Prep football: Royston throws six touchdowns to lead San Rafael

The San Rafael High football team focused on a fast start Saturday against Archie Williams. The only problem was, the Bulldogs forgot to inform the Peregrine Falcons of their plan.

Archie Williams held the ball for nine minutes on the game’s opening drive, but eventually came away empty-handed. When San Rafael finally gained possession, the Bulldogs gobbled up yards in rapid-fire succession and scored the game’s first touchdown in barely a minute.

San Rafael never looked back and waltzed to a convincing 42-14 Redwood Empire Mountain league victory against Archie Williams on a sunny, mild afternoon in San Anselmo.

“We’ve had trouble with slow starts in the first half all season so starting this game off hot was a point of emphasis,” said San Rafael quarterback Lachlan Royston, who threw for 285 yards and six touchdowns in a career performance. “We were anxious to get on the field when they were controlling the ball on the first series but once we got out there we were ready to go. Fast starts are the plan for the second half of the season. We figured it was time to change the narrative.”

San Rafael certainly changed the narrative in a hurry after the Peregrine Falcons used mostly a bruising rushing attack in the early going.

Royston connected on four of five passes on the first drive, capping the fast flurry of offense with his first of four touchdown passes to receiver Jameson Fondnazio from 14 yards out.

“I think I’ve had five (touchdown passes) but I never got to six,” Royston said. “It’s a new milestone.”

The Bulldogs (4-2, 2-1 Mountain) took a two-score lead on their first possession of the second quarter.

Royston completed a pair of fourth-down passes on the drive, including a 15-yard touchdown to Fondnazio in the far corner of the end zone.

“That was my first four-touchdown game. I had two before but never four,” Fondnazio said. “We knew (Archie Williams) played a one-high safety (defense) and didn’t give him any help so we took advantage of that. My quarterback let me eat today.”

The Bulldogs could not add to the lead before intermission — the Peregrine Falcons burned another four minutes off the clock late in the half — and settled for a 14-0 advantage.

But the third quarter was all San Rafael as Royston clicked on three touchdown passes on three consecutive drives and the Bulldogs pulled away.

The only reprieve from the onslaught for the Falcons was an 85-yard touchdown pass from Ronan Foley to Jonah Revelle on the first offensive play after the Bulldogs took a 21-0 lead on a 29-yard touchdown from Royston to Fondnazio early in the third quarter.

Royston polished off his six-pack of touchdown tosses with a 10-yard hitch pass to Derek Dugan, a 17-yarder to Fondnazio and a 12-yarder to Rayley Cauich-Rame.

“In four years on this team this is the most dedicated team I’ve played with,” said Fondnazio, who totaled 101 yards on seven receptions. “These guys don’t just show up for practice, they show up and put the work in.”

Derek Dugan added eight catches for 100 yards for San Rafael and teammate Davari Black caught five passes for 56 yards.

San Rafael’s defense contained elusive Archie Williams quarterback Foley, limiting him to 21 yards a week after he rushed for 118 yards against Terra Linda.

San Rafael 42, Archie Williams 14

Redwood Empire Mountain

San Rafael  7  7  21  7  –  42

Archie Williams  0  0  0  14  –  14

SCORING SUMMARY

SR – Fondnazio 14 pass from Royston (Cauich-Rame kick)

SR – Fondnazio 15 pass from Royston (Cauich-Rame kick)

SR – Fondnazio 29 pass from Royston (Cauich-Rame kick)

AW – Revelle 85 pass from Foley (Foley kick)

SR – Dugan 10 pass from Royston (Cauich-Rame kick)

SR – Fondnazio 17 pass from Royston (Cauich-Rame kick)

SR – Cauich-Rame 12 pass from Royston (Cauich-Rame kick)

AW – Hurd 36 pass from Beers (Foley kick)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING – SR, Munoz 5-14, Johnson 2-20, Cauich-Rame 1-8, Reyes 8-36, Royston 2-0. Totals: 18-78. AW, Mosher 9-40, Ryan 7-21, Foley 10-21, McElligott 1-(minus-5). Totals: 27-77.

PASSING – SR, Royston 24-38-0 285, Cifuentes 1-1-0 9. Totals: 25-39-0 294. AW: Foley 10-24-2 176, Beers 1-1-0 36. Totals: 11-25-2 212.

RECEIVING – SR, Dugan 8-100, Black 5-56, Fondnazio 7-101, De Leon 1-8, Healy 2-8, Cauich-Rame 2-21. Totals: 25-294. AW, Ryan 1-10, Mitchell 1-8, Kaplan 2-17, Gauna 1-1, Hurd 5-103, Revelle 1-85. Totals: 11-212.

Records – San Rafael 4-2, 2-1. Archie Williams 4-3, 2-1.