BricksCenter

Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, and poet who had great influence on intellectual thinking during his lifetime. One of my favorite Emerson quotes goes like this:

“Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic, be enthusiastic and faithful, and you will accomplish your object. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”

Enthusiasm was overflowing this week in the Land of the Brickies as Hobart celebrated Homecoming 2025!! It was a truly AMAZING WEEK in The Friendly City ... THANK YOU to all those who played a role in making it memorable! That enthusiasm wasn't just bottled up in the hallways and at the pep rally, the Brickies were also bursting at the seams with it in competition - on the court, course, and field ... and our kids SHINED!

Another great Emerson quote states, “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” ... right now I think it's time to be the person who decides to read BricksCenter!

On Friday night, the Brickies hosted arch rival Lowell for the 2025 Homecoming game. Hobart & the Red Devils have met 26 times on the gridiron dating back to the 2003 season ... with each squad winning half (13) of the contests. With a PACKED Brickyard and a tradition rich rivalry ... this year's HOCO game had everything you could want in a top matchup! It's no surprise that Chick-Fil-A was there to tailgate along with the JEDtv GameDay crew to soak up this perfect fall night for some football!! The theme was "Black Out" and thanks to a special donation, our boys were all in with their uniforms!

On the 2nd play from scrimmage for Lowell, junior Nathan Sobczynski stepped in front of a pass, intercepted the ball, and raced 40 yards into the endzone for a PICK 6!! When classmate Peter Janda sent the point after through the uprights, it was 7-0 Brickies! Lowell responded with a scoring drive of their own to tie things up at 7-7. In the second quarter, a Brickie fumble gave the ball to Lowell inside the 10 and the Red Devils capitalized 2 plays later with another score to make it 14-7, which is where the score stayed as both teams headed into the halftime break.

In 3rd quarter, Sobczynski deflected a pass and the ball miraculously bounced up into the hands of sophomore Terry Earvin, who promptly raced down near the goal line before being tackled!! Two plays later, junior Aiden Kasch rumbled into the endzone to tie the game at 14-14!

Early in the final period of play, Lowell regained the lead on a 27-yard FG to make it 17-14. With 11 minutes remaining, the Brickies mounted an 8-minute drive ... converting on 4th down 3 consecutive times - one of them a fake punt where Sobczynski sprinted for a first down and the other two pass completions from junior QB Aleks Tatum to classmate Bryce Tolliver!! When the drive finally stalled around the 10-yard line, it was Janda ... with ice water in his veins ... who booted a 27-yard FG of his own to tie the game AGAIN at 17-17!! WHAT A GAME!!!

When Lowell got the ball back, the Devils managed to work the clock and drive the football down inside the Hobart 10 ... calling a time out with just 1 second left in the game. As time expired, they connected on a short FG to seal the win and hand the Brickies a heartbreaking defeat.

What an incredible game ... an incredible effort given by members of both teams ... and a dramatic "walk-off" finish worthy of NFL films. The result was obviously not what the Brickies worked so hard for, but playing in these kinds of games can only help prepare us for the kind of matchup we might see in the post-season. Our boys BATTLED and showed RESILIENCY ... two things that should pay off if we see the Red Devils again down the road.

Hobart is now 4-2 on the year and will travel to Hanover Central on Friday for another HUGE NCC contest. LET'S GO BRICKS!!

#DOUBTUS

Girls

On Tuesday, the Lady Brickies were in DeMotte to face the Kankakee Valley Kougars in a HUGE Northwest Crossroads Conference game. In an INTENSE matchup, our girls SHINED!! Hobart scored one GOOOOOOOOOOAALL in the first half and then added two more in the 2nd to claim a 3-0 lead!! The Brickie D-D-D-DEFENSE was STELLAR ... holding the Kougars without a shot on goal for the entire game to earn the shutout VICTORY!!! WOW!! Sophomore Rylee Christman scored two goals and added an assist ... junior Kurah Krucina also scored a goal - her 21st of the year - in the win!

On Saturday morning, the Wheeler Bearcats visited The Brickyard for a non-conference contest ... and it was once again Krucina & Christman spurring the Lady Brickie offense into high-gear!! Kurah scored 5 GOOOOOOOAAALLS and added an assist ... Rylee finished with a goal and an assist ... and sophomore Val Rodriguez & freshman Maci Simpson each tallied 2 assists in an IMPRESSIVE 6-0 VICTORY!! The Hobart D-D-D-DEFENSE was UNBELIEVABLE to capture our 7th shutout of the year! WOW!!

Hobart is now 9-4 overall with one week remaining in the regular season before IHSAA Sectional play begins. YOU'VE GOT THIS GIRLS!!

Boys

Monday night, Hobart was on the road at Lowell for the rescheduled contest that was postponed due to inclement weather way back on September 3rd. The host Red Devils entered the contest winners of 10 consecutive games. The first half of action was VERY competitive, but both squads played clean soccer and went into the break tied at 0-0. In the final 40 minutes of play, Lowell was finally able to slip one into the net ... and that one ultimately led to two more and a 3-0 final score in favor of the Devils.

