State 1A football: Lakeside’s historic season comes to bitter end; Royal wins seventh title in last eight

SEATTLE – Lakeside football had an historic season, reaching the state title game for the first time in school history. But the task could not have been more daunting.

The State 1A championship game on Friday featured virtual royalty in the sport against a complete newcomer to the rarefied air of a state title game.

Everybody loves an underdog story, but sometimes David doesn’t slay Goliath.

All-state quarterback, junior Lance Allred, rushed for three touchdowns, threw for three more and had two interceptions and the top-seeded Royal Knights won their 12th state title, beating Northeast A champion and second-seeded Lakeside 49-7 at Husky Stadium on the campus of the University of Washington .

Allred rushed for 169 yards on 23 carries and completed 12 of 16 passes for 182 yards. Royal outgained Lakeside 442-179.

“Hats off to Royal, they’re an unbelievable program,” Lakeside coach Devin Bauer said. “Everybody knows who they are, you know, but our guys had a fantastic season. The grit, the fight. I think they showed that today. It could have been easy to come out and just roll over and quit, but they didn’t.”

Lakeside quarterback Calvin Mikkelsen completed 13 of 32 passes for 135 yards with a touchdown pass and three interceptions. The Eagles’ Hiro Patterson caught six passes for 33 yards and a score and rushed six times for 34 yards.

“It’s been a hell of a season, furthest we’ve ever been,” Mikkelsen said. “Not the way we wanted it to go today, but the boys never quit, and we left it all out there.”

“It’s been a ride and frankly I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else,” Patterson said.

“I couldn’t be more proud of them,” Bauer said of seniors Mikkelsen and Patterson. “I can’t think of a better place for (their high school career) to end. They earned everything they got.”

The Knights (13-0) have won seven of the past eight state championships. Coach Wiley Allred won his 11th title since taking over the program in 1999.

Royal did not give up a point in its three state playoff games leading to the title game. It beat No. 16 Eatonville 50-0 in the first round, No. 9 Omak 49-0 in its quarterfinal and No. 12 Seton Catholic 42-0 in a semifinal.

The Knights allowed only eight touchdowns all season, including the one in the championship game.

“They’re really well coached. Strong. They get after it,” Mikkelsen said. “We knew it was gonna be a tough matchup and they just got the upper hand today. They played a great game.”

The Eagles completed their best finish in school history, helped by a 24-20 win over Freeman in a state quarterfinal game after losing in that round the past two seasons.

“It was just great finally able to get over that hump,” Patterson said. “That quarterfinal was always, always looming over us. We knew this year we kind of had to lock in and break the streak. And you know, against Freeman, so that felt even sweeter.”

After Lakeside went three-and-out in its first possession, Royal took over at its 42. Two long Allred scrambles on third down put the Knights deep in Lakeside territory. On first down at the 12, Allred took a designed keeper off the right side for a touchdown and 7-0 lead.

The Eagles punted on each of their three drives in the first quarter.

On its first possession of the second quarter, Lakeside tried a fake punt at midfield, but Noah Hamilton’s pass was knocked down by a defender. On the next play, Allred hit Jackson Larsen for 35 yards to the Eagles’ 17. Four plays later, Allred barreled in from 3 yards and it was 14-0.

Luke Pedersen intercepted an Allred pass on the next drive, but he fumbled on the return and Royal recovered at the Lakeside 34. Provided another opportunity, Allred tucked it up and went 36 yards for a touchdown and 21-0 lead with 1:44 left in the half.

On the next series, Mikkelsen was picked off by Allred and he returned it to the Lakeside 31 with 61 seconds left. After a Royal timeout, Allred hit Caden Allred in stride for a touchdown and a four-score lead at the half.

Lakeside had three first downs and 46 yards in the first half, compared to Royal’s 230 yards.

Lakeside attempted an onside kick to start the second half, but Royal recovered at the Eagles 46. Nine plays later, Allred found Shea Stevenson on a swing pass, and he carried a defender into the end zone from 9 yards out.

Mikkelsen completed a couple of passes and Lakeside put together its best drive of the day, reaching the Royal 23. On fourth-and-goal from the 5, Patterson caught an out route for the first touchdown against Royal in the postseason.

“Hiro came up to me before the play. We were just having fun with it,” Mikkelsen said. “We were kind of just drawing stuff up in the dirt at that time. And he was like, ‘I’m gonna put a sick route on this guy. So watch this.’ “

The Eagles recovered the onside kick at Royal’s 34, but the Knights’ defense stiffened and forced a turnover on downs. Royal put together one more long drive to provide the final score.

Mikkelsen was honored to play at Husky Stadium.

“My sister played volleyball here,” he said. “On her official visit, the head coach took me down here and we tossed the ball around a little bit, and he told me that he would see me playing on this field one day.”

Lakeside 0-0-7-0 7

Royal 7 21 7 14

ROY- L.Allred 12 run (Brown kick)

ROY- L.Allred 3 run (Brown kick)

ROY- L.Allred 36 run (Brown kick)

ROY- C.Allred 31 pass from L.Allred (Brown kick)

ROY- Stevenson 9 pass from L.Allred (Brown kick)

LAK- Patterson 5 pass from Mikkelsen (Hamilton kick)

ROY- Christensen 33 pass from L.Allred (Brown kick)

ROY- Lee 5 run (Brown kick)