Senators down, not out

Pulaski Robinson Coach Todd Eskola said his team is refocused after two consecutive losses following a 7- 0 start.

The Senators ( 7- 2, 4- 2 4- 4A) lost at Dardanelle 4420 on Oct. 23 and blew a 27- 7 fourth- quarter lead last Friday to Pottsville in a 28- 27 loss.

Eskola said the Senators had their best practice of the year Tuesday afternoon, and he hopes it’s a springboard to a possible No. 2 seed from the 4- 4A and a home playoff game at Charlie George Stadium in Little Rock.

“You can’t go back,” Eskola said. “You learn from it.”

Robinson led 27- 21 with less than four minutes left when senior quarterback Brennen Johnson was intercepted by Josh Dugger. The Apaches went 82 yards in 12 plays, with Jake Duggar throwing an 18yard touchdown pass to Austin Bell with 36 seconds remaining to give Pottsville the 28- 27 lead. Robinson had two passes knocked down at the goal line in the closing seconds en route to its second consecutive loss.

“When you play good football teams, they take advantage of them,” Eskola said of his team’s turnovers and penalties. “We were in complete control. You can’t do that and expect to close out ballgames.”

The Senators travel to Ozark on Thursday needing a victory and for Dover to beat Baptist Prep by at least seven points to earn the conference’s No. 2 seed. Robinson has 52 tiebreaker

points in the 4- 4A standings, while Dover has 47 and Pottsville 40. The maximum amount of points a team can earn for tiebreaker purposes is 13. If Robinson, Dover and Pottsville — all 4- 2 in the conference — all win, there will be a three- way tie at 5- 2.

“I hate counting on other people,” Eskola said. “If we take care of us, we can beat anybody in the state.”