Robinson Prevails In Gridiron Trojan War

Bill Reynolds- Head Feature Writer

-August 28, 2003 -

It may not have been an epic historic clash Saturday at Waco ISD Stadium, but Robinson High's 43-27 grid triumph over Troy might well have been the stuff from which legends are born.
    
The Rockets shook off the ill effects of last season's 1-9 campaign with an uplifting and entertaining conquest of a game Trojan squad in the matinee round of the 2004 H-E-B Heart of Texas Kickoff Classic.
    
J.D. Pennington launched the Rockets into the Winner's Circle (and perhaps a storybook season) with an 82-yard kickoff return at the game's outset and a 43-yard TD dash as the clock wound down in the final stanza.
      
Troy, which likewise suffered through a 1-9 season in '03, also had trouble containing Robinson signal caller Randy Kitchens, who ran 38 yards for one score and threw 28 yards to Greg Gideon for another.
      
The Men of Troy, however, proved equal to the battle for much of the contest.
      
The Trojans responded to Pennington's early TD return with a scoring march capped by James Wilkinson's 42-yard romp to paydirt.
      
Twice more the Trojans answered Robinson touchdowns---once on Alton Nicholson's 76-yard kickoff return---and briefly took a 27-21 lead in the second period on the strength of Shawn Dawaghrah's four-yard scoring blast.
      
But the Rockets eclipsed Troy with a superb second half, which included a 38-yard TD scamper by Kitchens.
        
All in all, it was a good day at the stadium for teams feeling they have something to prove in '04.
        
The Marlin Bulldogs, last year's 3A State finalists, showed they can offset key graduation losses this season with an impressive 34-6 win over LaVega.
        
The Bulldogs were bolstered by two key returnees from their '03 club.
        
Senior running back Tank Smith showed he's on track for another outstanding season, rushing 11 times for 96 yards and three TDs in the H-E-B Heart of Texas Kickoff Classic matchup at Waco ISD Stadium.
        
Marlin junior QB Jeremy Sanders, who last year emerged as one of the more exciting talents in the Centexfootball.com coverage area, rushed for 154 yards and passed for 127 in helping marshal his club past the Pirates.
        
A bright spot for LaVega was the much anticipated return of Pirate QB Vincent Williams, coming back from last year's season-ending knee injury.
        
Williams completed 16 of 30 passes for 201 yards and directed a nice second period  TD march capped by his two-yard rollout strike to William Cartwright.
        
Joe Sanders, who also graces the hardwood as LaVega's hoop scoring leader, put up impressive numbers Saturday on the football field as well. Sanders was Williams' favorite target against Marlin, hauling in five passes for 123 yards.
        
But LaVega was unable to make up an early 20-0 deficit Marlin built via a 33-yard Jeremy Sanders TD sprint, Smith's 13-yard touchdown burst, and Devon Hughes' 21-yard interception return.
        
Perhaps the weekend's most surprising upset took place Saturday night in Waxahachie, where eighth-ranked Maypeal fell 51-14 to Mart, a team looking to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2001.
        
Panther junior quarterback Desmond "Roddy" Green orchestrated a Mart attack that proved too quick and versatile for Maypeal to contend with.
        
Green accounted for 305 yards total offense---181 through the air---as Mart built an insurmountable 30-0 lead at intermission.
        
Junior running back Cody Franklin rushed for 133 yards and two scores for the victors, who unleashed countless weapons on the night.
        
Green, for instance, threw touchdown passes of 17 and six yards, respectively, to Jimarous Williams and Kevione Kirven, while reserve running back Kevin Joiner came off the bench late in the game for a long pickup and a nine-yard TD ramble courtesy handoffs from Will Rosen.
          
Then there was all-purpose standout Rashaneal "Squirt" Scott, the Panthers' primary kick returner, who added a 73-yard TD pass reception from Green on a pump-and-go play early in the final period.
          
Maypearl realized more success in the second half after it scrapped its spread set in favor of an 'I' formation featuring elusive Lonnie Hewitt. Hewitt got Maypearl on the board with a three-yard third period burst and a 54-yard run in the fourth quarter.
          
The two non-District foes are slated for a rematch next season at Waco ISD Stadium.

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