PHS Senior Royal Charles Clears a Path for His Team

The yard line doesn’t know your skin color.”

At 6-foot-3 and 275 pounds, Royal Charles is built to create space — on the field and far beyond it.

Friday nights in the fall, the Peninsula High School senior and All-Puget Sound League two-way lineman dominates both sides of the ball, clearing lanes for his running backs one moment and collapsing an opponent’s backfield the next.

But off the field, that same instinct takes shape in more lasting ways; in his school, his community, and the lives of his younger brothers.

Two years ago, he and his older brother, Prince, then a sophomore and junior, founded the People of Color Club at Peninsula. The group organizes cultural events for Black History Month, Women’s History Month, and Native American Heritage Month, often mixing education with games. The goal of the club is to create connection, not confrontation.

“We wanted to create a space where everyone, no matter what color, felt welcome, could hang out, and learn.”

The need for the club was clear. The n-word, Charles says, is still used in Peninsula hallways. Not in whispered corners or secret slurs, but out loud, openly, and far too often.

“Honestly, it’s probably got worse,” he said. “Some teachers don’t hold kids accountable beyond ‘watch your language.’ They do what they can, but sometimes it’s not enough. We have to just walk past it. But we can’t ignore it.”

His words aren’t an attack on the school. They’re a plea. A reminder that ignorance and indifference don’t disappear just because a policy says it should, and that it takes more than rules to build respect. For Charles, it also takes action. And action, he’s learned, starts close to home.

Charles comes from what can only be described as a regal bloodline. He and his five brothers each carry names fit for a throne: Syr (pronounced “Sir,” 22), Prince (18), Royal (17), Duke (13), Majesty (10), and Noble (3).

Royal is “third in line” in this family dynasty, positioned perfectly to look up to those ahead and make space for those still coming up. “I want my younger brothers to feel confident and safe,” he said. “I want the school to be a place where everyone belongs.”

By the time he graduates, the former Key Peninsula Middle School student will have completed around 500 hours of community service: volunteering with Peninsula Youth Football, working with PenMet Parks, participating in Unified Sports, and taking on leadership roles like student senator. He credits his brother Prince for setting the example, and his mother, Kerri, for pushing him to step up.

But the football field, he said, has always been a safe place for him.

It’s a culture former head coach Ross Filkins and current head coach Clay Mauro both helped create — one built on inclusion, mutual respect, and a shared sense of purpose.

“Football is the great equalizer,” Mauro said. “The yard line doesn’t know your skin color, the end zone doesn’t care about your bank account, the ball doesn’t care about your past. This is a safe space for a lot of kids.”

It’s a sentiment Charles has felt throughout his high school playing days. But this year, he’s not just a piece of that culture — he’s a driving force behind it. Mauro calls Charles “our guy” this season as the team prepares for its Sept. 6 opener against Gig Harbor in the 47th annual Fish Bowl.

“He’s freakishly athletic, great footwork, keeps good body position, violent with his hands — just super consistent,”

Mauro said of his team captain. “And now he’s getting more vocal and stepping into that leadership role we need him to be in.”

Charles said he’s especially tight with his fellow O-line and that crew is ready to make as much space as possible for senior running back Jacob Martin to “surprise people.” Charles also pointed to senior Lucas Wiseman as a potential breakout as tight end, and that the senior outside linebacker Nehemiah Grandorff is “bigger and faster” and is already a contender for Puget Sound League defensive MVP.

But Charles is ready to be in a starring role, and college recruiters have taken notice. He’s already weighing a few offers from some smaller schools, including making a verbal commitment to play for Division II Western Oregon.

While excited for the opportunity, he’s still keeping the door open for a potential Division I offer later this fall. For his size and weight — he’s grown five inches and gained more than 25 pounds in muscle since his freshman year — Charles is what Mauro calls a “tweener”: not massive by D1 offensive linemen standards but uniquely suited for roles on both sides of the ball.

“On defense, he’s built to be an inside defensive tackle who can shift outside when needed. Offensively, I think he can be a center at a Division I school,” Mauro said.

Royal will likely wait until after his senior season to make his college decision, with plans to study sports medicine. But no matter what path he takes, it’s clear his legacy at Peninsula is already set.

Charles has never been content to let his impact be measured in sacks and pancake blocks alone. Whether he’s moving a defensive end out of the way, starting conversations in uncomfortable spaces, or creating safe ones for the next generation — Royal Charles is always making space for someone else to thrive.