Reported by Karrington Kincaid, The Seattle Medium
The Royal T Titans booked their spot in the 14U Washington Youth Football League (WYFL) championship game with a dominant 51–25 semifinal victory over the B12 Bearcats. What began as a tightly contested battle in the first half turned into a runaway win for the Titans, who exploded for 25 unanswered points in the third quarter to break the game wide open.
Early on, it looked like fans were in for a shootout. Both teams found success through the air, exchanging big plays and touchdowns in a fast-paced first half.
Royal T struck first. After a short drive, quarterback Myles Motley connected with Daniel Morales on a 21-yard touchdown pass. The Bearcats quickly answered when Haru Nishiyma hit Daesaun Washington for a 33-yard score to even the game at 6–6.
In the second quarter, both offenses kept rolling. Royal T continued to mix the run and pass effectively. Morales added a 10-yard rushing touchdown, capping a drive fueled by short passes and power runs. Nishiyma and the Bearcats weren’t going away, though. He orchestrated a long possession featuring completions to Royal Sefronio-Byrd and Kelii Weggin. The drive ended with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Sefronio-Byrd to again bring the Bearcats within one score.
With halftime approaching and momentum swinging back and forth, the Titans turned to their vertical game. Motley unleashed a 69-yard strike to Carter Kimble for a touchdown. After a defensive stop, Royal T scored again — this time, Motley connected with Kimble for 54 yards and another score to stretch the lead to 26–18.
But B12 clawed back just before halftime. Nishiyma found Washington down the seam for a 53-yard touchdown, and the Bearcats closed the gap to 26–25 heading into the break.
In the third quarter, Royal T completely flipped the game. Running back Jaxson Conger sparked the opening drive with a 17-yard run, and Esai Leiataua capped it off with a short touchdown rush. The Titans defense then came up huge, as LeBron Feo picked off Nishiyma to halt a promising Bearcat drive.
Moments later, Leiataua punched in another score, and Kimble hauled in his third touchdown of the game, a 23-yard reception from Motley, to make it 45–25. The Titans’ defense continued to smother B12’s offense, with Kaivon Holmes grabbing two second-half interceptions and Kenieth Hill adding a fourth to seal any comeback hopes.
The Bearcats managed one more scoring drive in the fourth quarter. Nishiyma linked up with Sefronio-Byrd for their second touchdown connection of the game, this one from four yards out. That made it 45–32 and gave the Bearcats a slight spark, but the Titans quickly extinguished it.
Motley fired one last deep shot, a 72-yard pass to Cordell Paige Jr., who followed up with a 4-yard rushing touchdown to close the scoring at 51–32.
Royal T’s defensive unit, led by timely takeaways and sound tackling, completely changed the pace of the game in the second half. On offense, they used their depth and variety of weapons to keep the Bearcats off balance.
Motley, who 9 passed on the day, finished the game with 309 yards through the air and four touchdowns, spreading the ball to Kimble, Morales, Holmes, and Paige Jr. His ability to hit targets in stride allowed the Titans to stretch the field and wear down the B12 secondary.
Nishiyma, despite facing relentless pressure, showed poise and playmaking ability. He completed 13 passes for 169 yards and four touchdowns, two apiece to Washington and Sefronio-Byrd. He also added positive yards on the ground and handled an aggressive Titans defense with composure.
The Titans now advance to the WYFL 14U championship game as a team peaking at the right time, firing on all cylinders and showing the kind of balance that can win titles.
The Bearcats, who fought hard and stayed within one score at halftime, walk away with heads held high and several standout performances. Their effort and execution in the first half proved they belonged on this stage, and they’ll no doubt be a team to watch again next season.
Player Stats
Royal T Titans (Offense):
Carter Kimble – 3 rushes, 146 yards, 3 TDs
Myles Motley – 9 completions, 309 passing yards, 3 TDs
Daniel Morales – 7 rushes, 37 yards, 2 TDs; 2 receptions, 31 yards, 2 TDs
Cordell Paige Jr. – 1 rush, 4 yards; 1 reception, 72 yards, 1 TD
Esai Leiataua – 6 rushes, 16 yards, 2 TDs
Christian Williams – 1 rush, 21 yards
Kaivon Holmes – 4 rushes, 39 yards
Jaxson Conger – 6 rushes, 33 yards
Royal T Titans (Defense):
Kaivon Holmes – 2 INTs
LeBron Feo – 1 INT
Kenieth Hill – 1 INT
B12 Bearcats (Offense):
KJ Hammick – 12 rushes, 89 yards, 1 TD; 5/5 passing, 32 yards, 1 TD
Daesaun Washington – 3 rushes, 97 yards, 2 TDs
Royal Sefronio‑Byrd – 5 rushes, 69 yards, 2 TDs
Kelii Weggin – 5 rushes, 14 yards; 1/3 passing, 3 yards
Haru Nishiyma – 5 rushes, 5 yards; 13 passes, 169 yards
B12 Bearcats (Defense):
Haru Nishiyma – 4 INTs
