THURSTON – Fifth-ranked Thurston took its home field to face No. 13 Churchill in the quarterfinals of the Class 5A state football playoffs. A place in the state semifinals was at stake.
Only four weeks prior, Thurston won 27-16 at Churchill. This time, the Lancers leaned on their running game and avenged that loss by ending the Colts’ playoff drive 33-23.
“They’re just such a great running team,” said Thurston head coach Justin Starck. “We were able to shut them down the first time we played them there, and I think it got them angry. They were really, really dedicated to running the ball tonight, and Lucas Babbitt is a heck of a running back. Credit to them, they executed a great game.”
Babbitt is a 6-foot, 228-pound senior and the Miwestern League Defensive Player of the Year, 1st-Team All-State linebacker, and 2nd-Team All-League running back.
Churchill’s commitment to the ground game was palpable on Friday, with the Lancers dropping back to pass only six times out of 40 first-half plays. During that span, they averaged nearly 5 yards per carry.
Thurston spent the majority of the game playing from behind as the Lancers scored on each of their first three possessions.
The Colts trailed 20-6 with just more than two minutes to play in the first half. From there, Thurston executed a perfect two-minute drill from its own 35-yard-line. The Colts scored right before the first half ended with a 43-yard back-shoulder catch by senior receiver Bodie Bonar from junior quarterback Emmit Distefano to make it 20-13.
At that moment, the crowd and the Colts felt the momentum shift. Thurston received the second-half kickoff and moved the ball down the field to score again, tying the game at 20-20.
Everything was clicking for Thurston at this point. The defense stopped Churchill on its next possession, allowing the offense to return and take a 23-20 lead, courtesy of a 36-yard field goal from kicker Samuel Castanza.
That would be the final score for Thurston, though, and the lead itself was also short-lived. Churchill connected on a 53-yard pass on its first play of the drive and took the lead, 27-23. The Lancers’ defense stepped up as well, forcing Thurston to punt on each of its next two drives before the Churchill offense delivered the final blow in the form of a 54-yard rushing touchdown. This put the Lancers up 33-23.
“I’m just proud of this group, and I’ve got to give Churchill a lot of credit. We’ve been in their position, and we’ve done what they’ve done, and I know how it feels on both sides, and this side sucks,” Starck said.
Thurston finishes the season 10-2, a record built largely on the seniors in its locker room.
“Caleb Jones, Jordan Barr, and Cruz Gray were captains the whole way through and they were the leaders. Huge, huge shout out to Justin Fisher, the offensive player of the year and heartbeat of the team,” said Starck, the league’s coach of the year.
“Caleb hasn’t had a ton of targets or receptions this year, but we knew he was capable the whole time, and we’re happy that we could get him some tonight. And then Bodie has been our top receiver all year, so he really stepped up and filled the void that was left after last season,” Starck said.
