ROYAL CITY – The Knights boys soccer team (16-3) defeated the Wapato Wolves (14-5) 3-1 to win their second straight 1A district championship Saturday. Anderson Brown contributed heavily for the Knights, accounting for two goals in the first half.

“Feels good, hopefully this carries into states, and we have the same momentum,” Brown said.

The last time the Knights played Wapato, the score was much closer. The Knights won that game 1-0, but in the championship game, they came out swinging. They controlled the ball for most of the game and eventually had an opportunity to score.

After a penalty near the opposing net, Brown had a chance to put the Knights on the board with a penalty kick. He lined up his shot and fired away, leading to the first score of the game.

Not long after, the Knights would find themselves in scoring position once again after regaining control of the ball and moving toward the opposing net. A pass to Victor Aquino led to their second score of the game, putting the Knights up 2-0.

“We had actually good chances when we played them the first time, we just didn't finish, and today, we just have had a finishing mind, and so we were able to finish, and the boys look good doing it,” head coach Jens Jensen said.

Wapato would hold possession of the ball for a few minutes, but as halftime began to loom, the Knights seized an opportunity to build momentum. They would regain possession of the ball and utilize passing to move the ball downfield. Brown would control the ball and line up another shot and executed his second goal of the game and the Knights' third overall.

In the second half, the gameplay leaned further on the defensive side. The Knights did not score in the second half. However, they held Wapato scoreless until the final minutes, where they earned a penalty kick that they would capitalize on for their only score of the game.

“We got to defend first, and everybody knows that about me and about my teams. We have to defend first,” Jensen said, “we got a great goalkeeper, we got a great center back, and we got some guys in front of him that are, like defensive center mids, that fill the holes, and do great jobs for us and try to shut down the dangerous attackers.”

Once the clock finished, the Knights began to celebrate. The players and coaching staff stormed the field, and Jensen earned the traditional Gatorade bath.

“Being with my teammates and encouraging them, because it is a team sport, so just working harder, and then it feels great. I'm proud of everybody too, it's not just me, it's my team,” Brown said.

The Knights will move on to the state tournament and aim to make a deep run. Jensen is confident in his players and the experience they bring to the table. After last year, their composure is strong, knowing that they have been in this position before, according to Jensen.

“If we can come out firing like that, we're going to be hard to beat, we need to stay hungry, and we need to go get what’s ours,” Brown said.