Royal Knights pass third test in 28-21 barn-burner

ROYAL CITY – Defending 1A state champ Royal passed the third big test of this football season at Connell last Friday, edging Connell, 28-21.

The Knights are 7-0 for the year and 5-0 in the SCAC East. They have won 21 straight games, dating back to the start of the 2015 season.

Royal will finish the regular season with Burbank at home this Friday and River View on the road a week later.

Last Friday, the Knights proved they have a team beyond quarterback Kaden Jenks and wide receiver Corbin Christensen. While those two struggled in the first half, the defense was superb, keeping Connell in check.

Sophomore linebacker Alonso Hernandez had a career night with nine solo tackles and four assists. Senior linebacker Jonnhifer Garcia made seven solos and had two assists, and junior linebacker Isaac Ellis made five solos and four assists.

“Alonso, Jhonnifer and Isaac Ellis were stellar, rarely missing assignments or tackles,” coach Wiley Allred said. “They played aggressively against the run.”

Jenks was not himself in the first half. He completed only three of 13 passes. Christensen also started slowly, dropping two sure long scoring passes in the first half.

But in the fourth quarter, Jenks and Christensen became the victory’s heroes. Jenks upped his game to 5-8 passing after intermission.

The game turned with about 11 minutes left and Connell leading 14-13. Defensive back Juan Ojeda batted down a Hawkins pass that would have scored. Juan Niebla then returned a Connell punt 33 yards to the Connell 46-yard line.

“Juan was in great position and made the play on the ball,” Allred said.

On the next play, Jenks found Christensen down the right sideline for a score. Then he ran around left end for a 2-point conversion and a 21-14 lead with 10:36 left in the game.

The Knights stopped Connell cold on its next possession. After a punt, Jenks and Christensen connected again for 65 yards.

A defender tripped Christensen at the 5, but the speeding Christensen stayed in the air long enough to stretch his arm and break the plane of the goal.

“Kaden and Corbin exemplified our team in the fourth quarter with poise under pressure,” Allred said.

Then Connell came back. Taking the ball at their 33, the Eagles drove to a score with 4:21 left. Hawkins connected with tight end Steven Kroontje from nine yards.

All the Knights had to do was run out the clock, but a false start derailed that plan. On the next play, a Jenks pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage and intercepted at the Royal 32.

With about three minutes left, Connell launched what looked like the tying drive. A face mask penalty and two plays moved the ball to the 12.

Hawkins rolled right on the next play, and Royal linemen put enough pressure on him to cause the high throw Christensen intercepted.

“Our quick defensive line of Juan “Grinch” Hernandez, Adrian Trinidad, Rams Gonzalez, and Juan “Kiko” Garcia were keys to our defense as well.” Allred said.

Starting at the Connell 47, Jenks took matters into his own hands (feet). He ran twice for first downs at the 32 and 21. Then he kneeled twice to run out the clock.

The game started eerily for the Knights. They were stopping Connell’s first drive with a gang tackle, but a face mask penalty gave the Eagles a first down at the Connell 45. The Eagles got another first down at the Royal 34 when the officials called an incomplete pass complete.

On its next possession, Connell drove from its 46 to the Royal 21. On first down, Ellis stopped Jaxs Whitby for a one-yard loss, killing that drive.

Royal broke the scoring ice with 3:10 left in the half. From the 26, Jenks found Niebla on the left side of the field at the 10, and Niebla raced around a pair of defenders and fought through a tackle to put the ball just over the line.

In two plays on its next possession, Connell scored on a 56-yard pass from Hawkins to Caleb Price to tie the score before halftime.

In the third quarter, Jenkins found Niebla on the left side with 45-yard pass to the Connell 17. A pass to Adrian Trinidad moved the ball to the 5. With three bull runs, Jenks scored from the one. But the extra point was missed.

As they had done in the first half, the Eagles responded on their next possession. In seven plays and three first downs, they drove to the end zone and their lone lead, 14-13, on a Jaxs Whitby three-yard run.

Jenks finished the game with 8-21-1 passing for 226 yards and three touchdowns. Hawkins went 20-34 for 242 yards, but he was intercepted twice and sacked twice.

Connell, which outplayed Royal in the first half, finished with 73 plays to 51, 375 total yards to 301. It had 19 first downs to 12 and converted all three of its fourth down attempts.

But Royal had Jenks and Christensen, who demonstrated the value of their leadership in the second half. Behind them, the Knights finished strong.

Christensen delivered when it mattered. He caught three passes for 113 yards, and two of them were for scores.

Jenks was strong on defense also. He had five solo tackles and four assists.

Christensen and Niebla had three solos each, Juan Hernandez had two, Ramses Gonzalez had five assists, and Trinidad, Sawyer Stakkeland, Adrian Banda and Juan Garcia had one solo each.