewood could not answer. Weaving in and out of traffic, Hobbton navigated through the opposition and put up another goal, and the hits kept coming. As the match was winding down with the Wildcats holding a four point lead, the Eagles continued to fight back. Hobbton held their resolve and held the Eagles off despite their strong play.
"Every time we play Rosewood, it's a tough match," Coach Jonathan Jacobs told The Independent. "It's been that way for awhile now."
Henry Jorge led his team with two goals followed by Leo Espino and Junior Diaz with a goal a piece. Those who fed the strikers with pristine passing aided in the shutout win for the Wildcats. Ulises Perez, Junior Diaz, Ever Reyes and Jose Escalera all were awarded an assist for their opportunity creating performance.
The Wildcats did something that no other team in the county has done and is placed as the No. 1 seed for the state playoffs. Hobbton's dazzling play on the pitch earned them high marks and they will enter the playoffs with the homefield advantage. Coach Jacobs elaborated on their play in the championship game and what this means to them.
"I thought we played well. It's a great game to have right before the playoffs. We just need to ride this momentum into the playoffs and see what happens. We have ended the season as ranked No. 1 in 1A East for the first time in school history. It's also the first soccer team in the Sampson County School system to get No, 1 seed. It's a proud moment for us."
And now, the Wildcats will have to wait and hold that excitement before the enter the NCHSAA state tournament, where Hobbton will be on the hunt to bring more gold for the Grove. They end the regular season at 18-3-1 and conference play at 9-1.
Reach Anthony McConnaughey at amcconnaughey@clintonnc.com or on Twitter @SportsSampson
