It’s been a big week for Royal High School football coach Wiley Allred.
Monday, he was notified that he would be inducted into the Washington State High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Sunday, he helped raise the 12th Man flag at the Seattle Seahawks game along with Richland coach Mike Neidhold and the four other state football champion coaches.
To top things off, he was named the Seahawks High School Coach of the Year during halftime of Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams at CenturyLink Field. Wiley will receive a $2,000 grant for his program.
“I’m kind of feeling a little spoiled,” Allred said. “Nothing beats winning a state championship, but these are pretty special honors.”
Ones he rightly deserves, according to assistant coach Jeremy Scroggins.
“Wiley is the secret to Royal football,” Scroggins said. “No one can do what he does. The time and commitment he gives to to the kids. He down plays all this, but he is excited. Just another day in the life of a legend.”
Royal defeated Meridian High School 33-27 on Dec. 2 to win its third consecutive Class 1A state title, and seventh under Allred.
The Knights, who are 217-26 under Allred, also have a 41-game win streak, which is tied for sixth in the nation among all classifications.
“The Seahawks are proud to name Coach Allred as the High School Coach of the Year for 2017, not only for his successful season on the field, but for his continued efforts in running a program known for building character, teamwork and discipline,” said Paul Johns, Seahawks director of youth & high school football programs, in a news release. “Through grants like the one presented to Coach Allred, the Seahawks aim to promote awareness of safety in youth football, and further strengthen the relationship between high school and professional sports.”
Allred, 57, who just finished his 19th year at the helm with Knights, will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Jan. 27 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Seattle.
“Once Steve Graff (Chiawana) and Roger Hoell (Othello) went in, I thought they would let anyone in,” Allred joked. “I feel like I’m almost in Steve’s class again. It kind of feels weird, I feel like I should be done. I like how they do it; it’s for everyone. You don’t have to wait for them to be dead or done. With coaches, you can’t wait too long though, we are likely to end it on the field sometime.”
Over the years, Allred has been blessed to have former players come back and coach for him, including Scroggins, who is the Knights’ defensive coordinator.
“It’s fun to get those guys back Allred said. “It’s kind of neat. It’s rewarding for them to come in and do a good job. They often teach me things.”
Also on staff are Dexter Allred, who works with the freshmen and linebackers; Kyle Scroggins, who works with the junior varsity and the wide receivers and defensive backs; and Marc Albertson, who helps with the freshmen, and tends to the quarterbacks, and offensive and defensive linemen.
“I have a unique relationship with Wiley,” Scroggins said. “I was playing the first year he was a head coach, and was on his first state championship team. You get all of these kids in the middle of nowhere, to have the success that we have had, is special. To be a part of something like this, is pretty crazy.”
Annie Fowler: 509-582-1574, @TCHIceQueen
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