What could go wrong had gone wrong.

Brentwood was 0-4, again. Its conference title hopes gone before September had even ended.

Lamont Robinson had seen this before. He watched his team stumble to that same 0-4 start last season.

It was about to get worse for Brentwood's senior running back.

Receiving the opening kickoff in week five against Wilkinsburg, Robinson went to scoop up a ball on the muddy Brentwood Stadium field but his hand was crushed by a defender's helmet. His right thumb was dislocated.

Lucky for Robinson he is a lefty, but the thumb continued to pop in and out; there was ligament damage. Trainers wrapped it up and Robinson played through the pain and finished the game. The Spartans won that game, their first victory of the season, 26-8, against Wilkinsburg as Robinson scored a touchdown.

But after the game he had a decision to make. Doctors recommended surgery -- surgery that would end his season. His mother wanted him to have the procedure done. But to Robinson there was no decision. Not even the damaged thumb or the 1-4 regular season would deter him.

"The decision was ultimately mine," Robinson said, "and it was not at all a tough decision."

He said his mom hated that he was putting off surgery, but Robinson knew the WPIAL playoffs were still a possibility.

After all, just the previous season the Spartans also lost their first four games and rebounded to win four of five and earn a WPIAL playoff berth.

"People were probably wondering what I was doing," Robinson said. "But I never lost faith in my team."

He had moved into the role of running back this year after playing fullback last season. Veteran coach Kevin Kissel, in his 13th year at the school, was working with the smallest roster he has ever had. Robinson also thought back to all the time and effort he put in during the offseason.

"Everything I have been working for since the end of last season, all the hard work, I was not going to let it end in week four," Robinson said. "From day one I knew we were a playoff team."

Robinson was right. Brentwood rebounded to close out the regular season on a five-game winning streak and finish 5-4, 5-2 and tied with Springdale for third in the Eastern Conference.

Robinson was in the middle of the Spartans' success. He led the team with 834 rushing yards on 160 carries.

The WPIAL rewarded the Spartans for the turnaround. They gave third-place Brentwood a No. 9 seed and a first-round date at Fort Cherry. It is a better matchup than last season when Brentwood was 4-5 and paired against powerful Clairton in the first round.

"Without a doubt it was nice to see that," Kissel said. "We won five games straight and I was hoping that would help. It looks like we got a fair shake."

The Wilkinsburg win got the ball rolling for Brentwood and a 12-6 road win against Riverview was important, but it was the 12-7 upset against Springdale that ensured Brentwood of the seed it ultimately received.

The Dynamos, who were in contention to win the conference title entering that game, fell to No. 4 in the Eastern Conference.

The situation may seem similar to a year ago when Brentwood rebounded to reach the playoffs, but these two teams are worlds apart. Kissel said this team is much further along.

Last season Kissel did not name quarterback Cory Bauer the starter until the midway point of the season. This year the junior signal-caller has an entire season under his belt.

His favorite target, senior wide receiver Danny Lucas, made an equally big impact on the defensive side of the ball. All-conference at wide receiver last year, Lucas, a two-way starter, was named first-team all-conference at wide receiver and defensive back.

Brentwood's defense has come up big during this five-game winning streak. Opponents have averaged a little more than five points per game in that time. The strength of the defense is up front with senior defensive linemen Brandon Hennon and Zachary Donaldson.

n What: Brentwood at Fort Cherry.

n When: 7:30 p.m. tomorrow.

n Where: Fort Cherry High School near McDonald.

n The skinny: The winner of this Class A first-round game gets the honor of playing Rochester in the quarterfinals..

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