Robinson strikes early, often in victory over Arkadelphia
JOE T. ROBINSON 56, ARKADELPHIA 38
It didn’t take much for Joe T. Robinson on Friday night, and that was evident from the first drive of the game.
On the fifth play , Robinson safety Chase Nichols picked off Arkadelphia quarterback Donovan Whitten just 1:32 into the game, giving Robinson the ball at the Badgers’ 45-yard line. On the next play, G’Kyson Wright ran 45 yards for a touchdown.
From there, the Senators didn’t relinquish the lead and finished with a 56-38 win over Arkadelphia.
“We turned the ball over more on offense and they had more explosive plays on offense,” Arkadelphia Coach Trey Schucker said, “so that was really the difference in the game.”
Robinson (4-1, 2-0 4A-7) finished with 623 yards of total offense and 8 scores. The Senators ran 50 plays on offense Friday, averaging 12.5 yards per play.
“They’re very confident,” Robinson Coach Todd Eskola said in reference to his team. “They’re gaining confidence and I think we have a chance, by the end of the year if we keep working hard and stay humble, to be a really good football team.”
Six players found the end zone for the Senators. Running back Daryl Searcy Jr. led the way with 3 touchdowns. He finished with 102 rushing yards on 13 carries. Wright, Noah Freeman and Anthony Freeman each had rushing scores.
Robinson quarterback Ben Cleveland finished 13-of-16 passing for 344 yards and a touchdown . He also rushed for another score.
“I’ve got the best O-line in the state, so I’m never worried about getting sacked,” Cleveland said. “A lot of time back there, I feel very comfortable, and that helps a lot.”
The Senators’ offensive line does include four-star prospect and Arkansas commit E’Marion Harris, who dragged Noah Freeman to the goal line for the final few yards of his 8-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.
For Arkadelphia (2-3, 1-1 4A-7), turnovers appeared to be the largest factor in it letting the game slip away, especially considering the Badgers outscored the Senators 18-14 in the second half.
The Badgers were minus-4 in the turnover margin Friday, with Whitten throwing four interceptions and fumbling once. The Senators capitalized on Whitten’s mistakes, scoring 28 points off turnovers.
Whitten finished 18 of 31 with 305 yards and 4 touchdowns. Despite facing significant pressure, Whitten did a noticeable job of extending plays with his legs, rushing for 79 yards on 8 attempts and was only sacked once all night. In the second half, he was 9-of-12 passing for 151 yards and 2 scores.
“His performance tonight, obviously it wasn’t great,” Schucker said in reference to Whitten. “The stats are going to show you that. Tonight is a really good growing and learning experience for him
“He’s in his first year being our starting quarterback, and overall, he’s got a great mentality. I mean, he really does. It doesn’t matter what it is. He made some mistakes tonight, but guess what? The next drive, you wouldn’t know it.”
Next up for Robinson is another home conference matchup, this time with Nashville. For Arkadelphia, it returns home next week on the same day for a conference matchup with Fountain Lake.