Hobbton team

Hobbton Elementary School's Elementary Battle of the Books (EBOB) team battled in the Regional Elementary Battle of the Books Competition on Wednesday, April 10, and came away with a second place finish. Sampson County schools and Clinton City schools co-hosted the regional competition this year at the Sampson Agri-Exposition Center in Clinton.

A total of eight schools and more than 60 students, including Sampson, from area counties across the region competed. The Wildcat readers battled against elementary school teams from Bladen, Clinton City, Columbus, Cumberland, Hoke, Moore, and Robeson to claim second place in the Sandhills region.

Hobbton Elementary’s EBOB team won the district competition last month. Members of the team are Cheyennne Alonzo, Sophia Barefoot, Evelyn Herrington, Gabriel Hollin, Emerson Johnson, Waylon Noles, Autumn Rountree, Anna Simmons, and Luke Simmons. The team was coached by Angela Hoskins and Beth Trujillo.

Hobbton Middle School’s Middle Battle of the Books (MBOB) team battled in the Regional Middle School Battle of the Books competition on Tuesday, April 9, and came away with a third place finish. Columbus County Schools hosted the regional competition this year at Fayetteville Technical Community College in Fayetteville. 

Nine schools, including Sampson, and more than 70 students from area counties across the region competed. Hobbton Middle battled against middle school teams from Bladen, Clinton City, Columbus, Cumberland, Hoke, Moore, Robeson, and Scotland to claim third place in the Sandhills region.

Hobbton Middle’s MBOB team won the district competition last month. Members of the team are Allison Aguilar, Johnathan Allen, Paige Britt, Brady Daughtry, Allie Evans, Ayden Fowler, Caroline Hollin, Analee Olivia Montes, Faylynn Simmons, Sophie Trujillo, and Oliver Beltran Zuniga. The team was coached by Sallie Warren (Head Coach) and Robin Baker (Assistant Coach). 

Elementary and middle BOB team members read books from the year's selected list and become content "experts" on some of the titles. A committee from the North Carolina School Library Media Association (NCSLMA) puts together the title list each year. 

The primary goal is for students to read the books, taking note of specific details in the books, as well as learning the authors and titles of all the books on the list. The goal of the team is not for every student on the team to read all the books on the list but for all the books to be covered among the team. 

“The coaches and their students are to be commended for their hard work and for representing Sampson County Schools so well,” said Jamie King, SCS Superintendent. “Congratulations on their second and third place finish.”

About Battle of the Books

Sponsored by the N.C. School Library Media Association, Battle of the Books is a quiz-bowl competition designed for students in grades six through eight. Students at participating schools read books from a list established by the state Battle of the Books committee and then compete to test their knowledge of the books. This year’s elementary schools book list consisted of 15 titles while the middle schools list consisted of 20 titles.

The Battle of the Books program is designed to encourage reading by all students through a fun and exciting competition that would help students improve their reading skills, mature in their choices of reading material and help broaden students’ knowledge base.


Hobbton team

Pictured above: Hobbton Elementary team

Hobbton team
Pictured above: Hobbton Middle team