Robinson High head football coach Lee Fedora didn't hide under his hat last fall as the Rockets suffered through a dismal 1-9 campaign.

And not only did he keep his head through the misery, Fedora remained a rock of optimism during the entire ordeal.

He was sure the Rockets would turn it around.

Even though few believed him and many mistook his upbeat approach as mere bluster.

But in 2004, Fedora has been proved a prophet.

The Rockets have bolted to a 3-0 start, meaning others are now tipping their hats to Fedora & Co.
Robinson's most recent triumph was a 46-26 defeat Friday of Rockdale, a decision keyed by Randy Kitchens' efficient passing and J.D. Penington's hard running.

Pennington amassed 142 yards rushing against the Tigers, reaching paydirt three times, once on a 28-yard TD strike from Kitchens.

Rockets Rebuilt-- In 2003, Head Coach Lee Fedora left perennial powerhouse Rogers to take the helm of the ailing Robinson Rockets. His intent to build a winning team from the ground up is now taking shape in '04. The Rockets are off to an impressive 3-0 start thanks largely in part to the skills of Robinson running back J.D. Pennington (above) and QB Randy Kitchens who have truly taken Fedora's preaching to heart.

Photo by: Donald Meyerson

That propelled Pennington into second place among 3A rushers in the Centexfootball.com coverage area. Pennington, just three weeks into the season, has reeled off 525 yards on 69 attempts, averaging just under eight yards per carry.

Kitchens, No. 8 on the Centexfootball.com 3A passing list, victimized the Rockdale secondary for 140 yards and three scores.

The versatile Kitchens in '04 has also run for 288 yards, just four shy of the total recorded by star Marlin tailback Tank Smith.

Kitchens (60) and Pennington (38) also rank 1-2 in the Centexfootball.com scoring race, with Smith tied for the runnerup spot.

Defensively, the Rockets have survived the loss to graduation of defensive end David Danforth, who signed with Mary Hardin-Baylor, with a fly-to-the-ball gang tackling style.

Their bend-but-not break Stop Dept. kept Robinson in the hunt Friday after the Rockets fell behind 13-7 in the first half.

But Kitchens wasn't about to let his club sink.

He tied the score at 13-13 with a one-yard touchdown plunge before intermission, then hit Pennington early in the third period for the go-ahead score.

From there, Robinson never looked back.

The Rockets stretched the lead to 26-13 on a 14-yard Kitchens to Greg Gideon TD hookup midway through the third stanza.

Robinson, of course, must contend in traditionally strong District 17-3A. But even that's a source of inspiration for Fedora.

The Rocket mentor is well aware that '03 District co-champ Connally rebounded from a sub-par 2002 to wear Cinderella Slippers a year ago.

Now, at least to this point, the Rockets are the ones enjoying a storybook season.

At a school renowned for its outstanding band program, Fedora's gridders have thus far treated Robinson fans to plenty of positive notes of their own.

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