After claiming the FHSAA 3A District 9 title for the sixth time in a row, the Lady Knights (7-12) faced the Largo Packers (13-8-2) in the regional quarterfinals on Thursday, Jan. 26, but were defeated 3-1.

The team made history last season by making it to the regional finals. After graduating 11 seniors, including nine starters, this year’s goal was to play “until the end”- until the end of each game, until the end of the season.

“Coach Helms and I knew this was going to be a tough season,” said Sarah Jennewein (’17), captain and four-year starter. “Last year we had a really strong team but I think this year we managed to adapt and we learned a lesson in patience.”

Robinson head coach Billy Helms said adapting was just what the Knights did against Largo, especially when starter April Ryckman (’17), also a captain, went down with knee injury three minutes into the game.

“With this entire year, we have been subbing in and out all year long for the eventual issue of someone getting hurt,” Robinson head coach Billy Helms said. “When April got hurt, our play did not drop, it continued to excel and low and behold we scored. (Her injury) hurt us, but we responded the way I knew that we would.”

Largo’s Breaunna Dailey (’18) caused trouble for the defense, scoring all of the Packers’ goals to end the night with a hat trick. Early in the second half, Jennewein, with the assist by Keana Esmkhani (’17), scored the team’s lone goal.

“It’s the work ethic that we have always been known for as a team,” Jennewein said. “We may not win every game, but we are going to play every game ‘until the end’. And I think we really managed to play the game tonight until the end.”