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Defense Powers Jesuit To Victory

By CHRIS ERRINGTON

Tribune correspondent

Published: September 27, 2008

TAMPA - Seemingly outmanned and overmatched, Robinson seemed poised for an upset Friday. Robbie Garcia, Bobby Eveld and a tenacious Jesuit defense needed just one half to put those dreams to rest.

Garcia gained a career-high 121 yards on 26 carries, Eveld led Jesuit on a pair of second-half scoring drives and Michael Miller returned an interception 29 yards for a game-clinching score as the Tigers held on for a gutsy 22-14 home victory.

"Robinson wanted to come out and prove they're a tough opponent and in the first half, that's what they did," Garcia said. "At the half, we said we need to play and not worry about what the score was. We just wanted to get touchdowns and not keep settling for field goals."

Zack Kirk's interception and return to the Jesuit 30 on the game's third play gave Robinson (1-3, 0-1 Class 3A-District 11) possession deep. Three plays later, J.J. Hubbard broke off right tackle for a 16-yard touchdown run. The score was just the third Jesuit (4-0, 1-0) had allowed and was the first time it trailed this season.

A pair of Tyler Feely field goals cut Robinson's lead to 7-6 at the half, but it was the junior's third field goal - this one from 31 yards - that finally gave Jesuit a third-quarter lead and was what Coach Joe Ross credited as the game's turning point.

"We were surprised to be down at the half and I asked the kids if they wanted to win this game and if they knew how to win this game," Ross said. "When we finally got the lead, we seemed to relax a bit and play our game."

Eveld's 1-yard keeper with 9:30 remaining seemed to settle the issue, and when Miller picked off a fourth-down pass and returned it for a score seven minutes later, Jesuit's unbeaten season was intact. Even Hubbard's electrifying 94-yard return of the ensuing kickoff wasn't enough to change that.

"Defensively we thought we'd make some plays and we did," Robinson coach Mike DePue said, "but the real key to the second half was field position. We got trapped deep in our territory and had a tough time getting out, while they played with the short field nearly the entire half.

"It's frustrating knowing we had a chance to beat them and didn't do it."

On a night dominated by both defenses, Jesuit, which entered averaging 229 yards per game, was nearly right on target, gaining 226 and 10 first downs. Robinson fared worse, managing just 122 total yards and eight first downs. The teams combined to commit 15 penalties for 141 yards.