Royal rolls past Connell, set for 1A crossover playoff game against Naches Valley

Host Royal jumped out to a 22-0 halftime lead and was never threatened in the battle for first place, beating Connell 49-7 to win the 1A SCAC East title on Friday.

The Knights defense held Connell to just 144 total yards of offense. Royal’s offense rolled up 397 yards.

Lance Allred was once again the catalyst, going 14-for-20 passing for 310 yards and two TD passes. He also rushed 12 times for 31 yards and three more touchdowns.

Case Christensen caught 3 passes for 103 yards for Royal.

Defensively, linebackers Benson Jenks (13 tackles) and Jared Lee (12 tackles) led the Knights, who will play host to Naches Valley at 7 p.m. this coming Friday in an SCAC 1A crossover game to determine a state qualifier.

Connell was led by Jackson Forsyth, who rushed 17 times for 75 yards and a touchdown.

The Eagles finished second in the SCAC East division, and they’ll travel to play at La Salle at 7 p.m. Friday in another state-qualifying crossover game.

Wahluke, by virtue of its third-place finish in the standings, earns the East’s No. 3 seed and will battle for a 1A state berth at Toppenish at 7 p.m. Friday.

1A SCAC EAST

Royal 4-0 SCAC, 8-0 overall

Connell 3-1, 4-5

Wahluke 2-2, 3-6

College Place 1-3, 3-6

Kiona-Benton 0-4, 1-8

Friday, Oct. 27

College Place 44, Wapato 29

Royal 49, Connell 7

Wahluke 21, Kiona-Benton 6

Friday, Nov. 3

Non-league: College Place at Zillah, 7 p.m.

1A crossover: Connell at La Salle, 7 p.m.

Non-league: Kiona-Benton at Wapato, 7 p.m.

1A crossover: Naches Valley at Royal, 7 p.m.

1A crossover: Wahluke at Toppenish, 7 p.m.

4A CBBN

Rylee Gonzalez rushed for 196 yards and Ethan Avalos passed for 170 more yards as host Sunnyside routed Davis 34-12 last Thursday.

With the victory, the Grizzlies finish third in the Columbia Basin Big Nine standings and will play at Greater Spokane League champ Gonzaga Prep at 7 p.m. Friday for a chance at a 4A state berth.

Eastmont rolled over Moses Lake 35-7 on Friday in the battle of the unbeatens, giving the Wildcats the CBBN crown.

Eastmont will await the winner of Tuesday’s Richland-Central Valley, playing them at home Saturday for a chance at a state berth.

COLUMBIA BASIN BIG NINE

Eastmont 6-0 CBBN, 9-0 overall

Moses Lake 5-1, 8-1

Sunnyside 4-2, 5-4

Wenatchee 3-3, 4-5

Eisenhower 2-4, 3-6

West Valley-Yakima 1-5, 4-5

Davis 0-6, 2-7

Thursday, Oct. 26

Sunnyside 35, Davis 12

Friday, Oct. 27

Eisenhower 24, Cheney 7

Eastmont 35, Moses Lake 7

Wenatchee 23, West Valley-Yakima 21

Thursday, Nov. 2

Non-league: Davis at Hanford, 5 p.m.

Non-league: Mead at West Valley-Yakima, 6 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 3

4A playoff: Chiawana at Moses Lake, Lions Field, 7 p.m.

Non-league: Lewis & Clark at Eisenhower, 6 p.m.

4A playoff: Sunnyside at Gonzaga Prep, 7 p.m.

4A playoff: Wenatchee at Kamiakin, Lampson Stadium, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 4

4A playoff: CV-Richland winner at Eastmont, TBA

2A CWAC

Alex Mendez rushed 23 times for 350 yards and he scored 5 touchdowns to lead Othello over East Valley of Yakima 49-13 in a 2A Central Washington Athletic Conference game on Friday.

Because of that, and coupled with Ephrata’s win over Ellensburg, both Othello and Ephrata earn the CWAC’s two state playoff berths.

They will both have this week off.

Meanwhile, for the second straight year, Prosser failed to make the state playoffs.

The Mustangs rallied to beat Selah 20-13 on the road, as Kory McClure hit Havic Prieto on a game-winning 68-yard touchdown pass in the final minutes.

Prosser and Ellensburg will have non-league games this week to finish their seasons. But the must await their opponents — either Rogers-Spokane, Shadle Park or West Valley-Spokane — who have a mini-playoff set for Tuesday, Oct. 31.

