ROYAL – On Thursday, the Knights (9-0) football squad followed up the soccer game prior to it with a 76-0 win over the Wapato Wolves. Head coach Wiley Allred said his players did their jobs to finish the regular season undefeated. 

“It was one of those games where it's a bit of a mismatch,” Allred said. “I thought our boys played well and focused on what we needed to do and shut down their offense. We got some pretty good athletes that can get up and down the field pretty well, so it ended up lopsided early.”

The Knights’ offense was efficient from the start. In the first quarter, they jumped out to a 28-0 lead over the Wolves. Quarterback Grant Wardenaar had a 27-yard passing touchdown to Dax Jenks and an 18-yard touchdown pass to Bryan Larsen. Jenks also broke loose for a 51-yard touchdown run.

The Knights’ offense got creative with their playcalling for their fourth score of the game. Wardenaar tossed the ball to the right to Armando Rojas, who stopped behind the line of scrimmage and launched the ball downfield to Anderson Brown for a 57-yard touchdown pass. Allred said the idea to give Rojas a chance to toss the rock came from watching him in practice.

“As I watched him warm up and punt and kick and throw and catch, he can do anything and do it well, I thought, what a better time than on senior night. He's a great athlete; for four years, we've always debated where to play him. He's been a great teammate, and it's fun for us,” Allred said.

The Knights piled on the points in the second quarter. The offense saw touchdown runs by Brody Bishop, Shea Stevenson, Jackson Flood and Aven Rodriguez. Add another touchdown catch and a pick-six from Brown; the Knights put up 40 points to take a 68-0 lead at halftime.

The Knights' offense seemed to operate like a well-oiled machine that found the endzone so often it looked effortless. Allred said their efficient offense starts with the players who plug up the trenches. Abel Garcia, Rolando Cedillo, Logan Piper, Orlando Santillan and Jose Gonzalez make up the Royal offensive line.

“We got some strong kids, and we've had plenty of battles with Cashmere and other teams running the football some and protecting the quarterback, but they're a strong group and communicate,” Allred said.   

Allred also complimented Wadenaar's growth over the course of the season. 

“He's worked on his footwork and timing of throws, and he's doing really well. He's a great athlete; he's got a calm demeanor and makes good decisions,” he said.

In the second half, the Knights' depth got some playing time to finish the game. In the fourth quarter, they recorded a safety, and Stratton Yorgenson scored a touchdown on a 10-yard run play.   

After the win, Allred still has some small things he’ll want to continue working with his players. On defense, he pointed out linebacker reads and players getting off blocks at the line of scrimmage as some minor things he’d like to see improve. On offense, the Knights will aim to continue improving their blocking and create more sustained blocks up front.   

“It's just some of the same things every week. We see those challenges even against teams like this, and we need to focus on the areas we’d like to get better,” he said.   

With the regular season officially over for the Knights, Allred said the team has grown close throughout the season. He said the trust they have built amongst each other could benefit them in the postseason. With the level of reps the Knights’ depth players have gotten this season, Allred said he is confident any player is ready to step in at a given moment.   

As they prepare for the district tournament next weekend and ideally a state tournament appearance, Allred said the most important thing the Knights are focused on is staying healthy. He said keeping players focused on the task at hand and limiting distractions will pay dividends for them.   

Allred said the Knights will come prepared to respond to whatever their opponents throw at them.   

“We're going to have to be a little bit creative, I think, imposing our will is important in these playoff games. Some games, we need to run the ball more, and some games will need to throw the ball more. We just want to be able to do what we need to do to be successful,” Allred said.   

The Knights are going to make the most of the time they have left in the season, Allred said.  

“We're hoping just to play free and fearless and make the most of what's left,” he said.  

At the time of press, the opponents for the Royal Knights in the 1A district tournament have not been announced. An updated postseason schedule will be made available in the paper as more information becomes available.   

BOX SCORE:   

ROYL: 28-40-0-8: 76
WPTO: 0-0-0-0: 0   

    The Knights and Wapato trenches line up for the next play of the game on Thursday. The Knights finished with 458 yards of total offense.
  

    Dax Jenks (6) and Bryan Larsen (5) tackle a Wapato ball carrier in the backfield during their game on Thursday.
  

    The Knights’ Brody Bishop (24) runs toward the Wapato backfield to get after the quarterback.
  

    Anderson Brown (14) slips a tackle from a Wapato defender. Brown caught the pass from lineman Armando Rojas and took it in for a 57-yard touchdown.