Phil Anastasia: Moorestown dazzles Camden Catholic, 30-14

Russ Horton said he watched the play six times on You Tube.

"I couldn't believe it," Horton said. "I was like, 'Oh, we've got to run this.' "

Horton, Moorestown's creative coach, found the trick play while studying single-wing football teams on the Internet last December. He's always up for a little razzle, a little dazzle.

But here's the thing: The real sleight of hand that Horton has unveiled this season doesn't involve a play. It involves a player.

Horton reached up his sleeve when his starting quarterback went down with an injury in August and pulled out the most surprising player in South Jersey this season.

Moorestown junior Tyreek Robinson was a revelation in the Quakers' first two games.

He became a star on Friday night.

Robinson was the best player on the field as Moorestown, the No. 7 team in The Inquirer top 10, stunned No. 2 Camden Catholic by a 30-14 score on the Irish's home field.

Robinson, a 6-foot, 170-pound speedster, ran for one touchdown on Horton's You Tube-inspired play, which features a behind-the-back move that looks like something Derrick Rose does on the basketball court.

Robinson returned an interception 57 yards for the clinching touchdown.

He ran for 106 yards on 15 carries, was 5 for 8 passing for 73 yards, and led his team to perhaps the biggest upset of the first month of the season.

"We shocked the world," Robinson said.

Moorestown (3-0) got strong work from its defense, especially Temple-bound end Shane Rafter and linebacker Shane Lawless, and a couple of huge plays on special teams, as senior Sidney Ruffin returned a kickoff 78 yards for a touchdown and senior Anthony Bonett returned a punt 65 yards for another score.

"We were hoping to get one, and we ended up getting two," Horton said of the special-teams touchdowns.

But the play that summed up Moorestown's victory - and its elusive quarterback - came midway through the second quarter. Robinson took a shotgun snap, faked a handoff to Bonett, whipped the ball behind his back from his right hand to his left, and raced down the left side for a touchdown.

Robinson's touchdown was the first time the Quakers ran the play.

Robinson was supposed to be a wide receiver for the Quakers. That was his position last season.

"I played quarterback as a freshman," Robinson said. "But I really didn't like it."

Robinson was Horton's only option when senior Drew Pederson, the team's quarterback, went down with a broken ankle in August.

Robinson didn't want to be a quarterback at first. Now?

"I don't want to go back [to wide receiver]," he said.

Robinson has given the Quakers' spread offense another dimension: He's a dangerous runner. And his passing has been better than expected.

"Drew Pederson has been a great coach to me," Robinson said. "He's helped me so much in practice."

Horton said Robinson remains a work in progress at quarterback.

"Four weeks ago, he was a wide receiver," Horton said. "He still has so much to learn. But he's a terrific athlete and he played a terrific game."

Moorestown 7 10 0 13 - 30

Camden Catholic 7 0 7 0 - 14

CC: Jarred Alwan 1 run (Albert Faiola kick)

M: Sidney Ruffin 78 kickoff return (Doug Jurin kick)

M: Tyreek Robinson 62 run (Jurin kick)

M: FG Jurin 26

CC: Alwan 17 run (Faiola kick)

M: Anthony Bonett 65 punt return (kick fail)

M: Robinson 57 interception return (Jurin kick)