[4] [5] [18] Dozens of former Hobbs players have received NCAA scholarships, and thirteen have been drafted by NBA teams. The victory marked head coach Jason Slate's 500th win for the Cougars. In 2007, McKinsey became the Head Girls' Basketball coach at Serra, where he coaches presently. Its a good feeling, Clampitt admitted. (L-R) Duane Henry, Larry Robinson, Randall Pugh, Robert Brooks and Tim Tasker. The Cavemen (20-7) was undefeated in District 5-4A . Manage the news you want to see, read exclusive content and explore other subscriber benefits. [11], The 1962-63 and 1963-64 seasons saw Tasker's teams go 27-1 and 26-2 respectively, but both teams suffered 1-point defeats in the state championship game. It was a matter of coaches choices, what strategy they opted to use. Gone is former coordinator and quarterbacks coach Tommy Rees, who headed to Alabama. More. You love having guys like that on your team., Reeves is just the fourth head coach for the program over the past 70+ years. (The 1995 Albuquerque High boys champions also will be recognized that day, and the New Mexico Activities Association will hold a lunch banquet for all of its reunion teams Friday.). [7] Despite winning the state championship, Tasker was unhappy that Lovington High would not give him his own key to the gym,[4] so he accepted an offer to become the head basketball coach in nearby Hobbs, New Mexico beginning with the 1949-50 season. 0:36. On May 7, 2001, Hobbs was named the head coach at the George Washington University after previous coach Tom Penders resigned following a lack of success and a number of scandals in Foggy Bottom. MISSOULA If the name Tyler Hobbs sounds familiar to you as a western Montanan, you're not alone. Other key players were Randall Pughs younger brother Easy, Charles Hutchings and Tim Tasker, the coachs son. Email addresses are used solely for verification and to speed the verification process for repeat questioners. Even teams that regularly played Hobbs never figured out how to stop the Eagles that year. Hobbs' stats have been entered for the 74-56 win @ Clovis on 1/27/2023 7:00 PM. Basketball was probably my favorite, he mused, but I was better at baseball.. The Scarlet Knights are led by seventh-year head coach Steve Pikiell and play their home games at Jersey Mike's Arena in Piscataway . Abbott was a head coach at Gallup Cathedral High School in addition to Farmington, but he is likely best remembered in Hobbs for being one of Taskers trusted assistants. One moved, one quit, and three others bowed out to focus more on their schoolwork, leaving Rowe as the only remaining . Karl Hobbs was born and raised in Roxbury, Massachusetts, a neighborhood of Boston. Hobbs is credited as the recruiter who brought Richard Hamilton, Caron Butler and Khalid El-Amin to UConn, among others, and he was vital in the development of Ray Allen, who still credits him for the development of his strong jumpshot.[2]. We practiced that against each other all the time. Victor Rotunno. That coach said they were going to run with us. ``It was a joint decision, she said. District rival Carlsbad is 19-3 overall and ranked 8th. The fast-break offense was what Abbott had been trained to employ, the scheme that was the most comfortable fit for him. Sheridan High School's new boys basketball coach has big shoes to fill (From left) David Sanders, newly appointed Sheridan basketball coach Tod Windlan, John Holmes and Jim Godby pose with a cutout of legendary former Sheridan High School basketball coach Larry Hobbs. It made it very difficult for someone to throw the ball in, Henry says. Some of the scores were truly cringe-worthy for fans of the opposition. According to an article in the. In March 1970, this group of Eagles became part of the lore and is still regarded by many Hobbs hoops aficionados as the greatest in school history. Such scenarios ran through Russ Gilmore's mind before the 1998-99 season when presented the opportunity to coach the boys' basketball team at Hobbs High School (New Mexico). Hobbs is known for his high-energy, frenetic coaching style. High School basketball state championship games took over Veterans Memorial Coliseum Thursday night. Abbott moved on to play for Colorado State, but when Fort Lewis switched from a two-year to four-year school, Abbott returned there to finish his studies, along with a career that would eventually land him in the Fort Lewis Athletic Hall of Fame. [19], National champion As the postseason approaches, we reached out to several head basketball coaches in all classifications from around New Mexico to ask them about some of the top players in the state. He left for spells to attend college in Colorado, to coach in Gallup, Farmington and Levelland. Clampitt said he keeps up with many former team members on Facebook and through occasional visits. The new Boys & Girls Club had 1,400 kids signed up and averaged 350 visitors