Photo: Seated from left: Beau Robinson and Demontae Dillard are joined by their Northpoint coaches following their signing ceremony on Wednesday, March 26. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)
Mar 26, 2025- Wednesday was another signing day for the Northpoint Christian football team, as star running back Demontae Dillard and offensive lineman Beau Robinson committed to college football. Dillard will play at Hendrix College, Arkansas, while Robinson heads to Northeast Mississippi Community College.
Hendrix is getting one of the top running backs among TSSAA West Tennessee D2-AA teams in Dillard, who this season had his second straight 1,000 rushing year. In his third year at Northpoint and his second year as starting running back for coach Tyler Gold’s offense, Dillard ran for 2,659 yards. He scored 34 rushing touchdowns, had 13 games running for over 100 yards. He also earned 206 receiving yards.
Gold said Hendrix noticed Dillard while also recruiting a Northpoint and soon-to-be Hendrix teammate, Knox Cascio.
“They stumbled onto Demontae while watching the film and they said, ‘we want your running back, too.” Gold said. “Everything worked out financially, so he’s going to get a great education and get a great opportunity.”
Dillard was selected, along with Robinson and lineman Chris Soriano, to play in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl High School All-Star Game last December. Dillard was picked as the Division 2-AA first team all-West Region running back.
West Region defenses are more than happy to see Dillard not in the Trojans’ backfield this coming season. The Trojans’ anchor in the backfield was called on to “carry the mail” extensively last fall as Northpoint went from a pass-happy offense to more of a running offense in 2024.
“We went into the season and told Demontae our passing game wasn’t going to be very good and asked him, ‘are you willing to carry the ball 20-plus times a game?” said Gold. “He just smiled and said, ‘I’ll do whatever I have to do, coach,’ and that’s who he was all year.”
Dillard said coming to Northpoint gave him the opportunity to play.
“Before I came here I wasn’t getting any playing time at all,” Dillard said. “When I came here I didn’t know what to expect but I knew I had to fight for my own position or at least get on the field. When I did that, everything worked out for me.”
Hendrix was attractive after meeting with the coaches and when Cascio committed there, Dillard chose to follow him to Conway, Arkansas.
“I went there and checked out the school, it was nice and the field was good,” he said. “They liked me and offered me, and so this was going to be the school I wanna go to.”
Robinson was tasked with opening holes for Dillard and other backs to run through last fall, and the second-year starting lineman helped fashion two of the Trojans’ best statistical offensive seasons in school history. He played center, guard, and tackle on offense for the Trojans. Robinson also played on the defensive line and Gold quipped Robinson even debated playing quarterback.
The TSSAA Division 2-AA all-West Region offensive lineman was also chosen, and started in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl High School All-Star Game last December.
Robinson said he has a great feeling that Northeast is the place for him to continue his football and educational career.
“That’s a place I want to call home for the next two years and I think their program is everything I am looking for,” Robinson said. “I’m very excited to go play, further my education and athletic career with football.”
“Beau is a warrior,” Gold said about his lineman. “He’s just a fighting kid that goes in and plays with all of his heart and whole body on the line.”
Robinson will be a business communication major while at Northeast, but said he’ll have some great memories of The Point.
“I’ve had some of the best bonds I’ve had in my entire life,” Robinson remarked. “Being in these hallways, on the field, through the school, I’ll have some of the best moments of my life.”
