It's spring, isn't it? After a roller coaster start to the spring season, we FINALLY had some B-E-A-UTIFUL weather that actually felt like spring this past week and our kids got some AMAZING WORK WORK WORK done! With the sun shining and temperatures heating up, BRICKIE FEVER is skyrocketing!! American singer/songwriter, actor, and record producer Toby Keith might have written something like this about it ...

I should've been a Bri-ckie!

I should've learned to WORK WORK WORK ...

Wearin' school colors and cheerin' on Hobart on a Friday niiiiiiiggghht

Watchin' the Brickies SHINE!

Just like Kurth and Howell

Singin' that old fight song

Woah, I should've been a Bri-ckie

Just this week ... Baseball fought hard through perhaps their toughest stretch of the season and got to swing the bats at The SteelYard, Track & Field had a HUGE meet at Hanover Central, Tennis & Golf were swinging rackets & wrenches with the sun shining, Unified Track began their season down in The Hub City, and Softball played a hat trick of games in as many days!

How do ya like me now ... it's time for BricksCenter!

With 3 games in 3 days ... and one more for good measure scheduled on Saturday ... our girls were put to the test this past week.

On Tuesday, the Brickies played the role of host against Munster for a BIG NCC showdown! The 'Stangs road into town with a record of 13-3 and were undefeated (4-0) in conference action. Against the Class 4A #5-ranked Mustangs, Hobart didn't blink :). Our girls got the offense going in the first inning and plated 3 runs to take an early lead!! Munster answered with 3 of their own in the 2nd to tie things up ...and then each squad added a 4th run in the 3rd inning to make the score 4-4! After a scoreless 4th, Munster rallied for a 4-run 5th to take an 8-4 advantage and held on to win 9-5. It was a tough loss for the Bricks, but at the same time our girls STOOD TALL against a top-ranked team and showed that we can play with ANYONE! Senior Emili Knestrict was FANTASTIC at the plate going 4-for-4 with a HOMERUN and 3 RBI!! Classmate Ladan Weinman also had a HOMERUN and sophomore Aurora Ciesielski went 2-for-3 with a double and 2 runs scored in the loss.

Wednesday brought a road trip to Hammond Bishop Noll ...and this one was ALL BRICKIES!!! Hobart scored 8 first-inning runs and CRUISED to an easy 11-1 VICTORY over the Warriors!! Sophomore Kylie Bulatovich went 2-for-3 at the plate with 2 doubles & 2 RBI ...senior Hallie Pendleton had an inside the park HOMERUN & 2 RBI and classmate Taylor Lopez matched her with 2 RBI of her own ...junior Sierra Teel finished with a triple, an RBI and a run scored in the win! In the circle, senior Elizabeth Crespo & junior Allie Snider combined to surrender just 4 hits and 1 earned run!!

On Thursday, Hobart hit the road again, but this time our girls headed south on I-65 to face the Lowell Red Devils. The Brickies are getting into the habit of scoring first inning runs and plated another one this time to claim an early 1-0 lead. Unfortunately, the Devils were hot on the home turf and responded with 6 to move in front. Over the next few innings, Lowell was able to add 2 more and eventually won the game by an 8-2 score. Knestrict & Lopez each finished with 2 hits for the Brickies in the loss.

Saturday morning was supposed to be a 10am game @ Morgan Township, but Friday rain and cold temps washed this one out. The reschedule date is Tuesday, 5/20.

Hobart is now 4-6 on the year with all 6 losses coming in NCC play. This will be ANOTHER BIG WEEK for our girls as they will face Merrillville, KV & Griffith over the course of 4 days. GOOD LUCK LADIES!!

#SHINEBRIGHTONTHEDIAMOND

The Brickies had a 4-game set this past week ...and our boys GAVE IT ALL THEY HAD!

