Many people who participate in sports tend to say that records are meant to be broken.
However, Liberty junior running back Robert Rawie is not only breaking records, but he's also shattering them. Robert had his finest performance of the season last Friday night in the Blue Jays' 40-36 win over Raytown.
He rushed 33 times for 444 yards and 4 touchdowns. The yardage gained broke a Liberty single-game rushing record.
Check out these unofficial stats: Robert Rawie 33 carries, 444 yards, 4 touchdowns! New @JaysFootball team single-game yardage record! WOW.
— Chris Geinosky (@ChrisGeinosky) September 10, 2016
Think about that for a second.
Those are video-game-like numbers. So, of course, we made him the Hy-Vee 41 Five-Star Athlete of the Week. But, Robert didn't want to take credit for his monster performance out on the field.
"This achievement was really made possible by the guys up front doing the hard work for me," Robert said. "All I gotta do is run through the holes that they're getting for me. So, this award really goes to them."
He ran for 310 yards & 4 TD's in their season opener against Central (St. Joe's); 258 yards & 4 TD's against Belton; 109 yards & 2 TD's versus Liberty North. Add those up, and include last Friday's game, and he's rushed for 1,121 yards and 14 TD's. Robert might be on his way to breaking the school's single-season rushing record for yards and touchdowns.
ROBERT RAWIE 400+ YARDS..... HE IS NOT HUMAN... 400+ YARDS!!!!!
— Maxwell (@MinetteMax) September 10, 2016
The Blue Jays Offensive Line has helped Robert to some outstanding numbers this season. To them, Robert's success is a thing of beauty.
"Yeah, it feels really good knowing that all the hard work we've put in is transferring to the field," Liberty senior Center Hunter Tucker said. "And, all those numbers are adding up throughout the whole season. He's a great running back and super nice kid. And, he's always telling us how good we're doing up front."
Blue Jays senior tackle Zane Shaddox was wearing a tattered practice jersey that looked like it had been ripped apart many times during practice. He looked as if he had a sense of pride about wearing the ripped piece of clothing. That same pride could be said for helping Robert shatter the school's single-game rushing record last week.
"We're out here every day, doing our job [and] doing the best we can," said Zane. "It does all start up front. But, he's an amazing player. He does, he needs to take more credit. He's always giving us thanks. But, he's amazing."
There's no bigger supporter of Robert and his accomplishments than Head Coach Chad Frigon.
"Not looking at the numbers, we expected him to be a really good player. And, he was the last two years as well," Coach Frigon said. "This year with us getting off to a [4-0 start] he's been recognized a little bit more. And, it's just one of those things where he's a really good leader. He goes hard every day. So, we're happy to see the success he's had and along with our team."
Last year, the Blue Jays finished 3-7 on the season. Liberty has already eclipsed their win total from 2015 with the aforementioned undefeated 4-0 start. The increased success also means increased exposure for he and the team.
Robert is beginning to get looks from Division I schools such as: Mizzou, Northern Illinois, Kansas State and Kansas, as well as some local schools around the area, like Northwest Missouri State. He understands how his Head Coach has helped him and appreciates the guidance.
"[Coach Frigon] really means a lot to me," Robert said. "He's always telling me to push harder, work harder for the team. And, I try to do my best every Friday night."
NOTE: The Hy-Vee 41 Five-Star Athlete of the Week segment airs every Thursday night during the 10 p.m. sportscast for the entire school year.
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Ryan Marshall can be reached at Ryan.Marshall@KSHB.com.
