ROYAL CITY - When this year's underclassmen and next fall's freshman return to school, they will find a new face in the Royal High principal's office.

After a comprehensive selection process for a new principal, the Royal School Board Friday appointed Pasco High Vice Principal Matthew Ellis.

"I am excited," Ellis said Friday.

This will be Ellis's first principalship. He has served one year in his current position at Pasco.

Ellis is a 2000 graduate of Prosser High School. He graduated from Oregon State University in 2005 with a bachelor of science in liberal studies and emphasis on history.

Ellis has a master of arts in teaching, secondary social studies, from Cumberlands University in Williamsburg, Kentucky. He received his initial principal certification from Washington State University Tri-Cities in 2012

"In the near future, we hope to have an open house so you can meet and welcome Matt into our district," Superintendent Rose Search said.

Ellis hopes to be known best as an educator, but he has an athletic past that should impress Royal Sports fans. He lettered twice in football and cross country at Prosser but was most successful in wrestling.

Ellis won the state championship at 168 pounds his junior year and 171 pounds his senior year in the 3-A classification. He was runner-up at 168 his sophomore year.

Ellis went on to Oregon State University, where he competed collegiately for three years. He won the Pac-10 title at his weight and competed at nationals all three years. He was the team captain all three years.

Ellis was the assistant wrestling coach at Grandview High School, where he had his first teaching job in social studies.

He was the head assistant coach at Stanford University and assistant coach at University of Cumberlands.