Royal pounds visiting Coyotes

Knights 48, Coyotes 7

ROYAL CITY — The Royal Knights football team improved to 9-0 on the season following Friday night's 48-7 win over the Columbia-Burbank Coyotes.

The Knights scored 28 first-quarter points on their way to the South Central Athletic Conference East-Division victory.

Royal head football coach Wiley Allred said his team played well Friday night.

"It was probably our sharpest game offensively of the year," he said. "We got out and scored on our second play of the game."

The first Royal touchdown of the night came on the game's second snap when Ben Singer caught a 59-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Connor Paysse and gave the league champion Knights a 7-0 lead early in the game.

After the Royal defense forced a Coyotes punt, senior Blair Collins fielded the kick and returned it 55 yards for a Royal touchdown and a 14-0 lead.

Collins' punt return was his sixth return for a touchdown this season and the seventh in his career at Royal High School.

Collins is a threat to the opposition when he has possession of the football, Allred said.

"He set a state record," he said. "He is a dangerous player any time he touches the ball."

On Royal's next possession Collins scored his second touchdown of the first quarter when he took the hand off from Paysse and ran 34 yards into the end zone for a 21-0 lead.

Collins wasn't finished in the first quarter when he gave Royal a 28-0 first quarter lead when he hauled in a 57-yard touchdown pass from Paysse.

The Knights took a 28-0 lead into the second quarter and they continued to pour it on when Will Christensen scored on an 8-yard touchdown run for a 35-0 Royal advantage.

Royal took a 42-0 lead into halftime when Paysse threw his third touchdown pass of the night, connecting with Marc Alberston from 8-yards out.

With Royal dominating the first half, Allred said he was impressed with his senior quarterback.

"He was pretty efficient and that's what we like to see," Allred said of Paysse. "He is getting more confident."

Paysse finished the night seven of eight passing for 158 yards and three touchdowns.

The Knights went into the third quarter with a 42-0 lead when Collins scored his fourth and final touchdown of the night.

The Royal defense forced another punt and Collins fielded the ball on Royal's 40-yard line.

Collins returned the kick for his second punt return touchdown of the night.

The score was Collins' seventh punt return for a touchdown of the season and moved him into second place in the national high school record books. Collins also ranks sixth nationally with eight punt returns for touchdowns in his career.

Allred said his defense stepped it up Friday night and shut down the Coyotes' running game.

"Jace Christensen and the defensive line controlled the line of scrimmage," he said. "We held their leading rusher (Seth Shelton), who was all-conference last year to minus 11-yards rushing on 15 carries."

The Coyotes would get on the board late in the game to deny Royal the shut out.

Royal will host Goldendale Friday night in a play-in game to qualify for the state tournament and Allred said his team must be prepared.

"If you don't play well, the loser stays home and you're done," he said. "We have to protect the football and play hard every down. The teams now are going to play hard for four quarters and we have to do the same."