Beasts of the East End: Varina's Robinson shines in clash of area's top teams
When Varina’s Burton Robinson received the opening kickoff against visiting Highland Springs on Friday night, he thought he saw a path to the end zone. Instead, he ran into traffic.
But the next time the Springers kicked the ball his way, Robinson saw a path again. And this time it was mostly lined with green grass.
The 5-foot-8 junior, the son of former Varina star and ex-NFL standout Michael Robinson, changed the course of Friday’s game between the East End rivals with a 72-yard kickoff return in the second quarter and then intercepted a pass that led to another score just seconds later.
His heads-up plays were the big reason Varina, ranked No. 1 in the RVA Sports Network Super 12 Poll, had just enough firepower to outlast the second-ranked Springers in an 18-14 thriller at James E. Dawkins Stadium.
Highland Springs brought down Robinson on the opening kickoff. The Springers then forced a turnover on downs and put together a drive that lasted 8 minutes, 29 seconds to chew up the remainder of the first-quarter clock and take a 7-0 lead.
But Robinson started the second quarter with a flash.
“I knew they weren’t a better team than us, so once they scored I just never hung my head. I just got back into the game,” he said.
He avoided a couple of tackles and then turned on the jets down the left sideline for the touchdown. He scored so quickly that Highland Springs fans still were celebrating their early lead.
“I knew they were going to kick it to me again,” Robinson said.
On the game’s next play from scrimmage, Highland Springs quarterback Dashaun Chisem hit a wall of defenders and the ball popped loose. It sailed high and Robinson snagged it from the air. His interception eventually led to the Blue Devils’ second score of the night and to a lead the defending Class 4 state champions never relinquished.
On a night when Highland Springs refused to fade, tensions ran high and both teams racked up penalties, Robinson’s heroics made all the difference.
“That kid’s special, man,” Varina coach Richard Catalano said. “He (loves) football. He’s a student of the game, he knows where everybody’s supposed to be at, and I’m confident every time he’s on the football field.”
What Robinson started, teammate Sa Rex finished. The Blue Devils' defensive back, who has committed to play at Virginia, finished with a handful of pass breakups, including the one that sealed the game.
Highland Springs threatened to take the lead in the closing minutes and got to the Varina 18-yard line with 1 second remaining. Following a timeout, Chisem fired a pass to the left side of the end zone, intended for Montell Richardson. But Rex leaped and stuck his hand out, deflecting the pass.
“Just eliminating the big plays,” Rex said.
Varina’s defense did that over and over in the battle of two one-loss teams. Highland Springs often was forced to settle for short gains in the passing game and 18 of its 37 rushing attempts went either for gains of 2 yards or fewer or for negative yardage.
“Just don’t let them get that big pass off, that big run,” Rex said.
Highland Springs (7-2) had won six straight since its loss to Huguenot in early September. The streak included a fourth-quarter comeback last week against Hermitage, in which the Springers ticked off 19 points in the final frame for a 25-17 win.
They were vying for another fourth-quarter comeback in a more hostile environment Friday, and it would have been the squad’s signature win of 2026.
But Varina (7-1-1) showed why it’s the team to beat in Region 4D by flexing its defensive muscles.
“We’ve got to just be better in certain situations,” Springers coach Loren Johnson said. “And I think there were some times, of course because of their defense, that we didn’t get that done. But it gives us the opportunity to get better and work.”
Chisem threw for 107 yards and rushed for 75. He scored on a 4-yard run to give the Springers an early lead and finished with two interceptions. He engineered Highland Springs' second-half push, which was aided by a 34-yard pick-6 by teammate Marquise Bullock with 19.5 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
Bullock’s touchdown and the ensuing PAT brought Highland Springs to within four points. But neither team scored again.
“Really, a statement,” Chisem said of how the Springers nearly pulled off the upset. “The whole city doubted us, the whole city thought that we were going to get blown out, didn’t stand a chance. But we came in with something to prove. Although we didn’t get the results we wanted, I still love the way we came to fight.”
Robinson was impressed with all aspects of Varina’s defense.
“We’ve just got a lot of dogs,” he said. “We’ve been here before, been in tough games against teams like Maury (7-2), teams like (North Carolina-based) Grimsley (10-0). We just never get surprised by anything.”
The Blue Devils looked cool and calm defensively, especially in the chaotic final moments when Highland Springs threatened and bleachers on both sides turned rowdy and the sidelines were bustling with anticipation.
“We just stay in the moment,” Robinson said.
