Knights' Homecoming a sweet one in rout of River View

Royal faces Kiona-Benton on Thursday in key SCAC game

ROYAL CITY - After struggling to a scoreless tie through one quarter in last Friday's Homecoming contest, the Royal football team decided to get back to basics.

"We decided to run the ball after the first quarter," Knights head coach Wiley Allred said. "Once we just established the run and got after it, things worked out a lot better."

Allred was putting it mildly. Royal's rushing attack generated 245 yards and the Knights obliterated the River View Panthers 66-6 in a South Central Athletic Conference contest at David Nielsen Memorial Field.

The victory kept the Knights (8-1 overall, 6-1 SCAC) in line for the conference's No. 2 seed to state, a position they'll have a chance to cement in Thursday's regular-season finale at Kiona-Benton.

Royal quarterback Austin Allred was intercepted twice in the first 14 minutes, but settled down to play a solid game. The senior completed 7 of 13 throws for 135 yards and three scores.

Meanwhile, Royal's defense was just as impressive. The Knights limited the Panthers to 101 yards of total offense, recovered four fumbles, and completely destroyed River View's running attack - Mike Ledgerwood had 38 yards on seven carries and leading rusher Levi Davis managed only 30 on 12 touches.

"Levi Davis averages over 10 yards a carry," Wiley Allred said. That's the guy that's been busting big plays. Our goal was to shut Levi down to as little as possible and then defend the trap for Ledgerwood.

"I thought the kids did a really good job with Davis," he added. "They gutted us a little when they got in the one-back set in the first half, but we took care of that, I think, in the second half."

The first quarter was a punt-filled affair, and River View (6-3, 3-3) got a Cody Wilson interception to thwart a Royal drive early in the second period. But the Knights quickly forced a punt, and Blair Collins beat several defenders down the left sideline for a 44-yard touchdown.

Hector Ledezma, who finished with a team-high 131 yards on 13 carries, got things going on Royal's next series. He barreled through the middle for 20 yards, raced around the right side for 33 yards, then finished the five-play drive with 3-yard score.

Jace Christensen's third-down sack of Panther quarterback Kyle Gier gave the Knights another chance to score in the half's final minute. Cash Brown nearly returned the ensuing punt to the end zone, but after being tripped up at the Panther 25, scored one play later when Austin Allred found him on a deep pass down the left side.

Trailing 21-0 at the break and desperate for some momentum, the Panthers recovered an onside kick to begin the second half. They reached Royal's 35, but Victor Hernandez pressured Gier on fourth-and-8, forcing an incompletion and a turnover on downs.

Gier was harried the whole night, finishing 4 of 15 for 33 yards and an interception.

The Knights increased their lead to 27-0 on a seven-play, 65-yard march. Dexter Allred, who just returned from an injury, started the drive with a 23-yard run. Austin Allred finished it, rolling to his right and hitting Cash Brown on a 13-yard play.

Dexter Allred's return means more depth for Royal's backfield and, more importantly, leadership in the linebacker corps.

"He puts people in the right place and he just reads real well," Wiley Allred said. "We have 11 guys doing a good job out there."

Taynor Weber's fumble recovery on River View's next series allowed Hector Ledezma to score his second TD off a draw play from 15 yards out. Angel Ledezma pounced on a loose ball moments later, and Royal immediately took advantage as Colt Brown took the ball on a reverse and hit Zach Lewis on a 35-yard pass play.

The Knights marched 79 yards to end the quarter and upped their lead to 47-0 as Austin Allred hit Colt Brown on a corner route, and Brown made a beautiful cutback run to complete a 47-yard scoring play.

Royal's second- and third-stringers added three more touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Connor Paysse and Collins combined on a 59-yard TD pass, Jordan Delay capped a 50-yard drive with a 3-yard run, and Ben Singer returned an interception 30 yards.

The only bright spot for the Panthers was avoiding the shutout, which happened when Davis scored on a 65-yard kickoff return with 27 seconds left.

Despite the lopsided final score, Royal's coach said River View prepared his players for what they'll face over the next two weeks.

"I thought River View did an awesome job of coming out and playing hard-nosed football and executing their offense real well," Wiley Allred said. "We were fortunate to get some turnovers."

Thursday's game at Kiona-Benton (8-1, 6-1) will be a challenge for the Knights on at least two levels. Royal gets one less day of rest, and the Bears feature a high-powered passing attack led by quarterback Anthony Pace, who threw for 320 yards in their latest win over Wahluke.

"They throw the ball really well and it'll be a totally different type of game," Wiley Allred said. "It's a quick turnaround. We're playing for second right now and establishing our playoff position."