Churchill rushes past Thurston in state playoffs

ADON ECCLES / CHRONICLE PHOTO
Senior Caleb Jones (left) reacts after Thurston’s season-ending loss to Churchill last Friday in the state playoffs.

ADON ECCLES / CHRONICLE PHOTO
Senior Caleb Jones (left) reacts after Thurston’s season-ending loss to Churchill last Friday in the state playoffs.

All 14 of Thurston’s runners competing at the Midwestern League championships on Wednesday qualified for state. Both the boys and girls teams earned third-place finishes, with the boys scoring 74 and the girls 76. The boys had two top-10 finishers…

SPRINGFIELD – The Springfield Drifters announced their 2026 schedule this past Thursday – featuring 29 home games and a trip to Victoria, British Columbia, to face the HarbourCats on June 12. “I think it’s really exciting to get to go…

PLEASANT HILL – The scene had all the drama of a Friday Night Lights episode. The 14th-ranked Pleasant Hill Billies were facing No. 7 Sisters; both programs tied atop the Class 3A Special District 3 standings; each team with a…

COTTAGE GROVE – Carter Bengtson is running on the collegiate level, but that doesn’t mean anyone has lowered the bar for Cottage Grove’s cross country program. The Lions hosted their annual Bramble Scramble this past Saturday where nine high schools…

SPRINGFIELD —The Thurston Colts football team entered Silke Field on Friday night looking to extend their nine-game winning streak against the crosstown rival Springfield Millers. After a back-and-forth first half, the Colts were able to do just that, winning 38-7…

Cyclists, rev your crankset! Bikers across Lane County will have an abundance of new routes connecting the five districts. Andy Vobora, VP of stakeholder relations for Travel Lane County, helped lead the Travel Lane County team in developing bike paths…

THURSTON – The Thurston Colts were able to find a last-minute opponent following an unexpected forfeit from its scheduled opponent – South Eugene – then went out and beat Class 4A powerhouse Henley 35-27 on Friday night. South Eugene officials…

Area boys soccer teams recorded plenty of accolades last season. The challenge this year is to repeat the regular-season success – and go even deeper in the postseason. The Springfield Millers finished 2024 with a 7-7-1 record and first in…

None of the local teams won their conferences last season, but multiple schools earned a playoff spot. This season, more-experienced teams should challenge for league titles and make deeper postseason runs. Despite missing the playoffs last season under first-year head…