Excitement building for next season of Royal Knights Football

ROYAL CITY - About 100 Royal football fans got a sneak peek at the 2015 version of the Knights last Friday. There was a lot to like, and anticipation is building for the upcoming fall season.

The Knights spring football camp culminated with a jamboree-style scrimmage against the neighboring Quincy Jacks and left those in attendance longing for the fall season.

The Knights found the end zone with little resistance on their first series. Senior Sam Christensen capped off the first drive with a touchdown, catching pass on a deep crossing pattern from junior quarterback Kaden Jenks.

From there, the Royal defense took over and stifled the Quincy attack at every turn. The Royal defensive front pressured the ball in the backfield, whether run or pass, and kept the Jack offense from establishing any rhythm or finding the end zone the entire evening.

Jenks is one of many returning starters for the Knights. After a solid season last year, he has worked hard in the offseason to fine tune his footwork and mechanics and appears to have taken the next step in his evolution.

Jenks will be far and away the best quarterback in the league and quite possibly the entire 1A classification. His arm strength and touch allow him to rip passes through tight windows and deliver deep balls in stride to streaking receivers. His experience and understanding of the game will allow him to correctly decide between the two options on any given play.

Christensen returned to health last season in time to be a significant contributor in the playoff run at receiver and defensive back and looks prepared to be a force on both sides of the ball again in 2015. He will once again be complimented by senior standout receiver Jose Ponce. Juan Niebla, Carson Gilbert, and Steven Toro will also compete for time at receiver.

Although there are many returners from last season, not all of them will be in their familiar places. Senior Joe Lang will shift from receiver to running back, a position that he played extensively early in his career. Despite his tall and thin frame, he doesn't fear contact and can be difficult to corral on inside and outside runs.

Joining Lang in the backfield will likely be senior fullback Andy Villafana and Daniel Cuevas returns to provide quickness and burst from multiple skill positions.

Junior Sawyer Stakkeland will vie for snaps at tight end with senior Houston Miller and sophomore Isaac Ellis. Ellis recently relocated to Royal from Arizona where he got time at the varsity level as a freshman.

The Royal offensive front will be anchored by returners Hunter Follett and Salvador Cavazos. Hugo Ledezma and Tyler Dorsing are competing for time at center. In another position switch, senior Valente Cortez will switch from fullback to tackle.

"Valente has the ability to be all-league at both linebacker and offensive tackle." coach Wiley Allred said. "He is strong, has good leverage, and plays with a heightened aggression on every down."

In order for the Knights to have the season they expect, the Improvement of the offensive line will once again be key. The blockers will have to gel and mature as a unit in order to provide Jenks the time and windows that he needs. They need create lanes for the new-look ground attack that will take advantage of even the most narrow crease.

The Knights expect another championship-caliber season after winning the SCAC-East league title and advancing to the state quarterfinals last year.

"We have been expecting a state championship from ourselves since we began playing football in the Grid Kids program, and believe we have the pieces in place to make it happen this year," senior safety Carson Gilbert said.

The Knights will continue their preparation for the 2015 season by attending team camp at Eastern Washington University in Cheney on June 24-27.

They will have the opportunity to work on individual position drills as taught by the EWU players and coaching staff, team drills, and they will scrimmage extensively against schools of all sizes and classifications.