Saturday, September 3, 2011

Four hours, 65 points and 970 yards later ...

  Four hours, 65 points and 970 yards of offense later, Class 4A defending champ Artesia came out on top of Hobbs 45-20 in a game Friday at the Bulldog Bowl that was closer than the final score indicated, though Hobbs trailed from the first quarter on.
Hobbs RB Aderiole Moore (22)
  The Eagles couldn't get out of the way of their own offensive dominance (438 yards of offense, including 374 rushing at 8.3 yards per carry) as they lost three fumbles (two inside the Artesia 20) and had two touchdowns called back due to penalties (neither possession Hobbs scored).
  Hobbs running back Aderiole Moore had a break-out game, rushing for 242 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries, and quarterback Brayden Price looked confident running the offense in just his second start, rushing for 65 yards (including 21 yards lost on two sacks) and 64 yards passing (which could've been more if not for a few dropped passes).
  But these mistakes are what have hampered Hobbs (1-1) for years against good teams. Hobbs played better against Artesia then it did against Gadsden in a week one win, it just made too many mistakes it couldn't overcome against an elite football program.
  With a thin depth chart, it was a tough matchup for the Hobbs defense as Artesia's spread offense racked up 532 yards. Artesia quarterback Skylor Morton dinked and dunked the Eagle defense, going 31-for-41 for 375 yards and three touchdowns.
  I'll have more on the game in Sunday's paper with my Sunday Quarterback (I'll likely break down time of possession and number of plays in this marathon of a game) and will write a column expanding on my thoughts on the game and where Hobbs is heading.
  By the way, did you check out the Baylor/TCU game or highlights (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=312450239)? I got home late Friday/early Saturday and ESPN had the replay on and I couldn't take my eyes off the television. Big win for Baylor.
  Again, to get updates of games and other sports news going on in Lea County, follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/HobbsSportsGuy.