By Fred Kroner
Dalton Hobick’s 96-yard first-quarter kickoff return was the highlight for Oakwood’s football team, which suffered a 58-6 loss to Iroquois West on Friday (Sept. 2) in Gilman.
Hobick’s return trimmed the Raiders’ lead to 14-6.
“Dalton did what Dalton does and gave us momentum and a spark,” Oakwood coach Cameron Lee said.
On Oakwood’s next offensive possession after the kick return, quarterback Hobick was sidelined for the remainder of the game following a hit to the helmet.
It was a big blow for the Comets.
“Our offense revolves around what Dalton can do with his legs,” Oakwood coach Cameron Lee said.
By halftime, Iroquois West had built its lead up to 43-6.
Hobick was replaced by sophomore Jackson Dudley, who Lee said, “came in and did the best he could.”
Dudley’s previous quarterbacking experience this season was 10 minutes in a postponed JV game earlier in the week.
“The score is not reflective of us versus them,” Lee said. “They were doing more things right than we were and deserved to win, but we made a lot of mistakes.
“We had a couple of bad lapses where they scored quickly. That compounded things and the wheels fell off.”
Oakwood (1-1) returns to action on Friday (Sept. 9) at Clifton Central (1-1). The Comets are coming off a 47-6 win over Georgetown-Ridge Farm.
“From here,” Lee said, “the big thing is to not let this define our season. Our focus is making sure we focus on the long run and keep things together.”