a day over the summer, Clampitt noted. Hobbs Athletics is excited that health guidelines now allow fans to attend indoor student events. The official was caught on. I think one year we averaged 98 points per game, Ashcraft said. Menu Team Results: Team Records; Results by Opponents; Area Records and Misc. [13] The Colonials finished the season with a winning season for the first time in three years, and Hobbs had two players receive conference postseason honors for the first time in three years as well. Hobbs only has two losses on the season, to Odessa Permian and unbeaten Las Cruces. Clampitts stint with the Boys & Girls Club began in 1979, when he served as athletic director. [16] After winning back-to-back state titles again in 1987 and 1988, Tasker's number of New Mexico State Championships with Hobbs High was set at eleven. Uploaded by Division regular season champion His summers were spent running a city basketball program, developing talent for his teams. (courtesy Rick Shed), The late Hobbs coach Ralph Tasker during the 1969-70 season. [19] Hall of Fame Coach Morgan Wootten has said of Tasker, "Ralph was a true pioneer of the game at the high school level, and his lasting impact of the thousands of lives he touched over his 53 years will never be forgotten. The team had just six cheerleaders to start the school year at Southeast High. [2] He was named National High School Coach of the Year in 1969 by the National High School Coaches Association, and the Eagles' home gymnasium was renamed Ralph Tasker Arena in his honor during the 1969-70 season. There are no reviews yet. The Organ Mountain boys beat Hobbs twice in December with a 71-68 victory in the championship game of the Hobbs Holiday Tournament. Hobbs High had gone through five coaches in five seasons when Tasker was hired in the summer of 1949. Reeves played for the legendary Ralph Tasker and coached with the Hall of Famer, as well. High school basketball's March Madness set to tip: Here's a breakdown of the brackets. Coach Hobbs has coached every level of high school basketball with stops at Big Sky, Columbia Falls, and the head boys basketball coach at Stevensville while pursuing his teaching career. The Mustangs, contrary to Mayfields strategy, seemed intent to play the way Hobbs wanted them to play. They figured if they kept the score low, they could beat us, Robinson remembered. By the time everyone reached high school, the young men had spent years running, practicing the press, looking for each other on passes and admiring Hobbs players of the past. On 2/3, the Hobbs varsity basketball team lost their home conference game against Carlsbad (NM) by a score of 58-29. And when Tasker installed the full-court press as his primary defense, the Eagles offense turned into a scoring machine. For many years, until Houston Yates averaged 116.2 in 2009-10, that Hobbs championship team was the record-holder for how fast high schoolers could put the ball in the hoop. Be the first one to, Advanced embedding details, examples, and help, Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States, Terms of Service (last updated 12/31/2014). He ran a fast-break offense, up-tempo game. Also on that team was an imposing rebounder and scorer named Bill Bridges, who went on to play at Kansas and in the NBA. They never slowed down for a minute. [3][4][5][6][7][8] Penders said his resignation was because after 30 years of coaching, it was "time for a sabbatical," and said the resignation was not related to the off-the-court issues.[9]. Nash replied, ``Then get us in shape.. Additionally, he tended to recruit stocky guards and pencil-thin athletic forwards while coaching one of the quickest teams in the country that force turnovers with full-court defense. In 1991, the Eagles were 21-1 going into the tournament, but lost 86-82 to Albuquerque La Cueva. Read even more great stories in this edition of Focus on Lea County. The teams that will almost certainly be seeded No. He was known for his defense. We were always in better shape that the teams we played.. He had a deadly little set shot.. The Hobbs High School boys basketball team is getting ready for its biggest game of 2022, so far. Canton High School. The Eagles will travel to Carlsbad on Friday evening. 16 overall in the country in the class of 2024. And there was 6-6 Larry Robinson, who became a University of Texas superstar and went on to play basketball in Sweden. Coach Tasker always stressed team effort. He said they could outrun us. 27 talking about this. In the 1969-70 season, Hobbs averaged 114.6 points a game, a national record for high school basketball that still stands. Hobbs won his first Atlantic 10 Conference Championship in 2005, the first in GW history, and then added the second in 2007 in Atlantic City. Basketball. 