On Monday night, Hobart faced Indiana's #1-ranked team ...Andrean ...at The SteelYard, Home of the Gary SouthShore RailCats as part of the annual High School Baseball Challenge! The '9ers scored a run in the first and another in the 3rd. Hobart threatened with runners in scoring position in both the first & second innings, but couldn't capitalize and trailed 2-0 heading into the 5th inning in a closely contested game! Andrean picked up another run in the 5th and 3 more over the final two innings to make the score 6-0 heading into the bottom half of the 7th. Once again, the Brickies rallied and threatened to cut into the 59er lead, but never could make the play we needed when we needed it and ultimately lost 6-0. The game was MUCH closer than the final tally might indicate ...our boys were RIGHT THERE the whole game.

Tuesday brought game #2 against the 59ers, although this time it was played at 5959 Broadway. Hobart got on the board with a run in our first at bat to take a 1-0 lead!! Andrean came back with 2 runs in the 2nd & another in the 3rd to make the score 3-1 heading into the 4th inning. The Bricks could not cut into the 59er cushion in the top half of the frame, but in the bottom half, the '9ers blew the game open with a 5-spot and closed it out with 3 more in the 5th to win 11-1. Senior Aidan Leonard doubled for the only hit recorded for Hobart in the loss.

On Thursday, Class 4A #16-ranked Valparaiso invaded Brickie territory for a non-conference matchup. The Vikings plated a run in both the 2nd & 3rd innings and added 2 more in the 4th for a 4-0 lead. The Brickies responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the 4th and then tried to put a rally together in the 7th, but ultimately came up a little short and lost another tough one 4-2. Junior Zach Terek was AWESOME at the plate going 3-for-4 ... seniors Connor Stafford & Jayme Hairston each had 2 hits and junior Ethan Murchek singled a run home in the loss. Freshman Michael Klaich came on in relief and pitched 4 innings, striking out 3 and only walking 1 while surrendering just 2 hits.

On Saturday morning, the Brickies traveled across county line to take on the Portage Indians. After 2-and-a-half innings of scoreless baseball, the Indians plated two runs to move in front. After ANOTHER 2-and-a-half innings of scoreless baseball, the Indians plated ANOTHER 2 runs and then closed out the final Hobart at bat in the 7th to win 4-0. The Brickies actually finished with more hits than the host Indians ...just made too many mistakes in the field that ultimately were the difference. Hairston posted another 2-for-3 outing with a double and Terek pitched the complete game while striking out 4, surrendered only 1 earned run and didn't walk a soul in the loss.

Hobart is now 6-7 overall and 2-4 in NCC play. Our boys will square off with KV on Monday & Tuesday ... GO GET 'EM GUYS!!

#PUTMEINCOACHIMREADYTOPLAY

The Brickies played 18 holes this past week and showed TREMENDOUS improvement from the first 9 to the last!

Monday afternoon, Hobart hit the links against Andrean in NCC play. For the first dual match of the season, the weather was rough and the 59ers looked like they were throwing darts out there on the course as their top 3 golfers shot 39 - wow. Final score: Hobart 241, Andrean 159. For the young Brickies, it was a learning experience ...one that our boys will grow & improve from. The top for scorers for Hobart were sophomore Trevor Paterson (58), freshman MJ Scheldberg (60), sophomore Gavin Roper (61) & sophomore Chase Dukes (62).

On Wednesday, the Brickies were back a River Pointe Country Club for a match against Illiana Christian High School. The Vikings fired a 161 ... only 2 shots off where Andrean was on Monday ...to secure the non-conference win. Hobart fired a 217 with scores counting from Dukes (51), Scheldberg (52), Roper (55) & Paterson (59). Something to note ... the weather was much nicer than Monday and our Brickies took advantage! We improved by 24 strokes as a team!!! That's an average of 6 strokes PER SCORING PLAYER over 9 holes! UNBELIEVABLE!!! With golf being such a mental game, clearly our boys were more focused and relaxed this time around - a GREAT bounce back from Monday!!

