Andy Brosig/News-Sun Bryan Cheney came full circle when he took over as band director at Houston Middle School in Hobbs some 18 years ago. Houston was where, in seventh grade, he first picked up a set of drumsticks — learning percussion under the tutelage of then band director David Allen. From the start, Cheney said, there was a thrill to …

Jason Farmer/News-Sun Back in 2019, the Hobbs cheer squad won its first NMAA state championship. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit and wiped out sports, canceling the 2020 championships and a chance to repeat. Schools slowly re-opened for the 2020-21 year and all sports were condensed into four months. Because of that, Hobbs elected not to participate in competitive cheer. “We …