VIKES HAVE SECRET WEAPON.

Byline: Chris Cocoles Staff Writer

VALENCIA- He's a three-year varsity starter and bound for a section- championship game for the second time in his career. His coach predicts All-Southern Section honors and proclaims he's the best linebacker in Division III.

So how has John Robinson gone virtually unnoticed beyond the Valencia High campus?

``He hasn't gone unnoticed by us,'' said Vikings coach Brian Stiman, whose team plays Hart for the Division III championship Friday night at College of the Canyons. ``We started talking about seven or eight weeks ago about how well he was playing. At our all-league meeting, I even stated, 'I think he's the best linebacker in the league.' ''

Funny, that's what Stiman arguably had when the Vikings made their last appearance in the Division III finals. Ray Cassaday is now at UCLA. Robinson flanked Cassaday as a sophomore starter two years ago. He's now a catalyst on a surging Valencia defense.

``Ray was obviously one of the best linebackers in the division. I've tried to work harder than Ray and hopefully surpassed him,'' a grinning Robinson said. ``When you're with a guy like Ray, it's hard to beat a Division I player like that.''

But Robinson, not Cassaday, is Stiman's choice as Valencia's greatest linebacker in the school's brief but successful history.

``He is playing incredibly right now,'' Stiman said. ``In terms of his knowledge of the game, and how he gets everyone around him to play so well. We're very pleased with what he's doing.''

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