With a tough 17-14 loss last Friday night against Jefferson High School, the Robinson football team prepares for their final game of the season against Bloomingdale High School tonight, Nov. 3. Because of last week’s loss to the Dragons, the Knights no longer have a chance at making it to the playoffs due to the new point system introduced this year. (Click here to read how the point system works.)

“We are preparing for the Bloomingdale game the same way we have prepared for all of our other games this season,” Captain Charlie Meech (’18) said.

Robinson (2-5) lost four out of five games this season by a margin of seven points or less. Although it takes both sides of the ball to win a game, Meech believes tonight will be a battle of the offenses.

“Depending on how offense does, we won’t know if we have a chance at winning this game or not.”

And although there is no chance at making the playoffs after tonight’s game, all of the players, especially the seniors, are still invested in giving it their all. Although the game against Jefferson was the Knight’s last home game and senior night, tonight will be their last game of the season, and potentially the last football game ever for some of the seventeen seniors.

“This being my last game I am definitely disheartened, because time flew by so fast,” JaQuan Jackson (’18) said. “I definitely can’t and won’t ever be able to recreate these experiences, we are all putting in 100% effort for tonight’s game like every other game.”

But it isn’t all for emotional reasons, either. Kicker William Roseman (’18) is currently tied with the school record of 13 field goals in a varsity career. Tonight is his last chance to break the record.

It was also recently announced that it isn’t just the last game for the seniors either. Head coach Shawn Taylor is resigning after this season for personal reasons, but has been invested in the Robinson football program for the past 17 years.

Taylor focused on getting the most out of this week’s practices, but also made an extra effort to ensure the players had fun.

“We have a week of practice where the game won’t count towards the playoffs so we’re trying to make this week fun because high school sports are supposed to be fun,” Taylor said. “We’ve had events like Homecoming and Senior Night which can distract the players and give them other things to think about than just the game, so it will be nice to go away and just focus on the game.”

The Knights face Bloomingdale tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Bloomingdale High School (1700 Bloomingdale Ave, Valrico, FL 33596).