Knights come alive after halftime to beat Bulldogs

ROYAL CITY — After trailing at the half, the Royal Knights (2-0) roared to a 28-17 win over the Cashmere Bulldogs Friday in a 1A state championship game rematch. Like last season, the Bulldogs gave Royal a fight to the finish. 

"I think our defense played the run game better," Head Coach Wiley Allred said. "Our starting middle linebacker Brayan Miron went out early, and we had to make some adjustments, move some kids around because Brayan's dynamic on defense. Offensively, I settled down as far as not calling so many different sets, and we just ran fewer things really, and started to run the ball a little more." 

While it was the Knights that scored first, a 10-0 run in the second quarter gave Cashmere a 10-7 lead at halftime. However, Royal settled into the game, reclaiming the lead in the third quarter 14-10. From there, the Knights added two more touchdowns in the fourth to build a 28-10 lead. A late touchdown by the Bulldogs was not enough to get a comeback campaign going, as Royal sealed the win at home. 

"I didn't throw the ball as good as I can, but we ran the ball good, and it was good to (respond) after the second half and just tell everyone keep believing and it turned out good," quarterback Grant Wardenaar said.  

Wardenaar completed 8 of 19 passing for 118 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Though he expects better of himself, he also sees a chance to use this game as an opportunity to grow. 

"It's just going to make me – when I go in practice, just think I'm playing Cashmere every game or the top team in the state, and just help me just like not think I'm playing scout defense, just the best team in the state," he said.  

Coming through big for the Knights was Jackson Flood, who carried the ball 10 times for 119 yards and two touchdowns. Flood brought a powerful run style to the Knights offense, often bulldozing defenders on his way to the endzone.  

" I like throwing people over, but I also like to juke them out – outrun them," Flood said.  

First half 

The Knights struck on their first drive of the game, after Wardenaar found Scout Stevenson wide open along the sideline for a 24-yard touchdown. It was a slow-paced game throughout the rest of the first quarter as both teams were feeling each other out.  

However, the Bulldogs gathered some momentum in the second quarter behind their run game. They leaned on this to move the ball downfield and into the endzone to tie the game 7-7. After forcing a Knights' three-and-out, the Bulldogs went right back down the field again. 

Despite bending so slightly, that was all the Knights defense would do as they held up and forced the Bulldogs to go for a field goal, which they converted and went into halftime with a 10-7 lead.  

"I said we were down by eight last year. We're down by three, and we haven't played very well," Allred said during the halftime break. "I said I know a lot of it's on me. I need to call a better game and let you guys run the ball, then we needed to get some stops on (defense), which we did." 

Second half 

Coming out of the half, the Knights struggled to get the pass game going, but the defense were rising to the occasion and forcing three-and-outs on Cashmere.  

Back on offense, Flood helped open up the Knights offense with gritty runs to move the chains. On their way downfield, Wardenaar stepped up to convert a fourth and eight with a pass to Manny Ruvalcaba. An additional penalty moved the Knights closer to the endzone, which they capitalized on with a rushing score by Dax Jenks to help them reclaim the lead 14-10 in the third quarter.  

Before the end of the third, the Knights defense was disrupting the Bulldogs offense constantly, eventually forcing a turnover on downs after they tried to convert a fourth down of their own.  

The Knights offense ran the clock down to zero in the third, setting them up with the ball to open the fourth. The Knights offense took full control of the game this quarter with back-to-back drives with Flood scoring a touchdown from 17 and 31 yards out respectively, giving them a 28-10 lead.  

In the final minutes of the game, the Bulldogs scored a touchdown off an initially well-defended 20-yard pass. However, it wasn't enough to mount a comeback, and Royal sealed the win on their next drive, draining the clock to zero once again. 

Though this game provided an early test for the Knights, they aren't overlooking the rest of their schedule, Allred said.  

"We still got a really good Zillah team coming up," the coach said. "We learned a lot about ourselves for one thing, and personnel-wise, and where we got to go. Gained confidence for some of those kids that haven't played a lot of ball." 

For Flood, the win also makes a statement that the Knights are every bit as good as they were in 2025. 

"It sends the message that Royals back, we're good again, and rest of the pressure's on the state, not us," Flood said. 

The Knights are back on the road next week when they face Wapato on Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. 

BOX SCORE: 

CSMR: 0-10-0-7: 17 

ROYL: 7-0-7-14: 28

    The Knights' Fischer Livingston (12) turns upfield after hauling in a pass from Grant Wardenaar Friday.
  

    Scout Stevenson (21) sprints across the goal line after catching a wide open pass along the sideline against Cashmere Friday.
  

    Jackson Flood (33) and Fischer Livingston (12) celebrate after defeating the Cashmere Bulldogs Friday.
  

    The Knights' Grant Wardenaar (7) makes a tackle in the backfield against Cashmere Friday.
  

    The Royal Knights student section brought the energy Friday night.