The game had more twists and turns than a Hitchcock mystery film.
Kent-Meridian held on for dear life in a dramatic 38-34 win over Thomas Jefferson in South Puget Sound League North Division play Friday at Federal Way Memorial Stadium.

With the Raiders down by four and driving deep into KM territory with three minutes left in a seesaw game, Royals safety Brandon Harris recovered a game-deciding fumble at the KM 12.

Raiders workhorse running-back Keegan Giles, who gained 257 yards on 39 carries and scored two touchdowns, was practically unstoppable in that last TJ drive, reeling off runs of 14, 10 and 13 yards before fumbling the ball.

"I feel for him that he had to be the one to fumble because he played his butt off," said first-year KM coach Brett Allen, whose Royals improved to 3-2 in league and 3-2 overall. "He's one of the toughest runners in our league."

Royals quarterback David Jones, a NCAA Division 1 prospect, racked up 256 yards on 19 carries and scored four touchdown runs himself, coming out of the KM spread offense.

"We needed a solution for No. 3 (Jones)," said TJ coach Dean Peck. "He's a special athlete."

Jones, working out of the shotgun, scored on a 25-yard keeper off right tackle for the eventual game-winner with 4:28 remaining in the fourth quarter. Dion Leung kicked the extra point for a 38-34 lead.

On the ensuing kickoff, KM kicker Brandon Scott apparently touched the ball with his foot when he faked the kick in the process of shifting back to formation.

KM was flagged for illegal procedure.

For Peck, it was one of several questionable calls during the game, he said.

"For example, on the last run-up, he (the kicker) touched the ball and they (officials) didn't know how to rule it," Peck said. "They decided to go with the five-yard penalty."

Peck said the Raiders should've got the ball at the Royals 40.

"We still had to make plays," he said.

In all, 20 penalties were called in the game, 12 against the Raiders (1-4, 1-4) and eight against the Royals.

Despite that procedure call, TJ, starting at its own 40, mounted a nice drive near the end before Giles' pivotal fumble.

"One fumble can't take away from the kind of the game he had," Peck said.

In a game that featured eight lead changes, Jones scored on a 75-yard TD run on the second play of the game, only to see the Raiders answer with two touchdowns of their own to take a 13-6 first-half lead.

In TJ's first TD drive, Giles bulled his way for 69 yards on five carries, including a 10-yard run off right tackle for the touchdown. McKay Owsley kicked the extra point for a 7-6 TJ lead.

Raiders quarterback KW Williams, who hit 9-of-10 passes for 122 yards and three touchdowns, hooked up with Phillip Haywood on an 11-yard play-action TD pass to the right corner of the end zone to make it 13-6. The conversion failed.

In the Royals' prior possession, on a kickoff return, Haywood stopped a sure KM touchdown with a fine open-field tackle at the TJ 45. KM then went three-and-out.

After the Raiders's second score, KM responded with two scores of its own, both on Jones' keepers, to take a 19-13 lead. Harris' 72-yard punt return to the TJ 8 set up KM's second of those two scores.

TJ came right back in the next series when Williams hit Haywood with another TD pass, this one a 22-yard strike on a post route. Owsley kicked the extra point for a 20-19 TJ advantage early in the second quarter.

KM then scored in two plays that took 30 seconds. Coupled with a 15-yard facemask penalty on TJ, Jones put together runs of 11 and 37 yards, the latter coming on a sweep around left end for a touchdown. The conversion failed, giving the Royals a 25-20 lead with 9:07 remaining in the second quarter.

In TJ's subsequent drive, a 34-yard pass play from Williams to Hayward, who caught five passes for 88 yards, on a post route led to Giles' 10-yard TD run. Owsley's kick gave the Raiders a 27-25 lead.

"Offensively, it was probably our best game of the year," Peck said.

The Royals answered with another touchdown of their own. Jones, who fumbled a bad snap out of the shotgun, picked the ball up and ran 25 yards, eluding would-be tacklers along the way, to the TJ 24. KM running back B.J. Phillips scored on a six-yard run for a 31-27 lead. The conversion failed.

The Raiders' last scoring came after the beginning of the third quarter.

Tight end Tim Luafatasaga caught an 18-yard TD pass from Williams despite tight coverage. KM safety Taylor Whittum got a piece of the ball, only to see it tip into Luafatasaga's hands. Owsley's PAT gave the Raiders the lead again, 34-31.

Beamer 25, Spanaway Lake 23

Marley Liulama's TD interception return and quarterback TJ Esekielu's 3-yard TD keeper in the fourth quarter lifted the Titans (2-2, 2-3) to an exciting 25-23 win. Esekielu hit wide receiver Dominique Maxie for a 10-yard TD pass in the third quarter.

Bethel 53, Federal Way 38 -- D.J. May gained 213 yards rushing and scored two touchdowns, one for 64 yards and the other for 44 for the Eagles (1-4, 1-4). Blake Koler added two TD runs.

Enumclaw 42, Decatur 7

Miquel Garcia scored on a 2-yard, fourth-quarter for the Gators (0-1, 1-4).

Local sports notes -- Federal Way High grad Travis Ishikawa is playing for the San Francisco Giants in the National League Divisional Baseball Playoffs. The Giants will play the Atlanta Braves Thursday in the first game of the playoffs. It will be televised at 6:30 p.m. by TBS. Ishikawa had 42 hits in 158 at-bats this season, including three homers and 22 RBI. He was 4-for-8 pinch-hitting, with one home run. ... Federal Way High's Meron Simon and Jasmine Johnson were top finishers in the Curtis Cross-Country Invititational Saturday. Simon won the boys' event with a 15:44.13 time while Johnson won the girls' division in 19:20:29. Overall, the Eagles boys placed third among 19 teams and the girls were eighth of 16.