Jesuit gets past Knights this time

It was there.

Lingering in the back of Jesuit football coach James Harrell's mind was what happened last season – an epic loss in the playoffs to Robinson.

Instead of dismissing the past, Harrell embraced it.

"I just felt all along that we would outscore them and our defense would rise the occasion," Harrell said.

True and true.

The Tigers used a ball-control offense and an opportunistic defense Friday night to collect a 35-20 victory against the Knights in their Class 5A-Region 2 semifinal at Corral Memorial Stadium. Jesuit will play at Pasco next Friday in the region final.

Last season, Jesuit beat Robinson in the regular season, only to have the Knights make their way up Himes Avenue and snatch a playoff win. Earlier this season, the Tigers beat the Knights, setting up a case of déjà vu.

Only, it didn't happen.

Jesuit (10-1) didn't allow Robinson to run an offensive play in the first quarter. As good as it sounds, though, the Tigers mustered just a 14-7 first quarter advantage.

Jesuit went ahead 7-0 on its opening drive, which ended on a diving William Lucas touchdown run . Lucas finished with 113 yards rushing.

On the ensuing kickoff, Robinson's Byron Pringle took the ball 99 yards for the score, knotting the game at 7.

Jesuit went back ahead, 14-7, on its next offensive possession. Tommy Eveld (21 of 29, 286 yards) hit Rico Gonzalez for a 1-yard touchdown pass.

Robinson (9-3) didn't get the ball on offense until the 11:35 mark of the second quarter.

"It was one of the strangest games I've ever been involved with in terms of how just the whole thing transpired," Robinson coach Mike DePue said. "I'll tell you what, you give the Jesuit team a whole lot of credit. They made a lot of big plays and they got first downs when they needed them. They're a very disciplined team."

The Knights ran just nine offensive plays in the first half. One of which was a Vidal Woodruff 95-yard TD pass to Pringle with 1:41 remaining in the second quarter. The blocked extra point was the difference and Jesuit maintained a 14-13 advantage at halftime.

In the fourth, following a failed onside Jesuit kick, Robinson used Pringle in the Wildcat formation driving the ball inside the Tigers 10. On first-and-goal from the 9, Pringle ran to the Jesuit 1, fumbled and Robert Priester recovered the loose ball in the end zone for the score, cutting the deficit to 28-20.

Kevin Newman's 55-yard touchdown run with 2:20 left in the game sealed it. Jesuit held Robinson to minus-13 yards rushing and outgained the Knights, 523-122, in total yards.

J - Lucas 1 run (Greene kick)
R - Pringle 99 kickoff return (Thomas kick)
J - Gonzalez 1 pass from Eveld (Greene kick)
R - Pringle 95 pass from Woodruff (kick blocked)
J - Walker 35 pass from Eveld (Greene kick)
J - Newman 1 run (Greene kick)
R - Priester 1 fumble recovery (Thomas kick)
J - Newman 55 run (Greene kick)