Heading into this upcoming week, our guys need to keep in mind what golfer Ty Webb (Caddyshack) once said, "For me, there's a subtle perfection in everything I do ... and all you have to do is get in touch with it, stop thinking, let things happen, and be the ball." GOOD LUCK GUYS!

#BETHEBALL

#NANANANANANANANA

Hobart had a trifecta of matches on the slate for this past week ...and our girls SHINED!!

On Tuesday, NCC rival Lowell visited The Friendly City for Hobart's first NCC match of the season. Competition was FIERCE on the court at every position as both teams aimed to begin the conference season with a 'W'! Senior Natalie Crowley was TOUGH against her counterpart and WON a straight set match 7-5, 7-5 at #1 singles! Junior Emily Cicillian played a 3-set marathon @ #2 singles ... winning the first set and then rallying to win the 3rd (6-2, 4-6, 6-2) to earn the Brickies another point!! Classmate Leilani Venegas won in straight sets (6-4, 6-2) at #3 singles to help Hobart earn a COMPLETE SWEEP in singles play! The sensational senior duo of Isis Fleming & Addy Williams BATTLED to win the first set at #1 doubles ...and then CRUISED in set 2 (6-1) to make it 4-0!! The Red Devils managed to pick up a win at #2 doubles, but it was too little ...too late as the Brickies earned a HARD FOUGHT 4-1 VICTORY!!

Wednesday afternoon brought sectional rival Merrillville to town for a non-conference match. As Britney Spears might say ...Oops, Crowley, Cicillian & Venegas Did It Again ...and by that I mean earned a COMPLETE SWEEP in singles play against the Pirates! Isis & Addy were also FANTASTIC at #1 dubs - winning 6-2, 6-1 to stay UNDEFEATED on the year and deliver another 4-1 Hobart VICTORY!!

On Thursday, the Hanover Central Wildcats traveled all the way from Cedar Lake to face the Brickies on our home courts. Hobart BATTLED HARD against the talented visitors and earned a 'W' at #1 singles by Natalie Crowley (7-5, 6-3)! Unfortunately, it was the only position victory for the Bricks as Hanover won 3 spots in straight sets and survived a grueling 3-set grinder at #1 doubles (6-3, 2-6, 4-6).

Hobart is currently 5-1 on the year and an even 1-1 in NCC play. The Brickies have matches scheduled Monday through Thursday this upcoming week ... YOU'VE GOT THIS GIRLS!! WE BELIEVE IN YOU!!

#ACES

After picking up their 2nd win of the season last Friday in a 3-0 sweep of Kankakee Valley, the Brickies were right back on the court on Monday against the South Central Satellites. South Central, from the Porter County Conference, entered the contest with a record of 9-3 and definitely looked the part of an experience squad ...winning the first set 25-14 and then taking the next two by a combined score of 50-24 to leave town with a 3-0 win. Hobart was led by junior Codi Ketchum with 8 assists, sophomore Joel Mock with 5 kills and classmate Nathan Sobczynski with 13 digs.

On Tuesday night, the Munster Mustangs visited H-town and faced a much more focused Brickie team than the previous night... our boys CAME TO PLAY! In the first set, play went back-and-forth with neither team establishing supremacy. Ultimately, a late run by the 'Stangs gave them a 25-20 win. The second set was just as competitive as the first as the Brickies BATTLED HARD to keep the ball in play and seize control! Unfortunately, it was Munster again who was able to close out the close game and move in front 2-0 after the 25-19 win. The 3rd & final set very much resembled the first two with each team making plays, but eventually Munster gaining enough of a cushion to close it out 25-19 and win 3-0. Mock again led the attack with 5 kills ...Ketchum had 8 digs & 7 assists ... senior Levi Snyder contributed 7 digs from the back row and freshman Miles White recorded a team-high 3 blocks in the loss.

