VILONIA -— Vilonia’s Eric Ebmeyer and Kyle Robbins knew just how big last week’s victory over Morrilton was to the Eagles’ playoff chances.
The two seniors helped will the Eagles to a win in sloppy conditions at Devil Dog Stadium by putting up big numbers on both sides of the ball. Robbins, who is one of the leading tacklers in Faulkner County this season with a total of 97, compiled a season-high 16 tackles in the Eagles’ 20-6 win, six of which came unassisted. Robbins also had a sack and a tackle for loss.
Ebmeyer made some crucial decisions to keep the ball, which turned into a pair of touchdowns. He finished with 14 carries for 102 yards and two touchdowns. Robbins continued his season-high night on the offensive side, while carrying the ball 15 times for 161 yards and a touchdown. The performances that Ebmeyer and Robbins displayed last Friday night led to them being named the Log Cabin Democrat’s Co-Players of the Week.
“We had to beat Morrilton to get to the playoffs, so it was a big win,” Robbins said.
“We knew that we could beat them so it wasn’t anything tough. On defense, we just did what we had to do to get the win and we feel pretty good about it. Before the season coach (Bill) Buckner put some of the best players on defense and really taught us the fundamentals. It’s paid off this season.”
Vilonia’s senior class hasn’t lost to Greenbrier since seventh grade, so Ebmeyer and his crew wants to keep it that way.
“We really need this win the most,” Ebmeyer said. “I feel like I need to be one of the leaders this week and I need to build off of what I did last week. We’re hungry and we want this one.”
Robbins replaced Ross Estes as the leader of the defense at linebacker. Robbins shook a couple of double-team attempts last week to make the tackles, holding running back Justin Criswell to one of his lowest rushing performances of the season with 186 yards. The week before, Criswell rushed for over 400 yards and five touchdowns against Greenbrier.
“I like to go for the knees,” Robbins said. “I know that’s not the way that the coaches teach it, but I’ve been tackling like that all of my life. When you hit them in the knees, they usually go down.”
Go Blue !!
Go Blue !!