ROBINSON BULLS A 300 GAME

Justin Robinson may not be quite the athlete that eventual NFL running back James Wilder -- a.k.a. The Sikeston Train -- was back in the 1970s.

But to say the least, the 5-foot-10, 195-pound senior tailback is the Little Engine that Could.

Robinson chugged his way to a school-record 318 yards on 26 carries Thursday night as Sikeston (4-2) steamrolled winless Cape Central 47-27.

"He really had a good night," said Sikeston coach Charlie Vickery.

Talk about an understatement.

Robinson, a combination of speed, agility and power, scored five touchdowns and had eight carries of 10 yards or more, including touchdown runs of 66, 44 and 57 yards.

"He's good every game," said Central coach Lawrence Brookins. "That dude's tough. He goes straight ahead and just like that he goes left to right."

Robinson now has 1,312 yards with four regular-season games left. Robinson broke his own school record of 296 yards in a game which he established three weeks ago against Dexter.

"The line's doing a good job and our fullback is doing a nice job as well blocking for him," Vickery said. "But Robinson is running real hard. He's not just outrunning people."

Robinson wasn't the only running back Thursday night to have a season-best game.

Central's Jamelle Austin carried the ball 20 times for 128 yards and three touchdowns and Central fullback O.J. Turner rushed the ball 11 times for 96 yards and one score.

Central, which had been struggling to score, posting just four offensive touchdowns in the first five games, struck early and led 14-12 after the first quarter.

On the second offensive play of the game, Turner bounced to the outside for a 67-yard touchdown.

"We got off to a great start" Brookins said. "I was real excited about the first quarter."

Sikeston assembled a 13-play drive on its ensuing possession which was capped off by a 12-yard run by Robinson. A missed kick resulted in a 7-6 lead for Central.

Central scored again on its next possession when Austin scampered in from 12 yards out.

With 13 seconds left in the quarter, Robinson scored on a 66-yarder. But Central still led after the first quarter 14-12, when a 2-point conversion failed.

With 5:03 left in the first half, Robinson scored from 44 yards out to push the score to 20-14.

Two plays later, Sikeston defensive lineman Kent Chappell snagged an interception with one hand deep in Central territory and returned it back to the 10-yard line.

Three plays later, Robinson scored again to make the score -- after a fake field goal pass play resulted in a two-point conversion -- 28-14 at halftime.

Sikeston pulled away in the third quarter. The Bulldogs started with a 57-yard run by Robinson on the third play of the second half.

Central responded with a 10-yard score by Austin, but Robinson struck again going 20 yards on a fourth-and-four play to the 2-yard line. A touchdown by Sikeston fullback Josh Bird made the score 40-21.

Bulldog quarterback Ty Ferrell ran 45 yards on a quarterback sneak with 10:42 left in the game to make the score 47-21.

Trailing by 20, Central scored a touchdown with 5:46 to go and recovered an onside kick, but turned the ball over.

"Turnovers really hurt us," Brookins said. "We had a couple of lost fumbles and a couple of interceptions."