Hobart is now 2-8 on the year and will lace them up twice next week before heading to the Munster Invite on Saturday. LET'S GO BRICKS!! YOU CAN DO IT!!

#SERVINGNOTICE

On Tuesday night, the Brickies were on the road at Hanover Central in a HUGE Northwest Crossroads Conference dual. It was a night that FINALLY felt a little like spring and the conditions led to an AMAZING PERFORMANCE by our student athletes!! For the night, our boys & girls combined to have 63 PERSONAL BEST PERFORMANCES ... 13 SEASON BEST PERFORMANCES ...and 17 FIRST PLACE FINISHES!! WOW!! WHAT A NIGHT!!! For the girls specifically, junior Aalliah Otero was a BEAST winning 3 individual events (100, 200, 400) and senior Taylor Pope (shot put & discus) & junior Cassie Cohen (800 & 1600) each won two to help keep our girls within reach of the host Wildcats for most of the meet! Unfortunately, Hanover had too much firepower and defeated our Lady Bricks 80.5 - 51.5. On the boys side, seniors Willy "The Jet" Shearer (100 & 400) & Kolin Gladney (800 & 1600) each won two individual events and classmates Patrick O'Connor (shot put), Luke Juris (discus) & Deacon Caesar (high jump) ... along with sophomore Nathan Sobczynski (long jump) ... all won one event to keep the Bricks undefeated in NCC action at 2-0!! Final score: Hobart 77, Hanover Central 55.

Here are some results from Tuesday:

Girls

4x800m Relay - Freshmen Lilliana Lopez & Khloe Reyes and sophomores Pandora Dominguez & Natalie Vera - 1st

100m Hurdles - sophomore Love Jimenez - 3rd, freshman Rylee Christman - 4th, sophomore Kayla Huitron - 5th

100m Dash - junior Aalliah Otero - 1st, freshman Ella Lopez - 3rd, junior Zaria Gildon - 5th

1600m Run - junior Cassie Cohen - 1st, freshman Ana Medellin - 5th, senior Roxy Dominguez - 6th

4x100m Relay - GIldon, sophomores Kurah Krucina & Brianna Davis and freshman Ella Lopez - 2nd

400m Dash - Otero - 1st, Vera - 4th, senior Olivia Alexander - 5th

300m Hurdles - Christman - 3rd, sophomore Marin Ray - 5th, Jimenez - 6th

800m Run - Cohen - 1st, K. Reyes - 3rd, freshman Sydney Reyes - 5th

200m Dash - Otero - 1st, E. Lopez - 5th, Krucina - 6th

3200m Run - L. Lopez - 3rd, senior Millie Massey - 5th, P. Dominguez - 6th

1600m Relay - Otero, E. Lopez, Ray & Cohen - 2nd

Long Jump - Krucina - 3rd

High Jump - freshman Peyton Cotton - 2nd, freshman Ava Kowalisyn - 3rd

Shot Put - senior Taylor Pope - 1st, junior Bre Zon - 3rd

Discus - Pope - 1st, Zon - 4th

Pole Vault - junior Joanna Cantu - 3rd, sophomore Hannah Cherven - 4th

Boys

4x800m Relay - seniors Brett Davis, Nick Meagher & Dan Homoky and junior Durgon Click - 2nd

110m Hurdles - sophomore Bryce Tolliver - 2nd, freshman Caleb Fraley - 5th

100m Dash - senior Willy "The Jet" Shearer - 1st., junior Adrian Stojkoski - 3rd

1600m Run - senior Kolin Gladney - 1st, senior Felix Lopez - 2nd, senior Alphonse Parker - 6th

400m Relay - Stojkoski, Hatchett, senior Kael Schlosser and sophomore Nathan Sobczynski - 2nd

