Cherokee – For a brief moment in time, it appeared that Halloween's regular-season conclusion was going to be a close ballgame.
Ahead 14-0 after the first quarter, Robbinsville failed to stop the pursuit of the hosting Cherokee Braves early in the second; in turn, Jonathan Saylor lofted a 10-yard touchdown pass into the waiting hands of Tsu-la Howlingcrane. The PAT that followed cut the Black Knights' lead in half.
However, that moment in time proved to be a fleeting thought. Robbinsville (7-3, 5-1) showed why Sunday's assignment as the No. 1 seed in the 1A Western bracket of the playoffs was justified, scoring 40 unanswered points over the remainder of the affair to stifle the Braves 54-7 at Ray Kinsland Memorial Stadium.
The Knights received a boost early, thanks to John Dominguez recovering a fumble to halt Cherokee (3-7, 2-4) on its opening drive. In short order, Luke Lovin connected with Tucker Jones on a 20-yard touchdown pass; Zander Lucksavage's PAT made the score 7-0.
Robbinsville later extended its advantage when Cameron Allison became the recipient of Lovin's second touchdown heave of the evening: a 25-yard launch that was stamped by Lucksavage's point-after. Following Cherokee's lone reply, Kyzik Teesateskie pushed his way to the end zone on an 10-yard carry with 5:40 left in the second quarter.
The Black Knights took full advantage of Braves miscues thereafter. Isiac Collins intercepted a Dawson Panther pass, before rushing across the goal line on a 1-yard run with 47 seconds left before the pause. A mere 16 seconds later, Benton Gibby was in the end zone for Robbinsville – reaping the benefits of a 60-yard pick-six. Lucksavage split the uprights successfully after both scores.
Halftime did little to deter Robbinsville's momentum. Lovin sprinted to the house from 12 yards out just 32 seconds into the third, with Lucksavage's kick running the tally to 41-7. Teesateskie added an 11-yard score to his resume at the 7:47 mark, before Elijah Kirkland delivered the final blow in the form of a 42-yard rumble downfield with 10:20 remaining in the blowout. Lucksavage's PAT rounded out the final score.
By virtue of drawing the top seed in the playoffs, the Knights receive a first-round bye and will host the winner of College Prep and Leadership (No. 8, 1-8) and Andrews (No. 9, 1-9) in the second round Friday, Nov. 14.