Flag football: Robinson makes it a four-peat

BOCA RATON — For the fourth straight time and the fifth time in the past six years, Robinson, looking as confident and well-prepared as ever, has won a state flag football title.

Number five came Saturday afternoon in Boca Raton — resoundingly in the Class A title game against Fort Lauderdale Dillard.

The final score — Robinson 41, Dillard 0 — summed up the story pretty well, but it was the game’s first play, a 66-yard touchdown from quarterback Macy McClintock to Emily Kemp, that immediately put Dillard on its heels.

“We knew Dillard was an aggressive team and we thought we might have an opportunity to strike quick on that play,” Robinson coach Josh Saunders said. “We had that play called two hours before the game started. It was a beautiful thing to watch.”

After that, Robinson (18-0) pretty much had its way with Dillard in every phase of the game.

In the first half alone, McClintock threw three more long touchdown passes, one more to Kemp and two more to Alexis Smith.

Robinson senior Alexis Smith hauls in a long touchdown pass during a 41-0 victory over Fort Lauderdale Dillard in the Class A state flag football final Saturday in Boca Raton. (SCOTT PURKS | Special to the Times)

At halftime the score was 28-0, and McClintock, who barely knew a football from a pineapple two years ago, had completed a high school career where she had never lost a game as a quarterback (38-0, including junior varsity starts).

“I have the best coaches and players around me,” said McClintock, mostly a softball player before high school. “It’s been an incredible experience. I’ve come so far. I feel so lucky.”

And, of course, prepared, a sentiment resounded by Kemp and Smith.

“We felt a little nervous before today’s games but we we also felt confident,” said Kemp, a junior who added a third-quarter touchdown, giving her a state-record 40 TDs for the season.

“We feel that we can adjust to whatever the other team is doing.”

Robinson's sideline reacts to a score during the 13-0 Class A state semifinal victory over Clay Saturday morning. (SCOTT PURKS | Special to the Times)

In Saturday morning’s state semifinal, Robinson had to adjust to a team from Green Cove Springs Clay that was so prepared it knew Saunders’ hand signals for plays.

“We saw and heard them talking about our plays before the plays happened,” Kemp said. “So we had to make adjustments to that.”

They did, taking the lead in the second quarter and never allowing Clay any momentum, partly because of a relentless attack by rusher Chelsey Campbell.