The Royal Knights Head Coach Farrah Wardenaar, kneeling in black, gives her team feedback during a timeout earlier this season.
March 9, 2026
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Knights optimistic for future after third place finish at state
ROYAL CITY — The Royal Knights (23-5) wrapped their season with a historic run to the 1A state semifinals and third-place finish, the first time they’ve appeared in the tournament since 2001. “I'm thrilled with this season,” Head Coach Farrah Wardenaar said. “We set some goals, and one of them was to get to the SunDome. To do it and then get third place, it was almost unattainable, but (we’re) so happy that we stayed focused. When we went to Tacoma and beat Annie Wright, I think it was like a light switch for our girls, like we can compete with these guys, and the momentum kept going from there.”