Hornet Sports
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D.J. Shafer
Mission: Possible
Hornets must contain Dobbins to have shot at knocking off Montgomery tonight
The Hornets’ mission tonight, and they decided long ago to accept it, is to slow down Montgomery running back Leroy Dobbins.
No team has done it in the first six games of the ’09 season, but the Huntsville players believe they can handle this stern assignment.
So far, the slick and speedy Dobbins has been held under 200 yards only once. By a single yard, Brenham did it in a 14-7 victory over the Bears. But, a 70-yard touchdown run by Dobbins was called back due to a holding penalty.
In five other games, the 5-foot-8, 175-pound back has rushed for 244, 312, 225, 235 and 229 yards. It’s no coincidence that the Bears have won all five of those games.
The Hornets know they have their hands full on homecoming night in Huntsville. But everyone in the Hornets’ camp says this is the kind of challenge that makes the blood flow faster.
“It’s going to be fun — a great defense going against the best running back in the district,” Huntsville linebacker Bridge Blount said Thursday. “If he gets over 150 yards, that’s something different because we haven’t allowed anyone to get 100 yards rushing since the College Park game (on Sept. 4).
“Our coaches have told us we’ll make news if we hold him under 100 yards, so that’s our goal,” added the hard-hitting sophomore Blount.
Shaquille Ross knows it’s going to be difficult, but not impossible, to keep Dobbins under 100 yards. The Bears’ most potent weapon, who reminds the Hornets and their coaches of Tony Dorsett, Barry Sanders, LaDainian Tomlinson and Oregon State’s Jacquizz Rodgers, has rushed for 1,444 yards and 12 touchdowns this season.
According to the Houston Chronicle, Dobbins leads all rushers in Texas and is on pace to run for nearly 2,500 yards in the regular season.
The Hornets say they have a plan to slow down Dobbins’ run at the record book.
“The big things on defense are pursuit and wrapping up,” Ross said. “If we do that, it’ll be a good day for the Hornets. If we don’t wrap up, he can take it 70 yards or more. ... If we don’t wrap up, he’ll make you pay.”
“It’s a lot like trying to catch a chicken,” Huntsville head coach Mitchell Coey added. “Have you ever tried to catch a chicken? It’s hard to do.”
Hard yes, but doable, says Huntsville defensive coordinator Shane Martin.
Martin says the Hornets are geared up for tonight’s challenge.
“We need to tackle him before he gets 30 or 40 yards,” Martin said. “We need to tackle him at the line of scrimmage. We know Dobbins is going to make a big play; he’s made one in every game. But if we can minimize those and hold him to 150 yards or less, we’ve got a great chance to win the game.”
To win the game, the Hornets will have to deal with more than just Dobbins. Junior quarterback Tyler Bolfing has thrown for 769 yards and 10 touchdowns this season, while completing 71 percent of his passes. He has thrown no interceptions.
The son of Bears head coach John Bolfing, Tyler Bolfing has a pair of talented receivers who can also hurt the Hornets. Senior Kyle Stovall has caught 24 passes for 412 yards and six scores, while sophomore Devin Gasaway has nabbed 14 passes for 97 yards and one touchdown.
“Their quarterback has thrown for 800 yards this season, but I’m guessing that their running game opens it up for the pass,” Ross said. “If they beat us, they’re going to have to do it through the air. That’s what we’re going to try and make them do anyway.”
Huntsville’s defense, which has allowed 237.5 yards per game, ranks third overall in the district. The Hornets have been extremely efficient stopping the run. Huntsville leads all 18-4A teams in rushing defense with a 103.3-yard average.
The Hornets, who have given up 18 points per game, are third in scoring defense.
“We’re defensive gurus. We want to be the best defense in the district,” Ross said. “We want to see if we can stop that type of running back. We’re going to see how good our run defense is.”
Defensive lineman Kervin Simmons added, “It’s always exciting to play somebody that’s hyped up. He’s got great vision and cutback ability. As a lineman, we want to get a pass rush on their quarterback. We can shut him down if we get a pass rush going, but we’ve got to stop Leroy first.”
Hornet football notes and quotes
Whoa, three days on grass this week — Huntsville offensive coordinator Kane Harris was giddy with excitement Thursday afternoon. For the first time since the second week of the season, the Hornets practiced outside, on grass (some fake and some real), three times in a week.
On Monday, the players bused over to Bowers Stadium and worked out on the field turf where they’ll play tonight’s homecoming game. The Hornets practiced Tuesday in the old Hornet Gym, then Wednesday they went back outside and spent a few hours on the soccer field above the Joe Clements Field House.
Thursday, they had a short walk-through on the bottom field at Mance Park Middle School.
“We’ve traveled more to practices than we have to games,” Huntsville assistant head coach Shane Martin joked.
“Yeah, this is the first time since the St. Pius game that we’ve been on grass three times in a week,” Harris added. “We’re thrilled about that.”
