Three Things

Gavin Robison, the backfield and the legendary Mr. Colton Hitchcock

By Stefan Cooper
Editor
Blount Press Row

The tush push is great and all. It gets the job done.

Just the same, we prefer the Colton Hitchcock way of doing things on the quarterback sneak on the goal line.

Hitchcock, the William Blount center, didn’t submarine a blitzing Clinton linebacker on a late, 1-yard plunge from Governor quarterback Jaxon Dabrowski Friday night. Hitchcock, a senior, simply lifted said linebacker from his feet, spun and planted him in the turf at Mike White Field.

It was totally wild. It’s the closing scene in the accompanying video. On a night William Blount did a lot of good things in a 45-38 win, it almost stole the show. Almost.

Dabrowski ran for 151 yards and three touchdowns on the evening. Fellow senior Ayden Kline sprinted through gaps to add 132 yards and two scores as the Governors opened region play with a big win. Dabrowski finished 7-of-11 passing for 80 yards and another touchdown.

“This is probably, top to bottom, one of our best, well-rounded teams,” Governors coach Robert Reeves said. “Jaxon, he’s a special player. He’s so unselfish. He’s really managed the game this year.

“(Ayden’s) a great kid. His dream is to play college football, and, hopefully, he does. His work ethic reflects it. He kills it in the weight room.”

The sterling numbers from Kline and Dabrowski withstanding, sophomore wide out Gavin Robison absolutely brought the house down on a history-making, first-half touchdown catch.

Following on a Nate Basler interception, Dabrowski found Robison running free up the right sideline. The toss was perfect. BPR ranks Dabrowski’s footwork on his throws with the best we have ever seen. He’s not going to miss on something like that. It’s what happened after the catch, on the way to the end zone, that made history.

Back when Blount Press Row went live nearly 20 years ago now, we launched a fun-loving endeavor called “The Juke King Project.” BPR has always gone to the games, any game, for the moves.

The Juke Kings are the most exclusive of fraternity in all of sport. To date, only six — Alcoa’s JaColby Cooper (2024), Maryville’s Jordan Irvin (2016), Alcoa’s Ahmaudd Sankey (2019), Heritage’s Daniel Foxx (2020), Maryville High’s Noah Vaughn (2021) and Maryville Lil’ Rebs quarterback Jett Olivet (2023) — have been named to the club and, until Friday, not one of them had been a Governor.

Robison changed that in dramatic fashion when he raced up on the Clinton safety, juked left and spun right before dashing to the end zone to give William Blount an early two-touchdown lead.

Epic.

Welcome to the club, Mr. Robison. You are henceforth and forever “Juke King 7.”

“He’s a very talented young man,” Reeves said. “If we feel like we need a play, we’re going to throw him the ball.”

Don’t get confused, though, he quickly countered. Robison isn’t all the Governors have when it comes to the passing game. Juniors Tysen Dorsey and Jadyn DeHart are also deep threats.

“We do have some tools in our toolbox that we didn’t have,” Reeves said.

William Blount’s probably going to need it all when region heavyweight Powell comes calling on Friday. It’s a contest that could go a long way in deciding the league champion at season’s end.

“That’s going to be a tough game,” Reeves said. “Powell is a really good team. We’re going to have to tackle well.