400m Dash - Shearer - 1st, Click - 3rd, senior Dominic Rivera - 4th

300m Hurdles - Tolliver - 2nd, freshman Jovan Hernandez - 5th

800m Run - Gladney - 1st, Davis - 2nd, Homoky - 3rd

200m Dash - Stojkoski - 2nd, Schlosser - 4th

3200m Run - Lopez - 2nd

1600m Relay - Davis, Shearer, Click & Schlosser - 1st

Long Jump - Sobczynski - 1st, Schlosser - 2nd, Fraley - 4th

High Jump - senior Deacon Caesar - 1st, freshman Jovan Hernandez - 2nd, sophomore Vontrell Jones - 3rd

Shot Put - senior Patrick O'Connor - 1st, senior Luke Juris - 4th, senior Nathan Grabek - 5th

Discus - Juris - 1st, O'Connor - 2nd, freshman Jenson Laffoon - 4th

Pole Vault - Sobczynski - 2nd

The Brickies got the weekend off to attend prom, but will be back at it on Tuesday with another ENORMOUS NCC meet against Munster & Lowell!! Right now our boys are 2-0 and our girls are an even 1-1 in conference action. GO GET 'EM!!

#TRACKINCAREOFBUSINESS

The Hobart Unified Track & Field team ... 2023 IHSAA Sectional champions and 2024 State Finalists ...opened up the 2025 campaign at Crown Point last Thursday night ...and OUR KIDS SHINED!! No results were available at the time of this edition, but Coach Jackie Pickett had this to share regarding the meet ...

All partners and athletes blew the coaches away. They came out and competed against some much bigger schools, holding their own in every event.

BOTH 4x100 relays placed FIRST in their heats!

BOYS = sophomore Jayden Syler, senior Jackson Butler, sophomore Odin Williams & senior Jayden Garrett

GIRLS = junior Olivia McIntire, sophomores Brooke Hawkins, Josie Gray, & Ariella Windsor

We had several new members and returning members take on the 400 (Gray, freshman Jordyn Shanks, junior Colton Galliher, Butler, McIntire, sophomore Layla Henley & Windsor) and could not be prouder!!

In the 100, we had some major speed come from the following athletes:

sophomore Isaac Bloom, seniors Hailie Locklear & Lindsey Neyhart, freshman Brody Kozel, junior Amaia Jenkins & sophomore Aldo Velazquez

sophomore Trinity Garcia, senior Michah Jennette & freshman Anaveah Brown came out big in the Long Jump!!

We had big throws by Garrett, Butler, junior Makayla Guzman, and Syler in the shot put!!

Looking forward to the growth of this very young team.

WOW! GREAT JOB EVERYONE!!! KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK WORK WORK!!

#CHAMPIONSTOGETHER

Baseball vs Kankakee Valley *

Softball @ Merrillville (V+JV)

Girls Tennis vs Valparaiso

JV Baseball @ KV *

Tuesday

Boys Golf vs Portage

Girls Track & Field @ Munster/Lowell * (Hosted by Munster High School)

Boys Track & Field @ Munster/Lowell * (Hosted by Munster High School)

Girls Tennis @ Highland *

Baseball @ KV *

Boys Volleyball @ Bishop Noll

JV Softball @ Chesterton

JV Baseball vs KV *

Wednesday

Softball @ Kankakee Valley

Boys Golf @ Highland *

Girls Tennis @ LaPorte

Thursday

Baseball vs Boone Grove

Girls Tennis @ Munster *

Boys Volleyball vs Andrean *

Softball @ Griffith

Unified Track & Field @ Kankakee Valley

JV Baseball @ Illiana Christian

JV Softball @ Wheeler

Friday

Baseball vs Chesterton (V+JV)

Girls Track & Field @ Lancer Relays (Hosted by LaVille High School)

Boys Track & Field @ Lancer Relays (Hosted by LaVille High School)

Boys Golf vs Morgan Township

Saturday

Boys Volleyball @ Munster Invite

* = NCC Opponent