Hobba Excels at Stop and Go

Totally direct, no frills, no nonsense. Garrett Hobba of Newbury Park High either finds the end zone or finds the ballcarrier, depending on which side of the ball he is on.

As a running back, he leads the Marmonte League with 20 touchdowns, complementing the Panthers’ vaunted passing attack with north-south runs that gather steam as he approaches the end zone.

As a linebacker, he leads the Panthers with 101 tackles, 8 1/2 sacks, two fumble recoveries and five tipped passes.

Hobba, a 6-foot, 195-pound senior, is smash-mouth all the way.

Yet listen to what else comes out of his mouth.

“He goes to his room in the evening and sings for hours,” said Hobba’s mother, Suzie. “He has an excellent voice and he writes his own songs and plays guitar.”

Hobba is as versatile musically as he is on the field, taking after his brother Nathan, who plays in a club band called Surface.

Garrett plays the piano and drums in addition to guitar, and his tastes run from Pearl Jam to Jackson Browne to the Beatles.

“Every once in a while, I write a song,” he said. “It’s pretty emotional, like about a girl or something.”

The sentimental stuff takes a backseat to crunching hits during football season, though.

“All my creativity goes to football in the fall,” he said. “It’s hard for me to even think during football season.

“I’m getting kind of brain-damaged. On offense and defense, within a five-yard range I’m gonna smack into someone.”

Hobba is hobbling heading into tonight’s playoff opener at Ventura because of a calf injury suffered last week. If his role is curtailed, he probably will play mostly defense.

Any time on the sidelines is spent exhorting teammates in a voice that is anything but sing-song.

“I didn’t have to take a leadership role last year, but now I’m taking control, making sure the team gets together,” he said.

“The guys on this team are my bros. I feel really close to them.”

Hobba and quarterback Chris Czernek belong to a Christian fellowship, and sometimes Hobba sings and plays guitar during services.

“His whole self-esteem isn’t wrapped up in football,” his mother said. “He has music and writing, and a faith in God.

“His world won’t fall apart if he can’t play.”