2017 USA U16 . The Eagles press and score a lot of points. Then, he joined Jim Calhoun as an assistant at UConn where he stayed from 19932001. The 1970 Hobbs state champions will be honored Saturday during halftime of the 2020 Class 5A boys basketball final at Dreamstyle Arena the Pit. I was a sophomore at El Paso Irvin. Late Hobbs, Farmington coach known for high-powered offense, Copyright 2022 Hobbs News-Sun, All Rights Reserved, Former Hobbs state champion Ross passes on his experience to next generation. Consider that the winning team in the last seven New Mexico big-schools boys championship games has scored no more than 61 points. (Courtesy of Rick Shed), Members of the 1970 Hobbs state championship team reunite in Albuquerque last March for 50th anniversary of the '68-'69 state title squad. We passed the ball pretty well. He was one of legendary Hobbs coach Ralph Tasker's varsity assistants from 1965 to 1967, and was back as a varsity assistant and boys jayvee coach from 1984 to 1993. Tim McPhail died Tuesday at his residence after a year-long battle with brain cancer. 2 for the. 1 and No. . There was 6 foot 9 inch Larry Williams, who went on to play for Kansas State, was drafted by the Bucks and spent his career playing basketball in Europe. There were players like Duane Henry and Randall Pugh, who both played college ball for Trinity University. As a Longhorn, Robinson was named the Southwest Conference Player of the Year as a sophomore and as a senior. Senior guard Isaiah Burke led the Bears with a game-high 20 points. He basically played what Tasker always played, and then he played the full-court, man-to-man defense. We were elated just to be there. Post. Of course, Coach Ralph Tasker had a lot left to do with the Eagles. Freshman Lasan Kromah was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team and Senior Damian Hollis was named an Atlantic 10 Honorable Mention. [1], As head basketball coach at Hobbs High School, Ralph Tasker was largely responsible for creating one of the most successful high school basketball programs in the United States. [2] His other accomplishments include twice being named National High School Coach of the Year, induction into the National High School Sports Hall of Fame, and being chosen for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Morgan Wootten Award. Lee County 65, Blessed Trinity 61 Lee County is advancing to the Final 4 after picking up a four-point road victory against . Lots and lots of buckets. Led by legendary Coach Ralph Tasker, the Hobbs Eagles basketball program produced winning seasons year after year and became the team to beat in the Southwestern United States. Youd think hed slow it down and spread it out to try and keep the score down, Ashcraft said. Douglass-Atlanta 78, Dougherty 73 . Larry Robinson is still considered to be one of UTs best basketball players, and he also paved the way for integration at the university. Andrew Nicholas "Bo" Hobbs Jr., former athlete and basketball coach at Richmond's Thomas Jefferson High School, died Monday, Sept. 19, 2016. Some of the various schools at which he was a candidate were the University of New Hampshire, Fordham University, Tulane University, American University, the University of Hartford, the University of Delaware, the University of Miami, Siena College and Drexel University before he finally accepted an offer to become the head coach at George Washington University in May 2001. Hobbs holds a 20-2 record and is ranked 5th in the state in the latest MaxPreps polls. And, as the Hobbs press became a finely tuned instrument of harassment in early 1970, nothing seemed to work in trying to break it. They are names of some players that various coaches spoke about heading into the postseason and a sample of their comments), Kamalani Anitielu, Farmington High School, senior: Only the 5th player at Farmington High School to ever score more than 1,000 career points, Kapiolani Anitielu (junior)/Kjani Anitielu (freshman): Younger sisters of Kamalani with good court vision and quickness, Huge 3-point threat, Sydney Benally, Sandia High School, sophomore: Sophomore captain averaging over 20 points a game A threat with the ball in her hands, Emma Christiano, Las Cruces High School, senior: veteran guard who reached the 1,000 point plateau this season, Kyndle Cunningham, Hobbs High School, sophomore: Solid post player whos had to step up, Good defender inside the paint, Taejhuan Hill, Volcano Vista High School, junior: Experienced post player who is tough to stop on the block, Comes up big in big games, Bella Hines, Eldorado High School, sophomore: One of the most dynamic girls basketball players in the state who reached the 1,000 point mark for her career earlier this season, Capable of taking over a game. The knowledge he gave us about basketball was big for me., From Tasker to Reeves, not much has changed. I think we had a group of athletes who were very well suited for coach Taskers coaching style and his style of play. Additionally, UConn