Greyson Tackett scarcely stepped on the field during the second quarter of Monday night's season opener. The Joe T. Robinson quarterback did not mind one bit.
Seniors Nathan Page and Caezar Warren each returned interceptions for touchdowns -- both of them going for 90 yards-plus in the second quarter -- as the Senators rolled to a 40-21 victory over Hot Springs Lakeside at War Memorial Stadium.
Robinson ran only four offensive plays and took only 48 seconds off the clock in the second quarter, but three Lakeside turnovers left the Rams on the short end of 26-0 deficit.
"The defense pulled out all the stops for us," said Tackett, a junior who completed 11 of 16 passes for 122 yards and 2 Touchdowns. "Those pick-sixes and that fumble recovery really helped out a lot. I didn't play a lot in the first half after our second drive, and that's just thanks to [our defense]. They came up big."
Lakeside finished with a 291-246 edge in total yards and held the ball for five minutes more than Robinson, but those advantages were negated by four turnovers.
"I was proud of the turnovers we caused, but we didn't line up very well," Robinson Coach Todd Eskola said. "We were soft up front, and that's not us. I think we're a whole better football team than we showed tonight. I'm happy with the win, but I'm not happy with the way we played."
Lakeside's Dupree Swanson, who led all rushers with 159 yards on 26 carries, scored all three of the Rams' touchdowns on runs of 3, 2 and 4 yards, respectively.
The game was marred by 19 penalties -- 16 by Robinson -- and interrupted by one male streaker, who bolted out of the south end zone midway through the fourth quarter, raced across the field and ran through one of the north end zone exits. Security guards caught the streaker outside of the stadium.
Page and Warren did all the streaking in the first half.
With Robinson leading 6-0 but Lakeside threatening at the 7, Page picked off Rams quarterback Taylor Gilham at the 6 to start a 94-yard return with 8:34 left in the first half.
Later in the quarter with Lakeside at the Robinson 11, Warren intercepted a Gilham pass and turned it into a 92-yard touchdown return.
In between the two interception returns, Warren recovered a fumble at the Lakeside 11. Zaytron Waits scored on the ensuing play.
Robinson led 26-8 at the half.
"Turnovers got us," Lakeside Coach Jared McBride said. "We were moving the ball and were right in the game. And not only did we turn the ball over, we couldn't get them down. Those three turnovers will haunt us for a long time."
Warren was named the game's MVP. He provided the game's first touchdown, turning a bad snap into a 4-yard scoring run with 1:17 left in the opening quarter. Warren ran 10 times for 43 yards and was in on 12 tackles, including a sack and 2 tackles for losses. Warren also returned one kickoff for 77 yards to set up Robinson's final touchdown.
Page intercepted two passes and scored twice. He caught five passes for 32 yards, including a 6-yard touchdown with 2:38 left in the third quarter, but he was ejected after his scoring reception after being flagged for back-to-back unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.
"The officials told me that they didn't see the [Lakeside] guy do anything, and they saw Nathan get upset and they threw the flag on him," Eskola said. "The second [penalty] he deserved. The first one I disagreed with.
"I'm going to just have a very polite 'no comment' about all of the officiating I saw tonight."
Senior Andre Bradley led the Senators in rushing, gaining 72 yards on 10 carries.
Sophomore P.J. Hall caught a 16-yard touchdown pass from Tackett to put Robinson up 40-14 with 8:14 remaining.
Sports on 08/29/2017