TAMPA — Robinson was prepared to take on Sickles running back Ray Ray McCloud in the teams’ season-opening contest Friday.
What the Knights couldn’t solve was Sickles quarterback Issac Holder, who threw for a touchdown and ran for three more as Sickles outlasted the weather, and Robinson, 35-14.
The teams waited through an hour-plus lightning delay with six and a half minutes left in the game.
“We have some good athletes on this team,” said Sickles coach Brian Turner. “We were able to spread the ball around. Ray Ray is a great athlete and Issac is a difference-maker for us.”
Sickles dominated time of possession in the first quarter though it had little to show for it. The Knights and Gryphons exchanged scores in the opening quarter, Robinson scoring on a 65-yard pass from Travis Forehand to Jahrvis Davenport. Sickles got on the board late in the quarter on a 27-yard, fourth-down scramble by Holder.
The Gryphons took the lead moments into the second quarter when Holder hooked up with Chett Levay on a 34-yard scoring pass.
Robinson, meanwhile, struggled to put together any solid drives for the rest of the half, twice turning over the ball on drives and ending another one with three straight sacks.
Miscues continued to plague Robinson in the second half. Then McCloud got involved.
A bad snap on a punt attempt, followed by a turnover deep in the Knights territory led to another Holder touchdown run for Sickles. A Robinson fumble minutes later led to another Gryphons score, this time a 3-yard run from McCloud.
Sickles ran out the clock after the rain delay.
McCloud finished with 170 yards rushing while Holder ran for 93 and passed for 57 yards.