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Harrisburg all-star running back Wyatt Robinson inks with Westminster

Justin Addison, Editor/Publisher
Posted 1/28/21

Harrisburg football star Wyatt Robinson inked a letter of intent to play at the next level. The team’s all-time scoring leader and conference Offensive Player of the Year will take his skills …

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Harrisburg all-star running back Wyatt Robinson inks with Westminster

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Harrisburg football star Wyatt Robinson inked a letter of intent to play at the next level. The team’s all-time scoring leader and conference Offensive Player of the Year will take his skills to Westminster College in Fulton next year.

Robinson holds a slew of school records including career and single-game rushing yards and touchdowns, and points scored. As a senior, he rushed for 333 yards in a single game against Salisbury and finished the 2020 season with 2,012 total yards. He owns the school record in total career rushing yards with 3,787, and touchdowns with 48.

Robinson said his father, Jody, gave him the inspiration to shoot for the high mark. “Early in the season, my dad told me, ‘I want you to have a really good year. I want you to hit 1,800 rushing yards.’ I said, ‘no, I’m going for 2,000.’ I made it by 12. 

“I’m just overall thankful and glad it happened.”

Robinson scored a record six rushing touchdowns against Russellville in week 6 of the 2020 season and holds the single-season rushing touchdown total at 27. He scored four or more touchdowns in single games four times this past season and owns the team record in career scores with 33.

He scored 212 points in 2020, with 42 in one game versus Russellville. Since 2018, he has scored 20 or more points in a game five times.

“There are no records as far as running the ball, scoring the ball, and intercepting the ball that don’t have Wyatt’s name on them,” said Harrisburg coach Steve Hopkins.

Defensively, Robinson had four career interceptions, three of which he made in 2020.

Coach Hopkins explained that Robinson was much more than just a scoring machine on the field. He was a true team leader, setting examples and making sure fellow teammates all made it to practice. 

“In the two years I’ve been here, Wyatt has never missed a weight-room day, never missed a practice. Everything that came after that was because of his hard work and his effort,” Hopkins said.

“Three or four underclassmen would have never made practice if Wyatt hadn’t gone out to get them.”

The Harrisburg football program is relatively young. But in just seven years of varsity action, the team has improved into a conference contender. The Bulldogs finished the 2020 season 9-5 overall, ending with a loss to No. 6 Marceline in the district final.

Coach Hopkins doesn’t consider the age of the program to be a factor in the records set by his star running back. “I’ve been in seven programs and his numbers match up with any program I’ve been in. Two-thousand yards rushing in one year…that’s a significant achievement. And those came in 11 games.”

“He just scores the ball.”

Robinson not only racked up points but scored a slew of accolades. He was named first-team all-conference as a running back and a linebacker was named first-team all-district as running back and linebacker, and second-team all-state at running back.

As far as what position Robinson will play at the college level, Hopkins said he could see him playing in several spots. “He’s really flexible. He’s really good at catching the ball. He’s really good at defending the zones. And he carries the ball tough. I think he’ll have the opportunity to find where he fits.”

Robinson said the staff and the recruiting class attracted him to Westminster college, not too far from Harrisburg in Fulton, Missouri. And he said he’s ready to play at the collegiate level. “I think I could have a part in changing the culture up there, just like what I did over here. That’s what I’m chasing, a better culture.”

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Westminster postponed its 2020 football season to the spring. It currently has four games scheduled from March through May. In 2019 the Blue Jays went 4-6 overall and 4-4 in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

In college, Robinson expects to continue his role as a running back or receiver.

“This isn’t going to be the end of me,” he said. “A lot of people go into college and you never hear from them again. I’m not going to be that guy. I’m going to keep this going. I want to do up there what I did here.”



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