Gators‘ Historic Run Ends in Robbinsville, 54-7
ROBBINSVILLE - East Columbus’ remarkable season concluded Friday night with a 54-7 loss to Robbinsville in the third round of the 1A playoffs. Despite the defeat, the Gators achieved a program milestone by reaching the third round - the furthest they’ve ever advanced in the playoffs – finishing the season with a 3-9 record.
Robbinsville quickly established dominance, opening the scoring with a 15-yard touchdown run by Isiac Collins early in the first quarter. Kyzik Teesateskie followed with a 49-yard touchdown run, and Collins added the two-point conversion to extend the lead to 14-0 with 7:03 remaining in the first. Teesateskie scored again from four yards out,with zander Lucksavage’s extra point pushing the Black Knights’ advantage to 21-0.
The first quarter onslaught continued as Luke Lovin connected with Teesateskie for a 34-yard touchdown pass, making the score 28-0 with just 30 seconds left.
Robbinsville continued to build their lead in the second quarter with a three-yard touchdown run by Benton Gibby and a subsequent extra point by Lucksavage,bringing the score to 42-0.Camron Allison added another score for the Black Knights, running 17 yards for a touchdown and establishing a 48-0 halftime lead.
The running clock, activated by the NCHSAA’s 35-point rule, remained in effect for the majority of the second half. Robbinsville’s defense contributed to the scoring in the fourth quarter when Matthew Phillips recovered a fumble and returned it 10 yards for a touchdown, though the extra point attempt failed, making it 54-0.
East columbus managed to break the shutout late in the fourth quarter as demetris Dexter found Dawson Crosby for a 28-yard touchdown pass, with William McDuffie adding the extra point for the final score of 54-7.
Despite the loss, Coach Fred Pedro and the East Columbus Gators have much to be proud of, having achieved unprecedented playoff success and building a foundation for a promising future.
Robbinsville (11-1) will now host South Davidson (11-1) in the 1A Eastern Finals on November 28th, with the winner advancing to the 1A State Championship. South Davidson defeated Thomas Jefferson classical 27-12 on Friday night.
