Royal Knights clinch another state playoff berth
Royal City 32, Goldendale-Klickitat 13; Granger 55, Warden 24
ROYAL — The Royal Knights punched their ticket for their ninth consecutive trip to the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) 1A football state tournament Friday night with a 31-13 win over the Goldendale-Klickitat.
Royal scored 19 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to break up a 13-13 tie to knock off the Timberwolves in the South Central Athletic Conference cross-divisional playoff qualifier.
Royal head coach Wiley Allred said his team performed well.
“They played tough,” he said. “The kids kept their heads up and played together.”
The Knights got on the scoreboard midway through the first quarter when senior quarterback Marc Albertson connected with junior running back Dylan Delay on a 24-yard touchdown pass to give Royal a 7-0 lead in front of the home crowd at David Nielsen Memorial Stadium.
Despite Royal’s early score, the Timberwolves responded.
Goldendale-Klickitat running back Torey Spaulding-Jimenez the Timberwolves down the field turf in the second quarter. Jimenez rushed for 74 yards on 17 carries Friday night, capping Goldendale-Klickitat’s second-quarter scoring drive with a six-yard rushing touchdown and the Timberwolves and Knights entered the half deadlocked at 7-7.
Royal opened the second half by taking their second lead of the contest when Delay scored his second touchdown of the night on a nine-yard touchdown run. The Knights were unable to convert the extra-point attempt and Royal led 13-7 heading into the fourth quarter.
“I thought the opening drive of the third quarter gave us some positive signs,” he said.
Royal’s second lead of the night was short-lived as Goldendale-Klickitat quarterback Tyrell Cronin led the Timberwolves down the field, throwing a seven-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver J.D. Moss early in the game’s final frame.
The Timberwolves missed their extra-point attempt and Royal and Goldendale-Klickitat found themselves tied for the third time, this time at 13-13.
“After getting tied up at 13-all, it felt like we would get something going,” he said.
After the Timberwolves scored to tie the game early in the fourth quarter, Albertson led Knights down the field and Royal took their third lead of the night.
Albertson took the snap from center on the Goldendale-Klickitat 29 yard line. Albertson read the Timberwolves defense and scampered his way through a host of Goldendale-Klickitat defenders for a 29-yard touchdown run and the Knight reclaimed the lead, a lead they would never relinquish.
The Timberwolves were unable to respond to Albertson’s touchdown run on their ensuing drive.
Royal stopped Goldendale-Klickitat on their next possession and Albertson threw his second touchdown pass of the night, a 22-yard throw to senior wide receiver Ben Singer, and the Knights led 25-13.
Goldendale-Klickitat tried to respond through the air, but Singer intercepted Cronin’s pass on the Timberwolves’ next possession. Singer snatched Cronin’s pass out of the air and returned it 32 yard for a touchdown and the Knight held on for a 32-13 victory at home to clinch another trip to the 1A state playoffs.
The Knights will travel to Chelan, Wash., this weekend where they will take on the Goats in the first round of the WIAA 1A state playoffs. The game time and date of Royal’s first round matchup with Chelan is yet to be determined.
“We are going to have a tough one with Chelan this week,” he said of his team‘s return trip to the playoffs. “We expected to be there. I thought we had a group of kids who could make something happen.”
Granger 55, Warden 24
GRANGER, Wash. — Warden senior quarterback Arturo Reyes threw for a score, ran for another and booted a 24-yard field goal, but it wouldn’t be enough to lift the Cougars to victory in their season finale Friday night.
While Reyes accounted for 17 of Warden’s 24 points, Granger senior running back Chase Carpenter rushed for 239 yards and six touchdowns to propel the Spartans past the Cougars.
Reyes kicked a 24-yard field goal in the first quarter following the first of Carpenter’s six touchdown runs and scored on a four-yard run in the second quarter, and Warden trailed 14-10.
Granger responded with a pair of touchdown runs and Granger took a 28-10 lead into the break.
The Cougars pulled within 28-17 when Reyes connected with Victor Flores on a 16-yard touchdown pass, but Granger responded with another Carpenter touchdown.
Gerino Luna scored on a four-yard run for the Cougars, but the Spartans scored the final two touchdowns Friday night and Granger dropped Warden to 2-8 on the season. Warden finished 0-6 in South Central Athletic Conference East Division play.