TACOMA — The first half of the 1A state championship game was one to forget for King’s.
However, led by junior running back Caleb Perry, things looked up for the Knights in the second half.
After trailing Royal 21-0 at halftime, Perry helped spark the King’s offense with 117 yards on 15 carries, as well as the Knights’ lone score, in a 28-7 loss to Royal Saturday afternoon at the Tacoma Dome.
“He’s a fireball, man,” King’s head coach Jim Shapiro said of Perry. “He put the team on his back like that and did a great job for us.”
Nine of Perry’s 17 carries went for first downs or a touchdown, with the score helping King’s (12-2 overall) pull to within 21-7 midway through the third quarter. The touchdown capped a 12-play, 72-yard drive that featured six runs by Perry.
Along with fellow junior running back Andrew Cline, who added 65 yards on 17 carries, Perry helped King’s control the ball in the second half.
“In the first half, we were actually running the ball pretty well,” Shapiro said. “We maybe threw the ball in certain areas that we shouldn’t have and turned the ball over. So to have Caleb — our plan was to come out and run in formations and give it to our playmakers, which are Caleb and Cline. … Cline’s playing like a warrior. The running game showed itself in that third quarter.”
The King’s defense, which features Perry at defensive back, also stepped up and didn’t allow a score in the final two quarters. Royal’s only second-half score came on an interception return for a touchdown by Joesph Lang.
The King’s defense was aided by its offense, which kept the high-powered Royal offense off the field. Royal (14-0) came into the game averaging 53 points per game but ran just 16 plays in the second half — with nine of those coming before Royal’s final drive of the game to run out the clock.
“We knew we were going to have to weather a storm at some point and they bailed us out the first half,” said Royal head coach Wiley Allred. “I don’t think we ran much more than six plays in the second half until the very end. At least we made them earn it. We didn’t give them any quick ones because they have a lot of speed.”
Several players return next season for King’s — which got the highest finish in program history with the second-place trophy — including Perry, Cline and lineman Taylor Schoenfeld.
King’s successful season also included a trip to the semifinals in the Tacoma Dome for the first time in seven tries after losing in the state quarterfinals in each of the past six seasons.
“It’s a breakthrough for us,” Shapiro said. “I think most high school football teams just dream of getting in the state tournament. As you know, our history, we’ve been in it. Now, to kind of get through our glass ceiling which is that quarterfinal, now we’re in the Dome. I know that this community has a taste for it, the kids have a taste for it, my hope is that it can be a building block for them.”
Wilkins honors Wright
Cooper Wright, a senior middle linebacker for King’s and the Cascade Conference’s defensive MVP, broke his ankle in the Knights’ quarterfinal game against Hoquiam.
King’s quarterback Koa Wilkins decided to honor his friend and fellow senior by wearing Wright’s No. 20 jersey in Saturday’s 1A state championship game. Wright, a captain for the game, wore Wilkins’ No. 7 jersey during Saturday’s contest.
“Koa wanted to honor his buddy by putting the jersey on,” Shapiro said. “I think that just shows the relationship these kids have with each other.”
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