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Roy High linebacker Mason Engstrom (22) runs with an interception return against Northridge on Friday, Oct. 3, 2025, in Roy.

Photo supplied, Gordon Doxey

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Northridge running back Seon Kumar (36) carries the football as Roy's Bryton Ketcham (13) closes in for a tackle on Friday, Oct. 3, 2025, in Roy.

Photo supplied, Gordon Doxey

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Roy High running back Moresby Tauiautusa (0) scores a touchdown against Northridge on Friday, Oct. 3, 2025, in Roy.

Photo supplied, Gordon Doxey

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Northridge High receiver Bannon Green, right, tries to break Roy tackles on Friday, Oct. 3, 2025, in Roy.

Photo supplied, Gordon Doxey

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Roy High tacklers take down Northridge receiver Dontae Dyson (22) on Friday, Oct. 3, 2025, in Roy.

Photo supplied, Gordon Doxey

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ROY — In a season that started with many more lows than highs for both Roy and Northridge, the recent past has provided both squads with a glimmer of hope.

The Royals — the Class 5A runner-up a season ago — stumbled out of the gate, losing their first five games by an average of more than 23 points. But consecutive wins over fellow strugglers Bonneville and Clearfield have given Roy some much-needed momentum heading into the final stretch.

Meanwhile, the Knights engineered a dramatic comeback, stunning league-leading West Field a week ago. Behind senior Grant Slater, who went from backup to hero by throwing for 357 yards and five touchdowns in his first varsity start, Northridge scored 23 unanswered points over the final 12 minutes. The scoring blitz turned a 38-19 deficit into an improbable 42-38 victory, saving the Knights from a faltering 1-5 start.

With that as a backdrop, the late-season matchup between the two sub-.500 teams offered a compelling storyline.

The first half was mostly a stalemate Friday, punctuated by a lightning delay with 38 seconds left that eventually caused the game to be suspended, with the teams resuming the contest Saturday evening.

The resumption resulted in some late-game dramatics, keyed by a Ryker Cordero interception with Northridge driving toward the tying or go-ahead points in the final minute. The pick preserved a hard-fought Roy win, 10-7.

“Well, we had all day to prepare for it because it got canceled yesterday,” Cordero said. “Coach (Jake Gallegos) came up with a scheme up in there and I just ran what he coached me to do. I read the QB’s eyes, I saw the ball and I just went and got it. I dropped the one earlier, so I was really excited to get that one.

“I’ve never had a situation where a game comes down to the wire like that and it’s on me, but I’m glad to have executed and done my part.”

During the Friday night portion, the Knights didn’t show any of the offensive punch that they displayed against the Longhorns, with three punts, an interception and less than 100 yards of offense over the initial two periods.

The Royals weren’t much more proficient with the ball, yet they managed to capitalize on Northridge’s first key miscue.

After missing last week’s contest, Liam Fresques was back under center for the Knights. With just over a minute left in the opening quarter, Roy’s Mason Engstrom changed the game by stepping in front of a Fresques offering inside the Roy 20, returning the interception to midfield.

Eight plays later, senior Moresby Tauiautusa took a handoff at the 6 and powered through the heart of the Northridge defense across the goal line for the contest’s first points at the 9:27 mark of the second stanza.

Roughly 22 hours later, Roy’s Bo Williams drove a 31-yard field goal through the uprights to put the Royals up 10-0 at the 8:56 mark of the third quarter.

“I was worried about our team coming out flat, but we were really energized,” Cordero said about the delay. “We came up with a new game plan because we figured they’d be doing the same thing, which is what we ran at the end there that got me the pick. I saw my teammates making plays, especially (Mason) Engstrom out there, and I thought, man, I’ve got to make one too.”

The maligned Roy (3-5, 3-2 Region 5) defense, which came into the game allowing more than 35 points per outing, had its game of the season, keeping Northridge (2-5, 1-3) off the scoreboard until the final 5 minutes.

Nevertheless, one defensive letdown gave the Knights a sliver of opportunity.

After a Dontae Dyson interception, with Slater back under center at his own 8 following another injury to Fresques, he completed a 23-yard pass to Seon Kumar before dropping a short pass into the arms of Dyson, who outraced the Royal defense for a 69-yard TD with 4:38 to play.

Northridge forced Roy to punt and retook possession with 2:48 on the clock. Three plays moved the ball to the Knight 46, setting the stage for Cordero’s heroics on Slater’s pass across the middle.

“We’re getting hot at the right time, I love it,” Cordero said. “Ever since we got our transfers in, the whole vibe just felt different. It felt like a whole new team.”

Northridge will host Bonneville next week, while the Royals will wrap up the regular season at Fremont on Oct. 15.