CITRUS 20, CENTRAL 17 (OT): Trifon Robinson fails to win it late in regulation but atones by making a 27-yard field goal
By JOHN SCHWARB
Published September 9, 2003
INVERNESS - Citrus had to wait three days for its first chance at victory. Then Trifon Robinson waited 10 minutes more for his second chance.
After missing a potential winning 42-yard field goal with six seconds left in regulation, the Hurricanes senior kicker made good on another shot in overtime from 27 yards out to lift Citrus to a 20-17 victory against Central.
It was a rare Monday night for prep football thanks to Tropical Storm Henri, but those who showed up saw a thriller.
Citrus gave its fans a chance to cheer first by taking a 10-0 lead into the half. Then Central stormed back with two touchdowns in just less than four minutes to take a 14-10 advantage early in the second half.
Citrus senior quarterback Casey Snyder put Citrus back ahead 17-14 with a 15-yard pass over the middle to Israel Burton, who made a couple of moves and turned it into a 90-yard touchdown.
Then a kicking battle began.
With 2:40 left in the game, Central's Mike Hibbert atoned for two earlier misses with a 50-yard field goal that would have been good from 60. Only Citrus had enough time to drive 54 yards to the Bears 26, where Robinson pulled his first chance to win the game.
He was right down the middle on the second chance, even after Snyder pulled down a high snap.
"I was like, "Ooohhh, that's not good,"' Robinson said. "I'm surprised Casey didn't (take off). But he didn't. It felt great."
Citrus needed only a field goal to win after Central fumbled on the 5-yard line during its possession. It was the Bears' third lost fumble of the game.
"We preached to them ball security," Central coach John Wilkinson said.
Bears quarterback Shane Collard lost the fumble in overtime but put Central in a position to win with 133 yards rushing and a touchdown on 16 carries. Snyder was just as successful as a runner, gaining 103 yards on seven carries, including 70 on a first-quarter run that set up Citrus' first touchdown.
Snyder also added 218 yards passing and narrowly missed an interception in the end zone one play before Hibbert's tying field goal.
Central's only lead came off an alert play by Anthony Gaynor, who picked up a shanked punt and dashed in from 24 yards out.
"That hasn't happened in my first 12 years of coaching," Citrus coach Larry Bishop said, "and probably won't happen in my next 12."
