First-year coach guides Bastrop to first playoff spot in 15 years
- 33 minutes ago
- 3 min read
By Jim Irish
Photos by Dustyn Werner
Daniel Hobbs is garnering a reputation as a turnaround specialist.
In his first season, Hobbs has guided Bastrop High School boys basketball team to the UIL playoffs for the first time in 15 years.
The Bears held off tenacious Cedar Creek 51-49 at the Bears gym on Tuesday, finishing in third place in Class 5A District 24 with an 8-4 record (17-17 overall). In bi-district, they will encounter Pflugerville -- fourth place in District 23 --- at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Manor.
At his previous stop at Class 3A Rio Vista near Fort Worth, Hobbs motivated the Eagles to reach the playoffs in his second season after a drought of 25 years. In his six seasons, Rio Vista won a district championship and advanced to the playoffs four times.
Before the start of this season, Hobbs told his athletes, "We're gonna do something a little different. We're gonna win. But you'll have to do the things I ask you to do. That means you'll have to put in more time than you ever put in. That means we're gonna do the little things that make the difference."
"We're gonna do something different. We're gonna win. ..."
-- Bastrop coach Daniel Hobbs announcing to his athletes
The "little things" included daily workouts in the weight room at 7 a.m. to get stronger and more time in the gym.
"I got them to want to be in the gym (outside of practice)," Hobbs said.
Bastrop swept crosstown rival Cedar Creek in both district games this season, but it was as difficult as a tooth extraction. The Bears won the first contest 57-53.
"In rivalry games, that (losing) record does not matter at all. We fight, man. ..."
-- Cedar Creek coach Chris Young
The Eagles (4-23, 3-9) displayed just as much determination in the second contest. They led 10-8 after one quarter and tied 19-19 at halftime. Neither team found the nets often.
"In rivalry games, that (losing) record does not matter at all," Young said. "We fight, man. That's the one thing we do."
The key factor in the second half was the entrance of Brent Carter, who had been benched in the first half for missing a practice, Hobbs said.
"That's one of the things I've tried to do: hold them accountable," Hobbs said. "It's not always the easiest thing. We're gonna do things the right way."
Carter, a 6-foot-3 athletic senior and a first-team all-district selection in football, jumpstarted the Bears with two baskets underneath and a putback.
Cedar Creek switched to a man-to-man defense in the second half and had trouble containing Carter and Preston Alexander. The Eagles led by 10 points on a three-point shot by Alexander in the third quarter.
Carter buried his only three-point attempt from the baseline in the fourth quarter and in the final two minutes converted 3-of-4 free throws.
"Tonight, Brent Carter was that guy, to knock down those free throws when we needed it," Hobbs said.
Alexander, Bastrop's leading scorer, finished with 16 points but converted only 3-of-9 free throws. He also grabbed six rebounds and had three assists and two steals.
Bastrop struggled to find the 3-point range, hitting only 2-of-13 attempts. Meanwhile, Cedar Creek sank 6-of-19 from long range.
Nomar Ruvalcaba, Cedar Creek's elusive point guard, scored 14 points, including a 3-pointer from the baseline at the buzzer. Only 5-foot-5, Ruvalcaba led the game with nine rebounds.
Preston Figueroa added 10 points; Jair Matthews and Roman Martinez scored nine each.
Jim Irish is a freelance writer in Bastrop, Texas