Robbinsville wins 1A state title in rout over Northampton
Durham – It was the perfect way to cap off a perfect season.
Robbinsville (15-0) came right at the Northampton County Jaguars (11-4) with its smash-mouth rushing attack in Saturday’s 1A state championship game, as Rylee Anderson found the end zone on five different runs and the Black Knights’ defense took care of the rest in a 45-14 title-clinching triumph.
“This tells me that there are a lot of really good people in Robbinsville, that will do everything to try and help our kids be successful,” Black Knights head coach Dee Walsh said. “Our kids believe, understand and they take pride in who they are. They go out and do the very best they can, and play with a lot of heart.”
The Knights seized the momentum right off the bat, as Clayson Lane recovered a fumble on the opening kickoff. Both sides would turn the ball over on downs, but Anderson broke through for a 2-yard touchdown. A Northampton turnover led to Anderson scoring again on a 7-yard carry.
The Jaguars punted early in the second quarter, and seven plays later Anderson weaved through for an 18-yard touchdown. After a brief offensive lull, Robbinsville got a spark when Rossi Wachacha dropped freshman quarterback Kwamie Pitt mid-pass and Candler Edwards nabbed the interception.
The Black Knights would later punctuate its dominant first-half when Cody Cline split the uprights on a 25-yard field goal with 23 seconds left on the clock. Northampton was held to a mere three offensive yards in the first half.
“We play as a team; it’s just like one, big family out there,” senior lineman Grady Garland said. “We knew they were pretty strong and athletic up front, so we knew we had to play.”
“Our defense started real sluggish at the first of the year,” Walsh added of Robbinsville’s defensive progression throughout the year. “We kind of changed our philosophy and went back to tackling drills every day. We put more emphasis on the defense, and it’s continued to get better.”
The halftime break did little to slow the Black Knights’ attack, as Anderson scored his fourth touchdown on a 2-yard run early in the third quarter. But the Jaguars started putting up a fight, erasing the goose egg with a Zion Kendall 23-yard touchdown pass to Na’jae Newsom and two-point conversion pass from Kendall to Eric Robinson.
Robinson then recovered an onside kick and Kendall later ran in a 15-yard keeper. However, the conversion pass failed and Northampton’s seven-minute spark came to an end.
Lex Hooper joined the scoring fray with a 20-yard rush in the fourth, while Anderson would later make it five on the night in the form of a 6-yard carry with 4:30 left in the game.
“We’ve finally done it,” Anderson said. “I’ve wanted this since I was a little kid. I wouldn’t trade this for anything else in the world. I wasn’t expecting to score five touchdowns, but God let me do it.”
Xavier Rattler led Robbinsville with five tackles and was voted the team’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player. Hooper had 125 yards on 14 carries and received the Knights’ Most Outstanding Offensive Player distinction, while Anderson’s 34 rushes and 176 yards was rewarded with MVP honors.