Heroes of Golden Knights football series#2:  by James Fruscella:jfruscel@hotmail.com

Little did I know on that sultry summer day in 1979, when I pulled into Harter’s Gulf Station (where the Stewart’s is now), that my first coaching experience would include one of the finest athletes and citizens that this area has produced, Todd Hobin. Todd played the leading role in my most memorable game that I coached that year as my JV quarterback and he took part in the most memorable game that I’ve ever watched (including TV). In the Dome in 1981, the Golden Knights gave our community as proud a moment as any team can have without winning the game. In our first ever appearance in the Dome, our gutsy Knights battled back from a 26-0 deficit to almost beat Jamesville-DeWitt 34-26. The J-D team had two running backs, Drummond and Schwedes, that went on to play for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Miami Dolphins respectively. Playing along with Todd that year were Any Bessmer, Ed and Eric Schilling, Dennis and Brad Williams, Mark Buczek, Brian Silfer, Ted Roberts, Paul Kirk, Mark Sprague, Jeff Langley, Harold Clawson, Joe Price, Keith Van Dresar, Dan Bernard and Ed Grogan.

Todd broke Wayne Perkins 1967 rushing record his senior year as he amassed 788 yards during the regular season and 975 yards overall on 146 carries for a 6.6 yards per rush average. He also completed 30 passes for 428 yards. Todd could be considered as HP’s best at, either running back, quarterback or defensive back. Todd made All State as a defensive player and he made the All-Upstate team as an offensive player. Including his many All Star awards he won the Oneida Dispatch Player of the Year award by a ‘landslide’ vote.

Todd went on to letter at my alma mater Cortland St. as a running back and punter. He went into a very successful coaching career immediately afterwards. As an assistant at Ithaca College he helped them win the Div. III Championship in 1988. He then went to Cornell and helped them win the Ivy League Championship in 1990. He moved to Div. I Maryland and became an innovator in the use of technology in player development. Todd, without taking a computer or video editing course, has developed scouting, recruiting and sports management software that has led he and wife Candice to becoming successful entrepreneurs with their company, Cybersports Inc. We are also proud that they have brought their expertise to our area as owners of Brick Bodies on Rt. 12 in Barneveld.

As I pulled into the Irving Hobin farm and saw the dozen or so kids playing, I realized that this place has been, and continues to be, an athlete factory for the Holland Patent school district. So many fine athletes, not the least of which is Todd’s sister Diane, have practiced their skills on the patch of grass between house and barn under the watchful eye of  Todd’s mother Donna.  As Donna handed me the aging scrapbooks she pointed to a handwritten note that was carefully scrawled in first graders style,” ….If you win the game I will give you two kisses. If you don’t I will only give you one…” This precious memory was written to football player Todd by our own middle school Principal Kristy McGrath,  when she was 6 or 7 years old. If we had fans like her this year, maybe we could match the success of the teams that Todd played for!

RURAL ONEIDA STAR