Winter sports previews are here!
In case you missed it:
Thurston falls; coach praises team’s growth
COLTS BEATEN, NOT DEFEATED
PIERRE WEIL / [email protected]
SALEM – It’s easy to understand the big-picture focus Thurston High football coach Justin Starck took in the aftermath of his team’s season-ending 41-14 loss to Summit in the state semifinals – the Colts’ second blowout defeat at the hands of the Storm this season.
“I’m just more focused on the season as a whole, and just proud of their effort and proud of them being league champions and getting us back to this point again,” said Starck. “Just proud of their overall effort.”
Thurston might have entered the season with lower expectations as younger, more inexperienced players stepped into key roles, but the standards didn’t change. After an 0-2 start, the Colts returned to form en route to their state semifinal appearance – following state titles in 2019 and ’20.
Above, three Summit defenders converge on Thurston’s Darien Witham (5) during Friday night’s game. Witham, a senior, rushed for a touchdown in Thurston’s 41-14 loss
The state semifinals and finals are played at neutral sites for Oregon football, and so the season finale on Friday was played at McCulloch Stadium on the campus of Willamette University in Salem. Both fanbases traveled well, filling roughly 40% of the 2,500-seat stadium. The Storm fanbase, traveling from Bend, left the much happier group while the Colts students, dressed up in their ski-gear themed clothes, were left to console their team.
The game quickly went south for Thurston as Summit scored on the opening possession, caused a Colts turnover and scored again to take a 13-0 lead seven minutes into the game.
Let’s keep in touch…
Interested in getting interviewed? Have an insight or perspective that needs to be shared with the world? Click contact us below:
Want more updates? Click links below to follow our social media:
