ELKIN
Robbinsville's Blake Anderson, the smallest guy on the field, looked mighty big to Elkin last night in a quarterfinal game of the NCHSAA 1-A West playoffs.
Anderson, an elusive 5-7, 135-pound senior, ran for 202 yards on 15 carries and scored on runs of 33, 22 and 48 yards to lead the Black Knights to a 40-6 victory against the Buckin' Elks.
Third-seeded Robbinsville, which dropped a heartbreaking 21-20 decision to Elkin in last year's third round, also on the day after Thanksgiving, will return to Surry County next Friday night to face No. 1 seed Mount Airy in the semifinals.
The second-seeded Elks finished 11-3.
"When we lose 'em, we lose 'em," Coach Richard Grissom said of Elkin's third lopsided loss of the season.
During the season, Elkin was soundly defeated by Starmount (42-12) and Charlotte Latin (52-7).
"I don't think we're as bad as we showed tonight," Grissom said. "I don't think we're as bad as we showed against the other teams we got beat by either. I think we've come from behind one time this year to win a ballgame. Other than that, if we're not ahead or can't get some kind of rhythm going, we have a hard time."
Actually, the teams battled to a scoreless tie until early in the second quarter when an Elkin mistake completely changed the game. The Elks were inside the Robbinsville 10 when quarterback Ethan Creed dropped back to throw. His pass was picked off in the end zone by Randy Hernandez, who returned it all the way to the Elkin 33.
The Knights scored on the next play when Anderson took a direct snap and darted for a touchdown.
Elkin again drove deep into Robbinsville territory on its next possession before a fourth-down pass fell incomplete in the end zone.
Robbinsville took advantage, quickly moving down the field and scoring on a 32-yard pass from quarterback Luke Perkins to Hernandez with five seconds left in the half. It was the Knights' only completion of the night and was good for a 14-0 lead.
Robbinsville certainly didn't need to throw, romping for 433 yards on the ground on 43 carries. Kurt Odom, the team's leading rusher during the season, galloped 71 yards for a touchdown on the first offensive play in the second half to make it 20-0, and Robbinsville (11-2) never looked back.
Odom had 116 yards on 10 carries.
"We got some big plays and got the momentum," Coach Dee Walsh of Robbinsville said. "We probably had more returning kids (than they did). We thought by watching film and how we played, we had the better team."
Elkin turnovers led to two more third-quarter scores as the Knights pulled away from the Buckin' Elks.
Aaron Rabin, who got most of his 112 rushing yards after the game was decided, scored Elkin's lone touchdown with under six minutes left in the game.
"I'm pleased overall with our season," Grissom said. "I think a lot of people would be happy with that, but I think here we expect more."
Robbinsville 0 14 20 6 -- 40
Elkin 0 0 0 6 -- 6
R -- Anderson 33 run (kick failed)
R -- Hernandez 32 pass from Perkins (Anderson pass from Perkins)
R -- Odom 71 run (run failed)
R -- Wachacha 12 run (run failed)
R -- Anderson 22 run (Hernandez pass from Perkins)
E -- Rabin 1 run (run failed)
R -- Anderson 48 run (pass failed)
Records -- Robbinsville 11-2; Elkin 11-3
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