Top-ranked Royal battles Cashmere in one of WA’s best weekly football matchups

One of the bigger football games in the state’s small-school ranks happens this Friday when Royal visits Cashmere at 7 p.m.

The two teams are conference mates, now that Cashmere has joined the 1A South Central Athletic Conference this season — lending more credence as to the strength of this league.

Neither team has had any trouble winning games so far.

Both are 4-0.

Both have premier quarterbacks, two of the best in the state with Lance Allred at Royal and Rylan Hatmaker for Cashmere.

For Royal, Allred had 192 yards passing and four TD passes last Friday in a 49-21 win over Zillah. Receiver Shea Stevenson had 101 yards in receptions with four TDs.

It was the first time this season that the Knights weren’t able to go to the running clock.

Not a surprise, since Zillah’s program is also strong.

1A SCAC East: The Hansen’s helped lead Kiona-Benton to its second consecutive conference win last week, as the Bears beat Naches Valley 38-6 on the road. Senior quarterback Spencer Hansen was 14-for-24 passing for 252 yards and three touchdowns. He also had two interceptions on defense. Sophomore Cooper Hansen caught 9 passes for 164 yards. On defense, he led the Bears with 13 tackles.

▪ Head coach Scott Forsyth and his Connell Eagles picked up their first win of the season last Friday, beating College Place 42-7. Eagles QB Carson Lloyd had 212 passing yards with two TD strikes, as well as 77 yards rushing with a touchdown. Teammate Max Andersen caught two passes for 103 yards.

1A SCAC football standings

Cashmere 4-0 SCAC, 4-0 overall

Royal 4-0, 4-0

Zillah 3-1, 3-1

Kiona-Benton 2-2, 2-2

Wahluke 2-2, 2-2

Connell 1-2, 1-3

College Place 0-3, 1-3

Naches Valley 0-4, 0-4

Wapato 0-4, 0-4

Last week’s scores

Cashmere 45, Wahluke 0

Connell 42, College Place 7

Kiona-Benton 38, Naches Valley 6

Quincy 24, Wapato 12

Royal 49, Zillah 21

Friday, Oct. 4

College Place at Wapato, 7 p.m.

Kiona-Benton at Zillah, 7 p.m.

Naches Valley at Connell, 7 p.m.

Royal at Cashmere, 7 p.m.

Wahluke at Granger, 7 p.m.

2A CWAC: Jacob Rainer tossed a touchdown pass and ran for two more to lead Prosser over Grandview 29-13 last week.

▪ This week’s top matchup seems to be East Valley at Othello (7 p.m., Friday) with the teams having a combined won-los record of 7-1.

2A CWAC football standings

Toppenish 4-0 CWAC, 4-0 overall

Othello 3-0, 4-0

Ephrata 3-1, 3-1

East Valley-Yakima 2-1, 3-1

Selah 2-1, 2-2

Prosser 2-2, 2-2

Quincy 0-3, 1-3

Ellensburg 0-4, 0-4

Grandview 0-4, 0-4

Last week’s scores

East Valley-Yakima 40, Ephrata 7

Othello 10, Selah 3

Prosser 29, Grandview 13

Quincy 24, Wapato 12

Toppenish 7, Ellensburg 3

Friday, Oct. 4

Davis at Ephrata, 7 p.m.

East Valley-Yakima at Othello, 7 p.m.

Grandview at Ellensburg, 7 p.m.

Quincy at Prosser, 7 p.m.

Selah at Toppenish, 7 p.m.

2B EWAC: Columbia-Burbank and Tri-Cities Prep got going in 2B EWAC East play last week with victories. Burbank shut out visiting Warden 24-0, while Prep did the same at Granger — winning 43-0.

Now the two teams meet at 7 p.m., Friday, at Chiawana High School in what could be a battle for the inside track to the division title.

2B EWAC East

Tri-Cities Prep 1-0 EWAC, 2-2 overall

Columbia-Burbank 1-0, 1-3

River View 0-0, 0-4

Granger 0-1, 3-1

Warden 0-1, 3-1

Last week’s scores

Columbia-Burbank 24, Warden 0

Okanogan 61, River View 0

Tri-Cities Prep 43, Granger 0

Friday, Oct. 4

Columbia-Burbank vs. Tri-Cities Prep at Chiawana High, 7 p.m.

River View at Warden, 7 p.m.

Wahluke at Granger, 7 p.m.

SOUTHEAST 1B: Liberty Christian — the No. 1 team in the state — continued its winning ways last week with an 82-0 win over Sunnyside Christian. Joey Isley caught 4 passes for 106 yards and four touchdowns. Perry Pottle passed for 197 yards for the Patriots, including those four TD passes to Isley.

Southeast 1B Grape Division

DeSales 1-0 SE1B, 4-0 overall

Liberty Christian 1-0, 4-0

Mabton 1-0, 2-1

Sunnyside Christian 0-1, 2-2

Yakama Tribal 0-1, 0-3

Touchet 0-1, 0-4

Last week’s scores

DeSales 64, Yakama Nation Tribal 8

Liberty Christian 82, Sunnyside Christian 0

Mabton 50, Touchet 8

Friday, Oct. 4

Mabton at Liberty Christian, Kamiakin High, 7 p.m.

Sunnyside Christian at Yakama Nation Tribal, 4 p.m.

Touchet at DeSales, 7 p.m.