Royal bops Burbank

ROYAL CITY – Royal High scored early and often last Friday in a 70-7 football triumph over Burbank at Nielsen Stadium to claim the South Central A Conference crown with a 5-0 slate.

Junior quarterback Kaden Jenks passed for four touchdowns, and Joe Lang had three touchdowns on the ground to smother the Coyotes, 63-0, at the half.

Wide receiver-defensive back Jose Ponce had a 21-point night on one receiving touchdown, one interception return and a perfect nine extra point kicks.

Royal plays at home again this Friday against Cascade of Leavenworth. It’s difficult to know how much of a contest it will be. Cascade has won a couple of games but has been pounded in some of its six losses

The Knights should be fired up for the game. They will be playing non-league contest in front of homecoming crowd

Ponce started the scoring onslaught on Royal’s second play of the game, connecting with Jenks on a 29-yard passing play. The game was under control, 28-0, by the end of the quarter, and it was decided by halftime, 63-0.

The second half was all reserves for the Knights, and they tied the Burbank varsity, 7-7. Burbank averted a shutout when Cameron Jamison ran seven yards for a touchdown late in the game, and Alexis Magallon added the extra point.

Again Lang was unable to play enough to amass 100 yards rushing. He gained 75 yards on only three carries.

Junior Danny Cuevas was the leading rusher with 82 yards on four carries. Reserve quarterbacks completed 4-6 passes in the second half for 36 yards and no interceptions.

Royal produced a total offense of 434 yards, with 284 on the ground. It held Burbank to 90 total yards. Carson Gilbert recovered a Burbank fumble, and Ponce had the touchdown interception.

Royal did not fumble or throw an interception. The only challenge for the evening was penalties. The Knights incurred nine for 84 yards.

The Royal defense was led by linebacker Valente Cortez with four solo tackles and two assists and defensive back Gilbert with four tackles.

Joe Lang had three tackles, one interception, Juan Garcia had 2-2, Victor Villanueva 2-0, Ramses Gonzalez 2-0, and Hunter Follett, Sawyer Stakkeland, Jenks, Steven Toro, Sam Christensen, Jonathan Guadarrama had one tackle each.

Stakkeland had three assists and Follett, Jenks, Sam Christensen, Raynor Beierle, Randy Dunn and Alexis Ramos had one each.

The Scoring summary for the Knights was:

1st quarter

7-0 – Jose Ponce 29 pass from Kaden Jenks (Ponce kick)

14-0 – Joe Lang 62 run (Ponce kick)

21-0 – Lang 8 pass from Jenks (Ponce kick)

28-0 – Lang 24 pass from Jenks (Ponce kick)

2nd quarter

35-0 – Ponce 43 interception return (Ponce kick)

42-0 – Danny Cuevas 10 run (Ponce kick)

49-0 – Sam Christensen 61 punt return (Ponce kick)

56-0 – Cuevas 45 run (Ponce kick)

63-0 – Randy Dunn 19 pass from Jenks (Ponce kick)

4th quarter

70-7 – Isaac Ellis 1 run (Jose Becerra kick)

The offensive stats were:

Rushing: Cuevas, 4-82; Lang, 3-75; Juan Niebla, 2-57; Ellis 4-31; Garcia 2-11; Dias 1-6; Cruz 2-2.

Passing: K. Jenks 8-11-0-114, Niebla 3-4-0-26, S. Jenks 1-2-0-10.

Receiving: S.Christensen 2-35, Ponce 1-29, Lang 3-24, Dunn 1-19, Ellis 1-16, Ramos 2-16, G.Christensen 1-10, Quintero 1-1.