The Kent-Meridian High football team needed this one.
Mount Rainier? Not so much.
Kent-Meridian quarterback David Jones rushed for six touchdowns and added a seventh through the air, leading the Royals past the Rams 64-0 on Friday night at French Field in a South Puget Sound League North Division game.
“We needed a really good game out of our offense. I preached to (my teammates) about tempo last night and told them just to have fun out there,” said Jones, who completed 8 of 9 passes for 97 yards and rushed for 144 yards on eight carries. “This win means a lot to us. Now we’re going to try and build off of it and come back next week with another win.”
Jones came within one rushing touchdown of tying the SPSL record of seven, which was established by Federal Way’s Trenton Pinson last year. Jones sat out the fourth quarter and, as such, didn’t have the opportunity to tie or break the record.
It was the first SPSL North win for new Kent-Meridian coach Brett Allen, who opened the season with a 37-28 nonleague victory over Foss.
“It was big to get our confidence back,” said Allen, whose team lost to Kentridge last week, 30-7. “The kids needed a little boost. They needed to know that they can play at this level.”
The Royals certainly played at that level – and beyond – Friday night, scoring on all 10 of their possessions. Kent-Meridian (1-2 in league, 2-2 overall) racked up 460 yards of total offense – 363 on the ground and 97 through the air. In addition, they needed five or fewer plays to score on 9 of their 10 scoring drives. The Royals will try and continue the momentum on Oct. 1, when they play at Thomas Jefferson (1-3, 1-3).
The night proved to be another tough pill to swallow for first-year Mount Rainier coach Terry Green and the Rams (0-4, 0-4).
“Keep fighting. There’s not really too much else to (tell them), but keep fighting,” the coach said. “I want them to go out and get better every day.”
Friday night, however, it was tough for a depleted Mount Rainier team to improve. The Rams entered the game undermanned as a handful of starters had to sit out after taking part in a fight against Kentlake last week.
In addition, Mount Rainier entered the season already in a bit of disarray as former coach Chris Paulson moved on to Kentlake in April, yet Green wasn’t named his successor until Aug. 16 – four months later – just two days before practices were slated to begin. In light of that, Mount Rainier players did not take part in any spring practices or summer workouts. Compounding matters for the Rams is the fact that they moved this year from the Class 3A Seamount League to the much more difficult Class 4A SPSL North.
As a result, Mount Rainier has taken a beating on the scoreboard, falling to league powers Kentwood (69-0), Auburn (66-0) and Kentlake (67-0) in its first three games.
“To be honest about it, before the year started we were down seven starters,” Green said. “Then we come into this game down five more from the altercation (against Kentlake) last week because we got in a fight. We lost out cornerback, our starting running back, our starting guard, our starting outside linebacker and a defensive end. They all play both ways.
“But the kids still come out and fight. And that’s the bottom line.”
On the other end of the spectrum Friday night, however, was Kent-Meridian, a program that has traditionally been the one that has taken the beatings in the North.
This time, however, it was the Royals’ turn. And they wasted little time getting started.
Jones began the onslaught with a 17-yard touchdown run on K-M’s sixth play from scrimmage. The touchdown began a 20-point first quarter for the Royals, a 12-minute spree that included three scoring runs from Jones (the other two coming from 10 yards and 1-yard out).
K-M running back B.J. Phillips got into the mix in the second, splitting the Mount Rainier defense for a 56-yard score. Phillips finished with 153 yards and the touchdown on seven carries. Jones added a 50-yard touchdown run in the second, then found Davontae Bradley for a 35-yard passing score as the Royals went into the half leading 38-0.
Jones added two more scores in the third quarter (13 and 42-yard runs). Patrick Sanders (34-yard run) and Logan Hawkins (8-yard run) rounded out the scoring for K-M.
Overshadowed by all the offense was a solid defensive performance by the Royals. K-M held the Rams to 28 yards of total offense and just three first downs.
As good of night as Jones had, he also showed compassion for what the Rams are going through.
“I know how it feels,” Jones said. “I was in those same shoes when I was a sophomore and junior. I know how it feels, and I wish them the best of luck in their next game.”
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