Busy man gets even busier — Huntsville senior Shaquille Ross has been asked to do quite a bit already this season. After rushing for 71 yards on 14 carries last week in a 21-0 win over Waller, his coaches are asking Ross to do even more.
Ross will start at linebacker and running back tonight against Montgomery. He said he wants to help the Hornets any way possible, even if that means playing nearly every down during a long and exhausting three-hour game.
Will Ross be ready to make a play on Bears running back Leroy Dobbins late in the fourth quarter? You bet, Ross said without hesitating.
“Hopefully at that time, my passion for the game will take over,” Ross said Thursday. “In baseball we say, ‘Take a swig and keep banging.’ That’s what I’m going to do when I get tired — take a swig and keep banging.”
- Hornet Sports
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Huntsville ISD hires new volleyball coach
On paper and in her head, Stephanie Branch quietly took notes while sitting in the stands at Bryan High School on Thursday night. She paid particular attention to the team from Huntsville, because in a little more than a month that bunch will be her’s.
The daughter of a teaching and coaching couple, Branch, 31, was hired this week as the Lady Hornets’ new head volleyball coach. She replaces Brittany Brumbelow, who stepped down from her position at the end of the school year to spend more time with her family. -
High school notebook: Brenham boys edge Hornets at state track meet
Round one went to the Brenham boys. The Cubs won the District 18-4A boys track and field title last month in Willis.
The Huntsville boys took round two. Led by state qualifiers Justin Gilbert, Brodrick Hadnot, Henry Ford, Dimitri Collier and Cameron Simmons, the Hornets evened the score by outscoring the Cubs at the Region III track meet in Huntsville early this month.
In Austin last weekend, the Cubs edged the Hornets in the unofficial battle for track and field supremacy in District 18-4A. -
Going for gold
It wasn’t that long ago. RaKira Turner stood in the shot put ring and with all of her might, flat-footed she heaved the heavy ball forward.
Her first throws from the discus ring were even more memorable. With no idea about how to hold the strangely shaped disc, Turner did her best but the results were far from pretty. -
Hornets finish strong
They easily could have gone through the motions.
Sitting eighth in the team standings after a miserable first day at the UIL Boys Golf State Championships, the Hornets could have trudged around the Jimmy Clay Golf Course without a care.
They could have turned in another big score, gotten back on the bus and hit the highway headed home to Huntsville.
These Hornets had too much pride to mail in the second round of the tournament. On Tuesday, the Huntsville boys made a huge turnaround, shooting a team score of 307, which moved them up to sixth in the team standings. -
Difficult district
The Lady Hornets played their best round of golf Monday at Raven Nest Golf Club. Unfortunately for the Huntsville girls, they are stuck in District 18-4A with two, and probably three, of the top teams in the state.
Led by junior Madison Ward, who shot a solid 79, Huntsville’s varsity team posted a 349 team score during the first round of the District 18-4A tournament. That total puts the Lady Hornets in fourth place behind Montgomery Gold (310), Montgomery Purple (313) and Magnolia A (319) heading into today’s final round. -
Hornets finish first at Dayton track meet
The track teams from Huntsville High School did exactly what their head coach wanted them to do last week in the final tune-up before the all-important District 18-4A meet.
The Hornets finished first and the Lady Hornets placed third in the team standings at the Bronco Relays in Dayton. -
Gilbert advances to 100-meter finals at Texas Relays
Huntsville senior Justin Gilbert booked a spot in the main event. With a sizzling showing in the prelims for the 100-meter dash, Gilbert earned a place in the finals of the Texas Relays this afternoon in Austin.
Hopefully, he will have some company as some of his teammates try this morning to advance to the finals at Mike Myers Stadium at the University of Texas. -
‘I’m going to be nervous’
Austin’s Mike Myers Stadium is the place to be this weekend. The top track and field athletes not only in Texas, but from across the United States, will be competing inside a stadium full with the sport’s most passionate fans.
As a reward for weeks of hard work, and also to act as a possible tune-up for next month’s season-ending state meet, Huntsville High School is sending its best athletes to Austin, too. -
Top-ranked Cubs bring big bats to Huntsville
On a night when Brenham’s Chase Wellbrock nearly threw a no-hitter, Huntsville head coach Jeff Brumbelow shook his head more about the Cubs’ impressive hit parade.
Brenham came to Kate Barr Ross Park on Wednesday and quickly took control on the District 18-4A baseball game against the Hornets. The top-ranked Cubs banged out 16 hits in the first three innings and scored 13 runs on their way to a commanding 18-1 win over Huntsville. -
Just deserts
Seniors Jeremy LaDay, Marvin Dunbar and Justin Gilbert refused to listen to the people who said the Hornets were headed for a subpar season in 2009-10.
Huntsville’s run was done, some folks said last fall. That only fueled the fire for LaDay, Dunbar and Gilbert. - More Hornet Sports Headlines
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Huntsville ISD hires new volleyball coach