On Wednesday, the Bricks welcomed Kankakee Valley to The Friendly City for SENIOR NIGHT! After recognizing our senior players - Cooper Evans, Gabe Rodriguez, Tyler Snemis, Daniel Taiwo, Stephen Allande, Cody Ketchum, James Villagran, Manny Magana, & Hunter Rushing - it was GAME ON! In a tight game, Cooper Evans fired a shot that hit NOTHING but NET midway through the first half to give the Brickies a 1-0 lead!! With roughly 20 minutes remaining in the game, classmate Codi Ketchum scored Hobart's 2nd GOOOOOOOOOOOAAALL on a rebound shot to bring the home crowd to their feet! With a 2-0 advantage, sophomore goalie Michael Klaich and the Hobart D-D-D-DEFENSE did the rest ... posting their 4th shutout VICTORY of the year!!

Saturday took our boys to Kouts for a non-conference game ... and the Brickies picked up where they left off on Wednesday! Leading 1-0 after the first 40 minutes, the proverbial flood gates opened up for Hobart to witness our offense score 10 2nd half GOOOOOOOOOAAALLSS vs only 2 for the host Mustangs!! HOLY SCHNIKES that's a lot of goals!! When the clock struck zero, Hobart returned home with an 11-2 VICTORY!!

The Brickies are now 5-6-2 on the year with one week remaining before post season play begins. The Chesterton Trojans invade The Brickyard on Monday night for our final home game of the year - DON'T STOP NOW BOYS!!

#WEAREONE

On Saturday, the Brickies were racing at the Highland Invitational ... a course that runs along the Erie Lackawanna Trail and finishes on the track around the football field!

Girls

In the team standings, Hobart placed 8th out of 22 schools represented and finished STRONG! Senior Cassie Cohen once again broke the 20-minute mark and placed 6th overall in a time of 19:42! Sophomore Lilliana Lopez and senior Audrey Turley were next into the chute in 54th & 56th place respectably ... and seniors Zaria GIldon (101st) & Millie Massey (105th) rounded out the varsity scoring positions on an unusually warm day for late September.

Boys

The Hobart Harriers finished 12th overall as a team against 23 others and also ran well!! Junior Nolan Shaginaw was the first Brickie into the finish chute in a time of 18:43! Senior Lu Cohen was right behind him in 18:59. Junior Jerry Theodorakos, senior Mason Thorpe, and junior Jayden Cooper completed the top 5 spots for Hobart.

Hobart will be at Kankakee Valley High School next Saturday to compete in the Northwest Crossroads Conference CHAMPIONSHIP! LET'S GOOOOOOOO!!!

#GRATEFULLYDEDICATEDXC

On Tuesday night, the Lady Brickies were at Munster to square off with the Mustangs. Play was VERY competitive throughout the first game, but the hosts were able to edge out a 25-21 win to claim a 1-0 lead. The 2nd & 3rd games were very similar in that play was back-and-forth, but our girls just couldn't get over the hump and fell 25-17 & 25-22 to close out a 3-0 defeat. Junior Alissa Hope (8) and Cadence Costello (6) combined for 14 kills ... senior Maddie Lams finished with 19 digs ... and classmate Kalli Butcher (14) & freshman Taryn Babcock (9) combined for 23 assists in the loss.

Wednesday, the Wheeler Bearcats hosted the Lady Brickies in non-conference action. Way back on August 23rd, the Brickies & Bearcats met for the Hobart Invite Championship .... a game that went down to the wire with Wheeler squeaking out a close win for the title. Would our girls be able to flip the script & get some revenge this time around? In a VERY competitive matchup, the Bearcats were able to hold off our girls and won the contest in 4 sets (3-1).

On Thursday night, our girls were DIGGING PINK to raise some $$ to fight cancer and facing the Andrean 59ers - currently 2nd place in the Northwest Crossroads Conference race. Early on, the '9ers looked every bit like the 2nd best team in the NCC as they took the first two sets 25-17, 25-21. Trailing 2-0, the Lady Brickies RALLIED ... taking a 10-3 lead in the 3rd set and going on to win 25-21! In the 4th set ... still facing elimination, OOPS our girls DID IT AGAIN and won a THRILLER 27-25 to tie the game up 2-2!! You know what that means?? 5TH SET TIEBREAKER!! WHAT A COMEBACK!! Unfortunately, that's as close as our girls got as Andrean scored 6 of the first 7 points in the final set and went on to win 15-5. It was a tough loss for the Bricks, but WHAT AN EFFORT to come back against one of the top teams in the NCC. We are so proud of our girls for their growth this year and resiliency!

Hobart is now 9-15 on the year. The Brickies will lace them up twice next week with games @ Griffith on Monday and then back at home on Thursday vs Highland for SENIOR NIGHT! GOOD LUCK LADIES!!

