Entering Friday night, Bijan Robinson needed 360 yards to pass Tucson icon Ka'Deem Carey for career rushing yards.
Carey's record is safe for another week, but Robinson is now less than 200 yards away after amassing 170 rushing yards on 10 carries in Salpointe Catholic's 54-8 win over visiting Glendale Cactus (2-1).
The University of Texas-bound running back led the Lancers with four touchdowns. He scored three times on the ground to go with a 39-yard reception in the second quarter.
"The offensive line, gotta give them credit for what they do and what they do for me. Our downfield blocking from our (wide) receivers is second to none," Robinson said.
Two weeks ago, Robinson rushed for a school-record 430 yards and five touchdowns in a statement victory over one of the top Phoenix-area Class 4A teams, Goodyear Desert Edge. Against Cactus, Salpointe Catholic did most of its damage through the air behind senior quarterback Jackson Bolin's performance. Bolin completed 9 of 13 passes for a career-high 200 yards and three touchdowns.
"I thought Jackson Bolin did a nice job of distributing the ball tonight and we had a lot of guys touch the ball," Salpointe Catholic head coach Dennis Bene said. "We just want teams to defend the whole field. Sometimes it can get too predictable with Bijan. ... We're just trying to spread it out and have the defense cover from sideline-to-sideline. I thought they had to do that tonight."
Bolin's top target: Ohio State commit Lathan Ransom, who hauled in five catches for 89 yards and two touchdowns. Ransom is being recruited as a safety, but the two-way standout is more involved in the offense than his previous two years on varsity and has emerged as the Lancers' top wide receiver.
"I have a bigger part in the offense this year, and Bijan is the hardest running back to stop in the whole nation. A lot of people key on him and it gives other player opportunities to make plays," Ransom said.
Through three games, the Lancers are averaging 61.7 points per game. Now 3-0, Salpointe Catholic will have six games left on its schedule after El Paso Del Valle cancelled last week's game so the Lancers only have nine games for 2019. Up next, the Lancers will face Tucson High on the road.
"We're getting there. We're heading into the right direction," Bene said. "We're not where we need to be, but we're in the right direction."
The lucky number for Robinson heading into that game is 190. If he rushes for 190 yards, he passes Carey for career yards (5,701). Robinson also needs 367 yards to become the all-time 4A leading rusher in Arizona.
"It'd be a great accomplishment for me. Me and Ka'Deem train a lot and he's always telling me to 'Kill the record,'" Robinson said. "He always gives me advice how to handle myself. Breaking his record would be a blessing for me, but it'd be a celebration for the whole team."
