Red Oak defeats defending 4-5A 1 champion Midlothian 21-7, ends regular season 10-0

RED OAK – Four-star sophomore wide receiver Brayden Robinson returned to the Hawks lineup after an early season injury and caught a touchdown pass on the Hawks first drive. The other four-star receiver, junior Taz Williams Jr., had a touchdown catch in the game and several key catches on 3 down to keep the chains moving. These two on the field together cause problems for any defense.

The win moved Red Oak to 10-0 (8-0), and the first in school history to be district champs and go undefeated in the regular season.

Despite the win, it may have proved costly for the Hawks. 

Red Oak’s senior quarterback Reggie Moody was injured on a scramble in the third quarter and had to be helped off the field and didn’t return. He was 13-for-13 for 149 yards and two touchdowns when he was injured.

It’s not all doom and gloom though.

Although a Moody loss would hurt, the Hawks are full of talented athletes. We saw junior running back Chris Martinez step in to the quarterback roll last season from time to time, and he may need to be the QB throughout the Hawks playoff run – and is clearly capable.

We saw sophomore linebacker Lorenzo Holman come as running back at times to relieve Martinez and get some nice runs for the Hawks. Holman may not have true breakaway speed, but he’s fast enough, strong and can punish LBs and DBs if he gets to the 2nd level. He had a 53-yard run against the Panthers while breaking multiple tackles along the way.

Somewhat lost with the injury to Moody and return of Robinson, is how well the Hawks defense has played.

The Panthers have put up some really good numbers after their loss to Arlington Sequin during week 1, and Red Oak’s defense held them to just 7 points. In a district full of four and five-star rated passers and receivers, the Hawks defense has gotten better each week. They are relentless and are fun to watch.

Thinking back to two years ago when Red Oak finished 2-8, they have had an astonishing turn around under Head Coach Melvin Robinson. It’s easy to see that the culture has changed under his leadership.

It was understandable to see all the emotions on the Hawk’s sideline when the final horn sounded, and the student body stormed the field to take part in this historic moment.

Red Oak now opens the playoffs against Burleson Centennial on Friday Nov. 10 at home. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. See the Red Oak ISD website for ticket information. 

The Spartans finished the season 7-3 (5-3) and 4th in District 3 5A Division I. This is the same district that Aledo and Denton Ryan are in.