2A CWAC

Othello 5-1 CWAC, 7-2 overall

Ephrata 5-1, 6-3

Prosser 4-2, 5-4

Ellensburg 3-3, 4-5

East Valley-Yakima 2-4, 5-4

Selah 2-4, 2-7

Grandview 0-6, 2-7

Friday, Oct. 27

Clarkston 56, Grandview 6

Ephrata 13, Ellensburg 0

Othello 49, East Valley-Yakima 13

Prosser 20, Selah 13

Thursday, Nov. 2

Non-league: Grandview at North Central, ONE Spokane Stadium, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 3

Non-league: East Valley-Spokane at East Valley-Yakima, 5 p.m.

Non-league: Selah at Pullman, 6 p.m.

Notes: Prosser and Ellensburg awaiting a Greater Spokane League mini playoff Tuesday night between West Valley-Spokane, Rogers-Spokane and Shadle Park before their opponents are determined.

Ephrata and Othello have qualified for 2A state and have byes this week.

2B EWAC East

River View, which clinched the 2B Eastern Washington Athletic Conference’s East Division title two weeks ago, rolled to a 50-13 non-league victory Friday over Liberty of Spangle.

Panthers quarterback Hyatt Clark passed for 227 yards and four touchdowns to help River View improve to 8-1 overall.

Trayce Teagle had 5 catches for 100 yards and a touchdown, as well as a 74-yard interception return for another score.

Nate Clinton added 8 tackles from his defensive end position, as well as returning an interception 15 yards for a touchdown.

River View will play Kittitas/Thorp at 7 p.m. this Friday in an EWAC crossover game for a state 2B berth.

Tri-Cities Prep defeated Columbia-Burbank 26-20 last Friday to determine the final two spots in the crossover playoffs.

The Jaguars, who opened the game with a fumble return for a touchdown and two TD runs by Henry Douglas, will play Cle Elum-Roslyn at Chiawana High at 7 p.m. Friday for a state berth.

Meanwhile, Burbank got 110 yards rushing and a touchdown from Elijah Kinsey, while Matthew Wilder scored on a 66-yard pass from Logan Beck.

The Coyotes will play for a state 2B berth at 7 p.m. Friday at Goldendale.

2B EWAC EAST

River View 4-0 EWAC, 8-1 overall

Tri-Cities Prep 3-1, 6-3

Columbia Burbank 2-2, 5-4

Warden 1-3, 3-6

Mabton 0-4, 0-8

Friday, Oct. 27

River View 50, Liberty-Spangle-Sprague 13

Tri-Cities Prep 26, Columbia Burbank 20

Warden 40, Mabton 0

Friday, Nov. 3

2B crossover: Cle Elum-Roslyn at Tri-Cities Prep, Chiawana High, 7:30 p.m.

2B crossover: Columbia-Burbank at Goldendale, 7 p.m.

Non-league: Highland at Mabton, 7 p.m.

2B crossover: Kittitas/Thorp at River View, 7 p.m.

Non-league: White Swan at Warden, 7 p.m.

1B Southeast

Charlie Branning scored seven touchdowns to help Richland’s Liberty Christian beat St. John-Endicott/Lacrosse 64-12 in 1B Southeast play on Friday.

The win moves the Patriots to 8-0 on the season.

Branning carried the football 19 times for an incredible 410 yards rushing, scoring five times on the ground.

He also caught three passes for 30 yards and one TD.

Finally, Branning scooped up a fumble and returned it 56 yards for another touchdown.

LC finished the regular season on the road at Tekoa-Rosalia, at 7 p.m. Friday.

SOUTHEAST 1B

Liberty Christian 8-0 SE 1B, 8-0 overall

Pomeroy 7-1, 8-1

Garfield-Palouse 6-2, 6-2

DeSales 6-2, 6-3

Touchet 5-4, 5-4

Sunnyside Christian 4-4, 4-4

Waitsburg 2-5, 2-5

Dayton 2-6, 2-6

Tekoa-Rosalia 1-5, 1-6

St. John-Endicott/Lacrosse 1-7, 1-8

Yakama Nation Tribal 0-6, 0-6

Friday, Oct. 27

DeSales 78, Dayton 6

Garfield-Palouse bye

Liberty Christian 64, St. John-Endicott/LaCrossse 12

Waitsburg bye

Yakama Nation Tribal bye

Saturday, Oct. 28

Pomeroy 62, Sunnyside Christian 0

Touchet 57, Tekoa-Rosalia 6

Friday, Nov. 3

Entiat at Touchet, 2 p.m.

Garfield-Palouse at Dayton, 7 p.m.

Liberty Christian at Tekoa-Rosalia, 7 p.m.

Pomeroy at Yakama Nation Tribal, 3 p.m.

St. John-Endicott/LaCrosse at Waitsburg, 7 p.m.

Sunnyside Christian at DeSales, 7 p.m.

Jeff Morrow is former sports editor for the Tri-City Herald.