LORMAN &8212; The best approach for a head coach dealing with a true freshman starting at quarterback may be no approach at all.

Alcorn head coach Johnny Thomas lets his assistants do the work.

As Tony Hobson has continued to improve over the course of the season, Thomas said he&8217;s tried to keep himself away from direct contact with the freshman as much as possible. Hobson, in turn, has picked up his game in each of the last four weeks after leading the Braves to a 38-36 win Saturday over Mississippi Valley.

It even came at the expense of a helmet to the elbow that put him on the sidelines just before halftime.

&8220;Tony is getting better from game to game,&8221; Thomas said. &8220;He&8217;s not where he really is going to be and not where he was. Coach (John) McKenzie does an outstanding job with Tony. He essentially deals with him, and I very rarely say anything to Tony because I want him to make good decisions. I don&8217;t want him to feel the pressure of a head coach on him.&8221;

The freshman quarterback has been a key reason why the Braves are on a four-game winning streak heading into this week&8217;s home contest against Alabama A&M.; Hobson&8217;s 199 yards passing was lower than his total in recent weeks and dwarfed the number put up by Valley counterpart Aries Nelson, but he did the job when it mattered most.

The Braves connected on pass plays in the fourth quarter to rally and take the lead over the Delta Devils.

The numbers were down, but the young quarterback may have overcome his biggest adversity yet.

&8220;I think in the second half we had the ball a little more,&8221; Hobson said. &8220;In the first half we didn&8217;t have more than 15 plays. We executed some plays, and that helped out a lot. It&8217;s a great feeling. I woke up (Saturday) morning early fired up and ready to play. Our coach told us all week it would be a war.&8221;

The Braves struggled to get anything established in the first half and fell behind early. Even the offensive line &8212; a unit that may be the best Alcorn has had in a while &8212; allowed Valley to pressure Hobson and sack him twice.

The offensive line had allowed only seven sacks through seven games prior to that. The Braves even had the ball inside the Valley 1 and got no points out of it when Jeremy Shea missed a 25-yard field goal.

&8220;I&8217;m very proud of my football team because when we had to play, we played,&8221; Thomas said during Monday&8217;s teleconference. &8220;When we had to play on offense, we played very well. When we had to play on defense, we stopped Mississippi Valley. It was just a game in which we had two rival teams competing against each other. You can look at the stats and look at the score. We were very happy to continue to move forward with the win.&8221;

Hobson&8217;s ability to hit Charlie Spiller with the deep ball may have opened everything up for Alcorn and spread out Valley&8217;s defense. Spiller, who also returned two kickoffs for scores, went horizontal on one catch that he snagged with only his right arm for a 50-yard gain.

He later caught a 40-yard pass in the corner, and both catches set up scores in the fourth quarter.

&8220;I can&8217;t say enough about that guy,&8221; Hobson said. &8220;He makes unbelievable plays. I can&8217;t find words to express how I feel about that guy. Coach always tells us if we are one on one, throw it up and let him do it.

That&8217;s what he does &8212; he&8217;s Charlie Spiller.&8221;

Spiller was named SWAC Special Teams Player of the Week for his two kickoff returns for scores.

&8220;I call him &8216;Mr. Charlie Spiller,&8217;&8221; Thomas said. &8220;He made about three or four miraculous, phenomenal catches. The guy has incredible speed and can shift gears unlike anybody I&8217;ve seen in my life.&8221;