Julio Lara / Daily Journal The King’s Academy defense applies pressure on Burlingame quarterback Nick Martinez.

In beating host Burlingame 41-14 on Friday, the Knights (1-0 Ocean Division ‘A’, 4-0 overall) showed they might very well be the best team in the Ocean. They didn’t just beat the Panthers (0-1, 1-3) — they whipped them. The King’s Academy scored on their first three possessions and led 21-0 after one quarter. Burlingame managed to get to within 28-14 early in the third, but the Knights pulled away for a runaway win.

“This is one of the biggest wins we’ve had here,” TKA coach Ron Kellner said. “Obviously this puts us on the inside track (to win the ‘A’ division), but we’re not going to count our chickens before they hatch as they say. There was added excitement because we’ve stepped up a level, and it shows we’re getting better and that we belong.”

In taking a quick lead, the Knights displayed their big-play capability. They needed only four plays to score on their first drive, five plays to reach the end zone on their second possession, three plays to score on their third drive and one play to score on their fourth series. TKA tailback Amir Carlisle rushed for a career-high 266 yards on only 13 carries, including touchdown runs of 75 and 76 yards.

While the Knights gained good chunks of yardage up the middle and between the tackles, it was Carlisle who did the most damage, taking pitches and using his speed to accelerate on the flanks and blow by the Burlingame defense. Every time he touched the ball, Carlisle was a threat to reach the end zone.

“That kid ran forward and to the side at the same speed,” Panthers coach John Philipopoulos said. “There were six to nine times we had him stuffed, and he gets away. That’s an outstanding team. They got playmakers all over the place, and they can beat you with speed and athleticism and run the ball down your throat.”

Indeed, TKA delivered a KO to the home side. The Panthers built some much-needed momentum after pulling to within 14 points after quarterback Nick Martinez scored on a 5-yard TD run with 9:48 left in the third. Then they stopped the Knights for a second straight time, giving them a chance to cut their deficit further.

But their drive stalled, and worse yet, a 4-yard punt gave TKA the ball at its own 33-yard line. Eight plays later, Travis Johnson broke several tackles en route to a 21-yard TD run, making it 34-14 with 8:42 remaining and effectively sealing the outcome. The Knights’ Double Wing was too much for Burlingame to handle.

With a strong offensive line and a combination of running backs who can do it all, TKA had a field day. Meanwhile, the Panthers struggled offensively, as they were limited to 172 yards of total offense. Tight end Brandon Francesconi had three receptions for 88 yards, including a 32-yard TD reception for Burlingame’s first score early in the second quarter. Philipopoulos knew his team had to put together a near-flawless performance to have a shot at winning, and instead it did the opposite, committing three turnovers and dropping passes at crucial moments.

“I told the guys about all the things we could not do, and we did all of them,” he said. “You hate to lose to anybody, but there are some good guys over there and they run a class program. They’re going to be tough to beat, no question.”