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King’s season-opening loss to Lakewood didn’t come as a total surprise.

The young Knights started a number of freshmen and sophomores who had never set foot on the field for a varsity football game.

The Cougars took advantage of their experience and cruised to a 42-14 victory in a nonconference game Friday, Sept. 6, at Lakewood High School.

“Our young guys competed. They learned a lot,” King’s coach Jim Shapiro said. “I’m not discouraged. We did a good job on our mental mindset.”

Senior quarterback Luke Marion connected on a 28-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Davis Campbell in the second quarter and freshman running back Royce Coleman ran for a 7-yard score in the fourth quarter.

The Knights struggled with their running game, amassing only 57 yards. Marion completed 13 of 23 passes for 187 yards. Senior Casey Needham caught six passes for 92 yards in what Shapiro described as a breakout game.

“We kept trying to establish the run,” Shapiro said. “We threw the ball more than we wanted to. … Every snap was a learning experience.”

King’s faces another tough test against 3A Lakeside at 7 p.m., Friday, Sept. 13, at Lakeside High School.