SPENCER – As one of the leaders on North Rowan’s defense, Xavier Robinson has a keen trio of eyes, ears and nose for the game of football.
After the first game of his junior year, you almost had to cross nose off that list.
Robinson got six stitches on the bridge of his nose after hitting a player head one in the first half of the opener against Carson. The Cavaliers were celebrating opening the season with a win but the linebacker was busy tending to some of his own pressing matters.
“I hit the guy running head on,” Robinson said. “I didn’t know I was bleeding. I looked down and my pants were soaked.”
After missing the second half against Carson and the East Rowan game, the returning 2011 all-county selection has been back out there displaying a level of consistency North fans can set their watch to. The nose is fine and Robinson’s been sniffing out ballcarriers in North’s first five games. “X-Rob” was mostly known for carrying the ball for the Cavs last year as he ran for 353 yards and four touchdowns.
“The kid’s showed extreme toughness throughout the year,” North coach Joe Nixon said. “He played very fast and physical Friday night. It was his best game of the year.”
Because of that, Robinson isn’t surprised what the opponent throws at him. South Stanly lined up in the swinging gate formation on the sixth play of the game, but it was Robinson who knocked it out of the park. South Stanly’s linemen lined up along the far sideline but the 6-foot, 205-pounder stayed focused on his assignment, that being South quarterback Luke Burris. Robinson hunted down Burris for a 10-yard loss, forcing fourth down.”He got everybody communicated, got us lined up in the right defense and went and made the play on the quarterback,” Nixon said. “He’s a vocal leader for us on offense.””We had gone over the formation in practice,” Robinson said. “Coach told me to contain the quarterback.”
Robinson is also on all the special-team units and partially blocked a punt late in the game. North’s gotten three touchdowns off kickoff and punt returns this year.
“It should have been with two hands, but I got a little piece of the ball,” Robinson said.
When Nixon was named coach in January, the returning players increased their efforts in the weight room. Robinson says he’s now about 20 pounds bigger from last season. But he hasn’t lost mobility. Robinson, along with Eugene Coney, give the Cavs a pair of linebackers that are nimble laterally. Robinson was sideline-to-sideline with 11 solo tackles and four assisted ones last week. Nixon estimated Robinson had about three tackles for loss. North started 1-0 in the YVC and is 3-2 after a tough opening stretch that included Salisbury and West Rowan. Defensively, the Cavs allowed just 61 yards rushing against South Stanly and got a safety in addition to four sacks and an interception.
Defensive linemen Oshon West, Cecil McCauley and freshman defensive back Xavier Partee are starting to emerge as one of the conference’s top units.
“This is a great year,” Robinson said. “Everybody’s being as a family, as one. We know we have to perform on Fridays”