2021 Team Preview: Hobbs Eagles

<strong>Hobbs 2021 Preview</strong> Head Coach: Ken Stevens Mascot: Eagles Twitter: @HobbsEaglesFB, @coachKStevens Colors: Black, Gold, White Enrollment: 1,919 Spring Record: 2-3 Key Players: QB [player_tooltip player_id="134908" first="Colton" last="Graham"], WR [player_tooltip player_id="137921" first="Kaden" last="Trevino"], RB [player_tooltip player_id="135113" first="Corbin" last="Thompson"], OL Soni Siaosi, OL Mario Lozano, LB Also Argott, DE [player_tooltip player_id="135119" first="Blake" last="Hensley"], DT Gavin Brumley Breakout Star: WR [player_tooltip player_id="137921" first="Kaden" last="Trevino"]. Overview: Hobbs is just 4-11 over the past two seasons, but the Eagles appear headed in the right direction under Stevens, who is still in the process of installing the culture he wants. Experienced and reliable quarterback play is a key for success at the Class 6A level. Senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="134908" first="Colton" last="Graham"]</strong> started a couple of games as a sophomore in 2019 and all five games in the spring when he threw for 649 yards and 5 touchdowns while rushing for over 200 yards and six touchdowns. He’s also an elite pitcher for the Eagles’ baseball team and will likely pursue that sport at the next level. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="135113" first="Corbin" last="Thompson"]</strong> rushed for 142 yards in the spring while rotating with a senior. He’ll also line up at slot receiver. Hobbs will also rely heavily on exciting junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="137921" first="Kaden" last="Trevino"]</strong>, who averaged 13.8 yards per rush and 23.9 yards per reception in the spring, and also returned two kickoffs for touchdowns. That’s called big-play ability. Trevino earned First-Team All-State honors and goes into the fall as one of the most dynamic players in the Land of Enchantment. In addition to football, he runs 100 meters on the Hobbs track team. <strong>Easton Kuykendall</strong> also returns at wide receiver. Along the offensive line, Hobbs has two three-year starters returning at the tackle spots: <strong>Soni Siaosi</strong> (6-3, 250) and <strong>Mario Lozano </strong>(6-1, 250), who recently committed to FCS Valparaiso. <strong>Luke Robinson</strong> returns at center. Defensively, Hobbs lost LB [player_tooltip player_id="135117" first="Josh" last="Miller"] (team leading 52 tackles) when his family moved to Texas. Junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="138050" first="Kenyon" last="Singleton"]</strong> will replace him. The leaders of the Hobbs defense should be LB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="135118" first="Aldo" last="Argott"]</strong> (48 tackles in spring) and senior DE <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="135119" first="Blake" last="Hensley"]</strong> (Honorable Mention All-State). Defensive tackle <strong>Gavin Brumley</strong> (6-4, 315 pounds) was injured in the spring opener at Clovis but is healthy again. He’ll man the interior of the Hobbs D-Line. The secondary is new. <strong>James Moore</strong> logged some time in the secondary in the spring and should start at safety. Schedule: Hobbs opens the 2021 season Friday night at Clovis against its traditional Class 6A rival, then travels to Artesia. The Eagles have four home games: Roswell, Lovington, Las Cruces and Carlsbad. They venture into the Lone Star State in late Sept. for a matchup against Rider High School in Wichita Falls, TX. Aug. 20 at Clovis Aug. 27 at Artesia Sept. 3 ROSWELL Sept. 10 LOVINGTON Sept. 17 at Goddard Sept. 24 at Wichita Falls (TX) Rider Oct. 8 LAS CRUCES Oct. 16 at Organ Mountain (Sat) Oct. 22 at Centennial Oct. 29 CARLSBAD Top Storyline: Will a potentially prolific offense help Hobbs return to its winning ways? Final Thoughts: After three losses by a combined 11 points, Hobbs finally steered the ship in the right direction in the final two games of the spring, beating Artesia and Organ Mountain. Will that momentum carry over into the fall? Stevens, who was hired in June 2019, hopes so. They have the ingredients for a successful season: solid quarterback, reliable running back, hyper-talented wide receiver, strong offensive line and a sturdy defense. Look for Hobbs to compete for a Class 6A playoff spot in Steven’s third season as head coach. Games against district foes Las Cruces and Centennial loom large. Coach’s Comments: “We have made significant strides in the weight room and in installing the culture we want here at Hobbs. . .We have a good nucleus of players coming back who played for us in the spring.  We’re expecting to compete at a high level. . .[player_tooltip player_id="134908" first="Colton" last="Graham"] is very athletic and has a very strong arm. He’s certainly a dual threat type. He had a lot of production on the field in the spring. He shows good leadership on the field and he’s a hard worker. . .[player_tooltip player_id="137921" first="Kaden" last="Trevino"] has good size and is a big play guy. Making First-Team All-State, he obviously gained the respect of a lot of the opposing coaches. He earned those votes. That speaks highly of the talent he has.” – Ken Stevens. https://twitter.com/1__KayTea/status/1391852227690745858 https://twitter.com/23_dodgerblue/status/1427002286144987136 https://twitter.com/HobbsEaglesFB/status/1385716585420132352 https://twitter.com/SiaosiSoni/status/1418324201245745166 https://twitter.com/HobbsEaglesFB/status/1385716367756652546