Basketball Recap: Royal Takes a Loss

Royal suffered their biggest loss since December 6, 2024 on Friday. They came up short against the Stafford Spartans, falling 72-52. The Falcons have struggled against the Spartans recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive lost matchup.

Defeat or not, Royal got some senior leadership from Zaelyn Shelton and Tremaine Prophet. Shelton posted 12 points along with six boards and three blocks, while Prophet went 5 for 12 on his way to 13 points. What's more, Prophet also racked up four rebounds, the most he's had since back in November of 2024. Another player making a difference was K.J. Keller, who had nine points.

Even though they lost, Royal smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in eight consecutive matchups.

Royal's loss dropped their record down to 8-16. As for Stafford, the win keeps them at an undefeated 27-0.

Royal has already played their next game (against Harmony School of Innovation), but no score has been uploaded at the time of writing. Stafford will face off against Harmony School of Innovation at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Stafford knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 55 points or more in their past 15 contests -- so hopefully Harmony School of Innovation likes a good challenge.