Royal football works on run game in 56-6 romp

Ted Escobar/The Sun Tribun Raynor Beierle and Ramses Gonzalez close in on a Warden ball carrier.

Ted Escobar/The Sun Tribune Royal’s Juan Niebla cuts up the field on one of his rushes with Jacob Joslin looking for a way to get between him and a Warden defender.

by Ted Escobar
| September 25, 2016 1:00 AM

Ted Escobar/The Sun Tribune Royals Juan Niebla cuts up the field on one of his rushes with Jacob Joslin looking for a way to get between him and a Warden defender.

ROYAL CITY – Warden concentrated its defensive effort on Royal’s passing game last Friday, so the Knights turned to their running game for a 56-6 SCAC East prep football victory.

Royal passed for only 123 yards on nine completions in 15 attempts by quarterback Kaden Jenks. He was intercepted once when he and his receiver read the defense differently and played different routes.

“Warden played an extreme version of pass defense, giving our offense the ability to run the ball,” coach Wiley Allred said. “They definitely gave Kaden a lot of respect.”

All of the scoring was done on the run. Sophomore tailback Alonzo Hernandez led the way with 103 yards on 11 rushes and two touchdowns.

“Our offensive line of (Tyler Dorsing, Juan (Kiko) Garcia, Raynor (Yetti) Beierle, Juan (Grinch) Hernandez, Rams Gonzalez and Isaac Ellis) was opening holes,” Allred said.

Junior Yovani Cruz scored twice on four rushes for 68 yards. Jenks also scored twice on the run. The seventh rushing touchdown came from Alex Contreras.

The eighth score, in the fourth period came on an “amazing” kickoff return after Warden got its lone score with a 78-yard pass play.

That pass allowed Warden to amass 119 total yards. The Cougars gained only eight rushing.

“Both the first and second defense swarmed to the ball,” Allred said.

Corbin Christensen led the receiving corps with four passes for 58 yards. Adrian Trinidad collected three for 34 yards. Juan Niebla and Isaac Ellis caught one pass each.

Ramses Gonzalez, Alonzo Hernandez and Ellis led the tackling with three stops each. Jenks, Juan Ojeda, Jack Diaz, Juan Garcia and Adrian Trinidad participated in two each. Raynor Beierle, C.J. Quintero, Cruz, Javier Martinez and Uriel Garcia were in on one tackle each.