Durango High School’s Kyle Robinette is putting up insane numbers on the lacrosse field to start his senior season.
Robinette doesn’t just lead the team in most offensive categories, he leads the entire Colorado High School Activities Association’s 4A classification, too.
The DHS main attackman’s 23 goals top the state by a whopping seven goals ahead of Vail Mountain’s Luke Verratti. Robinette also leads Class 4A in points (35) and remains tied for the state lead in assists (12). He scored seven goals on seven shots attempted in the Demons’ season-opening 24-1 rout of Santa Fe Prep. He followed that performance up with a school-record nine goals in a 16-4 win against Timpview of Provo, Utah.
“I think a lot of it is just the fact that I’m a senior this year and I have the luxury of having a lot of familiarity with the guys around me and the system,” Robinette said. “I also have my brother on my same attack line, so that makes it a bit easier. We definitely have a connection out there for sure.”
Kyle’s younger brother, Cullen, is a sophomore. He is second on the team with 15 goals. The family connection doesn’t just end there, as the boys’ father, John, is the team’s head coach.
Kyle will leave quite a legacy behind for his brother to live up to at Durango High School. He already holds all-time school records with 115 goals, 66 assists, 181 points and 328 ground balls and still has well over half of his senior season remaining.
Last year’s 56 goals in one season also marked a school record, and he’s well on pace to break that mark this season.
Though he’s set a mark for 60 goals this season, Robinette’s most important goal is for the team to do something it hasn’t done in the history of the program: host a playoff game.
“The last few years we’ve qualified for playoffs, and those were the only years DHS has been in the playoffs,” he said. “Now, it isn’t good enough just to make it. We haven’t been able to make it past the first round, and we want to get a high enough seed to host. We’re close to breaking through, and we know we can compete with some of those teams.”
One of those teams standing in the way is Aspen. The Skiers delivered the Demons their only loss of the season last week with a last-second goal that broke an 8-8 tie. Though the outcome was a loss, it was an improvement on last year’s five-goal home loss last season. Still, Durango has never beat Aspen but will get a rematch in the final game of the regular season at home in early May.
Robinette hopes to play lacrosse at the next level, possibly at Colorado State University, and his success doesn’t stop when he puts the stick down. The senior boasts a 4.12 grade-point average and is member of the National Honor Society. He is also part of the DHS Aerospace Design club.
He’s going to enjoy his last go-round with his fellow teammates and make the most of the opportunity to play for his dad and alongside his brother.
“It’s kind of a unique situation I guess, but my dad has been coaching all of us for awhile now,” he said. “With my brother, sure we kind of butt heads every once in awhile. That’s what brothers do. No matter what, though, it definitely helps me that he’s here. I always know I have someone who has my back, and we make a pretty good team.”
jfries@durangoherald.com
Behind the scenes
What is your nickname?: K-Rob
Who is your celebrity crush?: Rihanna
What is your favorite sports movie?: Invincible or Rocky
Who is your favorite athlete?: Professional lacrosse player Lyle Thompson
What is your favorite vacation spot?: Maryland
What is your dream job?: Building robots
What is your favorite restaurant in Durango?: Sizzling Siam
Which teacher had made a the biggest impact on your life?: Mr. Wilson. He’s been my Spanish teacher at DHS for awhile.
If someone made a movie about you, who would play your role?: Mark Wahlberg
Where is the worst place you have had to travel to play lacrosse?: Anywhere in Texas. It’s just way too hot.
