Robinson broke Tigers’ record in opener

Senior RB rushes for 326 yards in win

ELKINS – Starting the season off with a bang. Firing on all cylinders. Setting the pace. All three of these metaphors can be used to describe what kind of night Elkins High School senior Seth Robinson had in the Tigers’ season opener Friday night.

Robinson’s performance in Elkins’ 40-27 victory over Lincoln at Tiger Stadium won’t soon be forgotten, and it shouldn’t after the impressive numbers he piled up in the win. Not only did the talented running back set a new school record for rushing yards in a game with 326, but he also found the end zone four times.

Robinson’s yards on the ground, which was amassed on 34 carries, broke Nick Bowers’ single-game record of 310 yards that was set against Buckhannon-Upshur during the 2024 season.

Elkins High School head coach Chad Ware admittedly never thought he would see Bowers’ mark be broken, especially so soon.

“Records aren’t something we go into a game looking to set, it just worked out that way on Friday night because of what their (Lincoln) defense was giving us,” Ware said. “But I never thought someone would break Nick Bowers’ mark of 310 yards. But as they say, records are meant to be broken, and Seth, and the offensive line, had a tremendous night.”

Going into the 2026 campaign, Robinson was expected to be a key piece in the Tigers’ offensive attack, after running for 1,300 yards in 2025. Robinson and fellow running back Jaden Hatfield were depended upon to provide a sturdy 1-2 punch for EHS. But with Hatfield sidelined for Friday’s contest, a bulk of the load fell on the shoulders of Robinson and junior Tony Silvester, who had 71 yards rushing and two scores of his own against Lincoln. Hatfield had more than 800 yards rushing a year ago, despite missing three games.

“We knew that Seth, our other running backs, and the offensive line would have to step up with Jaden out,” Ware said. “You don’t replace Jaden, but Seth and the rest of the guys answered the call.”

Ware believes that Friday night’s performance is just a sign of things to come from Robinson.

“I expect consistency from all of our players, and Seth always brings this type of effort on game nights,” Ware said. “So any time he is on the field, he’s capable of having another stellar performance.”

Ware added that Robinson is one of the more quiet players on the team and that what he does on the field serves as an example for others.

“Seth is a quiet young man who doesn’t say much,” Ware said. “He leads more by his play than his words. Some days, if you didn’t see him out there at practice, you’d never know he was there. But when the ball is in his hands, you find out pretty fast that he’s around.”

The Tigers will travel to Moorefield to battle the Yellow Jackets Friday night. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.