made five Sweet Sixteen appearances during his tenure and won the 199899 National Championship. He had 36 seasons of 20 wins or more and 12 state championships. It was the first time Albuquerque High had played in the state championship game since 1946, Hulsman said recently. [1] He won twelve New Mexico Boys' State Basketball Championships: one with Lovington (1949) and eleven with Hobbs (1956, 1957, 1958, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1980, 1981, 1987, 1988). Coach Tasker was usually the good guy and his assistant coaches were usually the ones that did the discipline. The Hobbs Eagles have dominated the court pretty much since basketball came to New Mexico, and certainly for most of legendary coach Ralph Taskers lengthy reign, but there was something awfully special about the 69-70 Hobbs team that went 26-1 and included standouts like Larry Williams and Larry Robinson. Hobbs' stats have been entered for the 58-29 loss vs. Carlsbad on 2/3/2023 7:00 PM. It was a special time, Henry said. Hobbs News-Sun file photo HOBBS Press, Eagles, puh-ress! When the ball went up, we started running. That defeat came six weeks after Taskers wife of 49 years died. Its been 50 years since that landmark year, and those Hobbs boys remain the benchmark for prolific scoring in state history. on August 8, 2009. But he didnt; he kept on playing his brand of ball. (Hobbs High School archives), Coach Ralph Tasker poses with his Hobbs High School boys basketball team during practice in 1969-70. Attends Jay M. Robinson High School in Concord, North Carolina; Facebook; Twitter; Google Plus; . He is also the schools all-time leading scorer. His accomplishments include the following: 6x California . [5], After state runner-up finishes in 1971 and 1976, Tasker's Eagles again claimed back-to-back state championships in 1980 and 1981. Led by legendary Coach Ralph Tasker, the Hobbs Eagles basketball program produced winning seasons year after year and became the team to beat in the Southwestern United States. Capture a web page as it appears now for use as a trusted citation in the future. Christina Worth . High School Notes. By CHRIS HOBBS HobbsDailyReport.com Kevin Wilson, whose love of football began on football fields in Maiden, is again a head coach in college football. Theyve been my life.. In fact, hes still a Swedish citizen. Daemon Ely, Taos High School, senior: 68 post player who is one of the top scorers in the north. Most points in a quarter: 51 in the fourth period vs. Carlsbad in district tournament play after scoring a state record 50 in the third period. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. But it was a requirement for the job when Abbott coached the Scorpions. 1000s of products online. After graduating from HobbsHigh, Abbott went on to attend FortLewis Junior College in Durango,Colorado, where he played basketball well enough to earn All-Conference honors. Cross Country Jason Kirkland: Football. Carlsbad gave up 135 and 132 points in its first two meetings. Hobbs (16-7) is headed to the state tournament for the 39th time since Tasker took over the program in 1949. Describes the history of the basketball program at Hobbs High School in Hobbs, New Mexico from 1950 through 1983. It shows the 1969-70 Hobbs High state championship team and adds some statistics. Division regular season and conference tournament champion Of course he ran the traditional Ralph Tasker offense and defense, Ashcraft recalled. Baseball. Ralph Edwin Tasker (July 15, 1919 - July 19, 1999) was a high school boys' basketball coach. He had spent the previous four years at Lovington and led that school to a state championship. [14], The turnaround in victories coincided with an increased presence for Coach Hobbs in communication with fans and on television. The 2023 high school state basketball tournaments begin Friday, with the girls up first. kids know you are present and care and they remember that and they also take note if they only see you at football or basketball games". Wish I could talk to a Hobbs player from then. They would send somebody deep, theyd run people all over the place from that position they were trying to hit the home run ball, Henry said. Yet, after making it to the NCAA tournament the following season, Hobbs's squad missed the A-10 tournament for two consecutive years leading fans to call for his firing. [5], After attending Alderson-Broaddus College on a basketball scholarship, Tasker became the head basketball coach at the high school in Sulphur Springs, Ohio. Abbott apparently learned a lot from Task-er, his mentor. [18] In 2014, UConn defeated Kentucky for the national championship, Hobbs' second on the Connecticut staff. [18] Russ Gilmore, who succeeded Tasker as head basketball coach at Hobbs High and who has won five New Mexico State Championships of his own, credits Tasker with helping him assume control of the program.