Robinson hasn't had much luck against Gatesville recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Rockets will welcome the Hornets at 7:00 p.m.
On Thursday, Robinson was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 31-27 to La Vega. The game marked the Rockets' lowest-scoring matchup so far this season.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Brice McCurdy, who threw for 164 yards and two TDs, and also rushed for 44 yards. Evan Moreno was another key back, rushing for 141 yards.
Even if they lost, Robinson's defensive line still kept up the pressure with five sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Alex Gassaway, Aaron Ruiz, and Derrick Medlock, who each picked up one sack apiece. Robinson got some further help from Cason Helpert: he forced one fumble, made 13 total tackles, and defended two passes.
Meanwhile, Gatesville hadn't done well against China Spring recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. The Hornets were the clear victors by a 27-7 margin over the Cougars. Considering the Hornets have won six contests by more than 19 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Gatesville's win came from a few key players Robinson will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Gehrig Keeton, who threw for 264 yards and three touchdowns while completing 84.2% of his passes. That's the most passing touchdowns he has posted since back in August. Gatesville's leading receiver Amos Phillips was Keeton's top target yet again, picking up 121 receiving yards and a pair of scores.
Gatesville's victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 7-1. The home wins came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 9.3 points on average over those games. As for Robinson, their loss was their first in the district, dropping their district record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 6-2.
Robinson strolled past Gatesville when the teams last played back in November of 2024 by a score of 24-10. Will the Rockets repeat their success, or do the Hornets have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
