All-around team beating

It didn't matter who was on the field, White Swan couldn't escape the offensive and defensive attacks set up by the Royal football team.

When the final buzzer sounded and the Knights walked off the field with a 77-0 win, the Cougars were ready to forget the last 32 minutes they endured. Especially after White Swan head coach was prepared for a less lopsided loss.

"We definitely thought we had put together a decent game plan," said Craig Nurvic, head coach for White Swan. "We wanted to come out here and play Royal really good."

Unfortunately for the visiting Cougars, it was the Knights who quickly changed the White Swan game plan to surviving.

For Royal, head coach Wiley Allred put his entire team on the field, giving rest to his starters midway through the second quarter with the game sealed up. A plan, Allred felt he could afford this early in the season and with a tougher schedule approaching.

"If it was week after week, but it isn't going to be that way, for one game, it is alright," Allred said.

Royal never let up on the Cougars, no matter what unit Allred sent onto the field. White Swan was held to a 14 yards of total offense for the game, after going into halftime with no output.

The Knights knocked out starting quarterback Kenneth Fiander in the first quarter. Fiander was taken away from the field in an ambulance after a stinger to his hip. Nurvic said Fiander was taken away for precautionary reasons.

But, his loss on the field set the tone for the Cougars' mentality on the field.

""Ken is a key player for us and it is tough to get guys back on board after he went down," Nurvic said. "It is tough to tell they that they will be okay."

Following the loss of Fiander, White Swan committed three straight turnovers, all of which led to Royal touchdowns.

For the Knights, Jeff Jack utilized his short stay on the field with two rushing touchdowns on two carries for 49 yards. Jack blocked White Swan's first punt of the game and returned it for a touchdown and recovered a Cougar fumble for a 27-yard touchdown.

James Dykes caught two passes for 22 yards and a touchdown, while Ray Valle threw for 41 yards and rushed for 22 yards on two carries and two total touchdowns in the game.

Royal led 49-0 heading into the second quarter. Allred brought in a new backfield, changed the wide outs and started to pound the ball with the second unit.

Allred spread the wealth amongst the Knights, getting scores from seniors Brandon Hubbard and Evan Barajas, sophomore Bryan DeLay and freshman Hector Ledezma.

White Swan was shown mercy by the game clock as the Royal was threatening one last time in the fourth quarter with an inflated 77-0 score. Allred said it wasn't a concern to sit his starters for almost three quarters of the game.

The Knights will face Granger at home next Friday in a battle of the unbeatens. Allred said it will be a test against his rested starting offense and defense for control of the SCAC East.

"We just need to keep focusing," Allred said.