Cavemen Battle Hobbs for District Title

By Don Eskins

It’s going to be a winner-take-all battle for the District 4/5A title when the Carlsbad Cavemen and Hobbs Eagles face off in Hobbs on Friday night, February 20.

No doubt, with so much at stake, you can bet the farm that the Ralph Tasker Arena will be rockin’ when the ball goes up for the tipoff at 7 p.m. The JVs will take the floor first at 5:30 p.m.

Carlsbad will enter the clash at 17-7, the Eagles at 16-9. In district play, both teams are 4-1.

Coming into the game, fresh off a 77-43 victory over Roswell, CHS is currently ranked No. 10 in Class 5A basketball by MaxPreps. Hobbs’ (ranked seventh) latest victory came by way of the Clovis Wildcats, 52-47.

Carlsbad’s lone conference loss, 51-45, came via Clovis. The Eagles lost 52-46 in overtime to the Cavemen.

Carlsbad, in their victory over Hobbs, were led by senior center Shane Sullivan’s 17 points and point guard Zenas Huerta’s 15. The free-throw line, alongside some tough defense, played a key role in CHS’s win. On the night, they hit 81.3 percent of their attempts, 13-of-16.

The Cavemen will have to keep a close watch on the Eagle’s Josiah Clay, Malakhi David, and Josiah Morales. Clay, with 15 points, led all Hobbs scorers in the Eagle loss. David and Morales each scored 12.

Battle for the District Title

Winning a district title is one thing; winning a district title in Hobbs’ Ralph Tasker Arena—a site where picking up victories has become traditional for the Eagles—is another.

But that’s the scenario the Carlsbad Cavemen will face when they take the floor against Hobbs on Friday night.

Beating the Eagles for a District 4/5A regular-season championship is something that has happened only twice in the past 54 years. The Cavemen under coach Jamaal Brown did it a decade ago, and current coach John Zumbrun in 2022-23.

So, what must the Cavemen do to win a conference title this year?

“We need to shoot the ball well and get solid performances from our five starters, seniors Shane Sullivan, Zenas Huerta, Dryden Preece, Tanner Cornum, and Maliq Mills,” said coach Zumbrun. “They’re also going to have to provide us with the leadership we need to pull everybody together in our effort to get by Hobbs.

“They’re all experienced, know what to expect in the Tasker Arena, and they know the intensity level we’ll have to play at to compete with Hobbs,” he said. “So, in our effort to pick up a win and this year’s district title, we’ll be looking to our seniors all night.”

District 4/5A Tourney

The District 4/5A tournament will be held on Tuesday, February 24, Thursday, February 26, and Saturday, February 28, at the site of the highest seed.

Should the Cavemen defeat Hobbs to win this season’s regular season district title, they’ll entertain the winner of Thursday’s, February 26, matchup between Hobbs and the winner of Tuesday’s Clovis vs. Roswell game on Saturday at noon in the Cavern City. However, in the championship game, should both teams agree on a different time, the tip-off time could be changed.

Should the Cavemen lose to Hobbs, they’ll host Thursday night’s semi-final against the winner of Tuesday’s Clovis vs. Roswell game. With a win there, they’ll move on to play the Eagles in Hobbs on Saturday.

If a school hosts both a boys’ and girls’ district tournament game on Tuesday or Thursday, the games will be held at 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Should that be the case for the district tournament final, game times are TBD.

Cavemen Rout Roswell 77-43

Carlsbad High rode the hot hands of Shane Sullivan, 25 points, and Zenas Huerta, 21, en route to a 77-43 victory over the Roswell High Coyotes in Carlsbad on Friday night, February 13. Dryden Preece also scored in double digits with 10.

The win upped CHS’s overall record to 17-7 and 4-1 in conference play.

Carlsbad vs. Roswell, Feb. 13

RHS 12 9 10 12 43

CHS 13 22 22 20 77

Leaders: Scoring: Shane Sullivan, 25; Zenas Huerta, 21; Dryden Preece, 10; Tanner Cornum, 5; Elijah Banks, 5; Kevin Quarles, 4; Sanyika Green, 3; Miles Stephens, 2; Meliq Mills, 2; Rebounds: Z. Huerta, 5; S. Sullivan, 5; S. Green, 4; Mario De Leon, 3; D. Preece, 3; E. Banks, 2; Assists: T. Cornum, 2; Z. Huerta, 2; D. Preece, 2; M. Mills, 1; M. Stephens, 1; Steals: Z. Huerta, 4; S. Sullivan, 2; Frankie Martinez, 1; M. Stephens, 1; D. Preece, 1; T. Cornum, 1; K. Quarles, 1; 2-pt. FGs: 24-31-77.4%; 3-pt. FGs: 6-19-31.6%; FTs: 11-14-78.6%. (Hudl Digital Stats)

District 4/5A Standings

No. Team District Yr.

1 Carlsbad 4-1 17-7

2. Hobbs 4-1 16-9

3. Clovis 2-3 12-11

4. Roswell 0-5 11-14

Thru Thursday, Feb. 19.

Photos

Top: Caveman Shane Sullivan led all scorers in CHS’s 77-43 win over the Roswell Coyotes. The 6’4” senior tallied 25 points. (Stephanie Kurimski Photo)

Right: Caveman senior point guard Zenas Huerta goes up for two of his 21 points in Carlsbad’s 77-43 win over Roswell. CHS will be in Hobbs on Friday night, February 20, to take on the Eagles for this year’s District 4/5A title. (Sephanie Kurimski Photo)