Royal falls to Freeman in quarterfinals

MOSES LAKE - The Royal High School football season came to a close last Saturday, two weeks after many might have predicted, in the state 1A playoffs.

The Knights made it as far as the state quarterfinals before falling to the undefeated Freeman Scotties, 33-14. They finished their season with an 8-4 record.

It seemed that every fathomable momentum killer came into play for the Knights on Saturday. Ultimately, the fickle pendulum of momentum swung on big plays and untimely penalties.

The first quarter was a back and forth struggle for field position. After exchanging punts on each of the first two possessions, the Scotties pieced together a balanced drive and broke the ice on an 8-yard scoring run.

Royal returned fire on the third play of its ensuing drive when quarterback Kaden Jenks connected with receiver Jose Ponce for a 49-yard score. Ponce hauled in the pass near the Freeman 30-yard line and continued up the sideline and into the end zone while dragging a defender on his back for the final 10 yards.

Unfortunately, the scored remained even for mere seconds. Freeman returned the ensuing kickoff for a 97-yard score.

After yielding another score early in the second quarter, the Knights battled back in the closing seconds of the first half to draw within a touchdown. After a punt return to the Scottie 17 and a series of defensive penalties, Miguel Ayala bullied his way into the end zone from one yard out.

Ayala's touchdown would prove to be the final score of the Knights' season. Trailing, 27-14, in the third quarter, Royal's offense pushed the ball inside the Freeman 5 before turning it over on a heart-breaking fumble.

Royal was flagged nine times for a total of 83 yards, but the penalty yardage itself does not properly illuminate the impact. If statistics were kept at the high school level for the amount of yardage negated by penalties, the Knights would now likely hold a single-game record.

Unfortunately for the Knights, an inordinate number of their biggest offensive plays were marred by penalty flags, including a handful that would have yielded 25 yards or more.

The most egregious penalty was levied when a well-executed double pass from Chase Christensen to Ponce moved the ball into Scottie territory, covering approximately 35 yards. A single yellow marker along the Royal sideline spoiled the result.

Officials signaled a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct infraction for sideline interference. That resulted in a net loss of nearly 50 yards.

Despite these lamentable frustrations, the Knights walked away from the fray proudly. They ultimately turned a season of early frustrations into an effort of which players, coaches and the community can be proud.

Spiting a mid-season stretch of three losses in four games that would have been the unraveling of many teams, the Knights drew upon their pride, tradition, and preparation to win four of their final five contests.

The highlight was a redeeming triumph over the top-ranked Zillah Leopards that propelled the Knights into the state playoffs. It was a win which will become legend in Royal's vaunted football history.

Coach Wiley Allred extolled the effort and leadership of his seniors.

"They worked hard during their high school careers and got the most out of themselves," he said.

"They were a blast to coach, and their late-season success was no fluke," he added.

Allred pointed out seniors like Oscar Ramirez, Carter Allred, and others who put the greater good of the team in front of their own aspirations. He also said that the defensive-line effort of Collin Christensen over the second half of the season was some of the best that he has seen in his coaching career.