Hometown Huddle

Tonight we sat down with Ryan Christensen and Mike Noftle, the voices behind Royal SD Live. Since 2006, Mike and Ryan have been broadcasting the Royal Knights' football games starting with audio only broadcasts in the early years. Over the past 20 years, they have been instrumental in bringing Royal Football to people all over the country and the world on Fall Friday nights. Hear a little bit about their experiences and stories in this week's episode of Hometown Huddle!

Tonight we had the opportunity to sit down with our head boys and girls soccer coach, Jens Jensen. Jens grew on the west side of Washington playing soccer on muddy fields and astroturf. He went on to play at Ricks College and BYU Hawaii before settling down in Royal City where he is about to kick off his 21st season at the helm of the Lady Knights soccer program as well as the boys program which plays in the spring. Join us to hear a little about his experience playing and coaching as well as some of his philosophies about life. You won't want to miss it!

Welcome back to the Hometown Huddle podcast after a brief hiatus. Tonight on the eve of the 2025 football season, we are sitting down with Wiley Allred and Jeremy Scroggins. Enjoy listening in on our conversation about their journey from their time as Royal Knight football players to college football players to high school coaches. 

Tonight we sat down with Levi Meseberg, a standout player for the 1997 State Champion baseball team here in Royal. Levi went on to play college and pro ball before coming back to Royal City where he is raising a family with his wife Kellee who was a state champion softball player for Royal as well. Join us as we hear about his experiences playing and coaching baseball here in Royal City.

Join us as we talk all things Royal Softball with head coach Lisa Lawrence and former players-turned-coaches Randi Allred and Raegan Wardenaar. We relive the past two seasons where the Knights made it to the state finals twice and winning their first fastpitch title in 2024 to add to the other nine slowpitch titles during the 80s and 90s. 

Tonight we had the opportunity to sit down and chat with Brandon Jenks and his sons Kaden, Sawyer, and Ben who have all starred as football players for the Royal Knights. The Jenks boys have been at the center of 7 state championships over the past 10 years. Join with us and hear about their experiences living and playing in a small town!

Tonight we had the opportunity to talk to Maria Lefler who was a standout basketball player on the 1978 State Championship Girls Basketball team. Maria went on to play basketball at Eastern Washington University where she became the school's all time leading rebounder. She was inducted into the EWU Hall of Fame after going on to play semi-pro basketball in Australia and Germany. Maria and her husband Rex settled down in Royal City where they raised their three boys, and Maria was a teacher and a varsity basketball coach. Join us as we hear more about her amazing accomplishments and contributions to our town!

Tonight we preview the State Basketball tournament that the Royal Knights are playing in tomorrow. We go back to the past to hear from Caleb and Corbin about their experience playing in the tournament in 2018 and 2019. Best of luck to the Knights this weekend!

Tonight we had the opportunity to sit down with Dan Murphy. Dan played running back for Royal in the 90s and was a key part of the '94 team that were the first to make it to the state title game. He went on to play at Central Washington University where he became the all-time leader in rushing yards and TDs for the Wildcats. We talk to him about his time being a small-town football player and his journey from Royal High School all the way to the Dallas Cowboys.

Today we had the pleasure of interviewing my grandpa, Shirley Christensen. Shirley moved to the Columbia Basin in 1952 as a freshman in high school. He starred as a running back for the first ever 11-man Othello High School football team and went on to play at Brigham Young University in the late 50s. His legacy in small town athletics has been carried on by his children, grandchildren, and now great-grandchildren.