#CANYOUDIGIT

On Monday afternoon, the wheels on the Brickie bus went 'round & 'round over to Merrillville for a non-conference matchup to start the final week of the regular season. The Pirates, a potential IHSAA Sectional opponent, always seem to play well on their home courts. Well ... I just have one thing to say to that ... OUR BOYS WILL SHINE TONIGHT!! The Bricks DOMINATED the Pirates at all five varsity spots and CRUISED to a 5-0 VICTORY!! Seniors Gabe Gutierrez (#1) & Cash Salunga (#2) and sophomore Mav Becerra (#3) each won in straight sets in singles play and our doubles teams matched them (#1 = juniors Angel Gomez & Teddy Ho and #2 = senior Jayden Standish & junior Mason Mitchell) with straight set victories of their own in the win!!

Tuesday was supposed to be another non-conference match against Hammond Morton, but the Governors could not field a team, which forced a cancellation.

On Wednesday, there was no contest on the schedule; however, the Brickies loaded up the minibus and made a quick ROAD TRIP over to Highland to finish a match that started back on Tuesday, September 9th. On the 9th, Gutierrez & Becerra WON in singles play and the host Trojans won in doubles play ... making the score 2-2. Salunga @ #2 singles would be the deciding point. After splitting the first two sets with his opponent, they went to a 3rd set tiebreaker. In the tiebreaker, the score was 5-5 when the match had to be postponed due to darkness.

So ... they picked up where they left off and Cash WON 7-5 to help our boys secure the NCC VICTORY!!!

Thursday was SENIOR NIGHT and the opponent was Crown Point. Before play began, senior players Gabe Gutierrez, Jayden Standish, Cash Salunga & Xavian Tijerina were recognized along with their families for their dedication & commitment to Brickie tennis during the course of their careers. With all 4 seniors in the lineup, our boys played their butts off against the mighty Bulldogs ... challenging them at every position! Unfortunately, the 'Dogs had too much bite on Thursday and won 5-0. Salunga played the most competitive match of the night ... dropping a heartbreaker 6-7, 7-6, 8-10 ... WOW, what a match. CP needed extra points to win against Gutierrez @ #1 singles and against Standish & Mason Mitchell @ #2 doubles as well. Like I said ... our boys played their butts off and pushed Crown Point to the limit.

Hobart is now 10-5 on the year and will open up IHSAA SECTIONAL play next Wednesday right here at home! Be at your best when your best is needed boys!! We believe in you!!

#SERVINGNOTICE

This was a week of emotions for the Lady Brickies as they swung the wrenches for the last time this fall.

At Valparaiso Country Club on Monday, Hobart played 18 holes in the IHSAA Sectional hosted by Valparaiso High School. If you've ever played at the VCC, you know how challenging the terrain is. In spite of the obstacles in front of them, our girls played well - finishing 6th overall out of the 9 schools represented. The FAB 5 on Monday were led by junior Makenzie Johnston, who signed her scorecard with a team-best 114 ... which earned her a QUALIFYING SPOT in the IHSAA Regional! WOW - GREAT JOB MAKENZIE!! Freshman Corrine Oswald was next into the clubhouse with a 119 respectively. Sophomore Belle Zabrecky, junior Marisa Salamanca, and senior Olivia Postma rounded out the Hobart lineup on the day. Unfortunately, only the top 3 teams advance to the regional, which means the Lady Brickies did not advance as a team.

On Saturday, Makenzie was at Sandy Pines in DeMotte for the IHSAA REGIONAL!! On the doorstep of the IHSAA State Finals and playing against the best (... I say the BEST) golfers in NWI, Makenzie held her own on a difficult course. Her finish did not enable her to punch a ticket to State, but her experience gained in playing at this level should be a GREAT motivator heading into the off-season. In fact, the Lady Brickies will return a majority of our lineup next fall ... one that had a FANTASTIC season and a top 3 finish in the Northwest Crossroads Conference!!

CONGRATULATIONS to Coach Gary Roach, Coach Crisse Hairston, and all of our Brickie golfers for a TERRIFIC fall season! Our girls gave us plenty of chest-pounding moments of BRICKIE PRIDE as they navigated the last 8 weeks! THANK YOU LADIES! WE ARE VERY PROUD OF YOU!!!

#GRIPITANDRIPIT

CONGRATULATIONS to Yohan's Army for being selected as the STUDENT SECTION OF THE WEEK for the 4TH CONSECUTIVE TIME!!! KEEP IT UP!!!

#WEGOTSPIRIT

Girls Volleyball @ Griffith

Boys Soccer vs. Chesterton

Tuesday

Girls Soccer vs. Highland *

Wednesday

Boys Tennis @ IHSAA SECTIONAL (Hosted by Hobart High School)

Boys Soccer @ Highland *

Thursday

Boys Tennis @ IHSAA SECTIONAL (Hosted by Hobart High School)

Girls Volleyball vs. Highland *

Girls Soccer @ Merrillville

Friday

Football @ Hanover Central *

Saturday

Boys Cross Country @ NCC CHAMPIONSHIP MEET

Girls Cross Country @ NCC CHAMPIONSHIP MEET

Boys Soccer @ Merrillville

Girls Soccer @ Victory Christian Academy

JV Football vs. Hanover Central *

* = NCC Opponent