The North Thurston High School boys football team defeated Timberline High School 40-13 at South Sound Stadium in Lacey, in a WIAA 3A Puget Sound League rivalry game, on Friday, October 11, 2024. It was the first win for the Rams over the Blazers since 2015. North Thurston led the entire game. Both teams and cheer squads also recognized Breast Cancer Awareness Month with pink accents on uniforms.
North Thurston (2-4, 1-2 PSL) was led by Junior quarterback Nathan Ung who went 13 of 20 passing for 260 yards and three touchdowns. Jaylen Kennedy led the ground attack carrying the ball 15 times for 85 yards and a touchdown.
Head coach for the Rams, James Stippich, praised his team for their effort and was proud of how everyone contributed. “It was a fantastic victory, and since it’s our first win over Timberline since 2015 it feels incredible as this was really special for our team and the entire community,” Stippich said. “We have a lot of respect for our cross-town rival – they’ve been a tough team for years – but tonight, our guys just executed when it mattered most. We’re going to enjoy this win, but we’ll stay focused on the rest of the season and what we still want to accomplish.”
Timberline (1-5, 0-3 PSL) will look to regroup as they move forward looking for their first win in the PSL-Nisqually league. Timberline head coach James Jones was proud of his team’s effort. “The kids played hard but we made too many mistakes to give ourselves a chance at a win,” lamented Jones. “Congrats to NT. I was happy that our kids kept battling and we are proud of their effort.”
North Thurston hosts Capital (3-3, 2-1 PSL) next week on Friday, October 18, at 7 p.m. at South Sound Stadium and looks to move up into playoff contention. The Cougars sit one spot above North Thurston in the standings. Timberline will travel to league leader and undefeated Lakes (6-0, 3-0 PSL) in Tacoma.
Stippich was thrilled recalling the team’s attitude and work ethic. “The players have worked so hard for this, and they believed in the game plan and each other from start to finish.” North Thurston standouts on defense included Brody Shultz who had a game-changing 102-yard “pick six” interception return for a touchdown. Henry Hovde recorded six tackles, two sacks, and two tackles for loss as an anchor for the Rams defense. Jason Donaldson also contributed with six tackles, 30 receiving yards, and a touchdown. Rudy Larson had a great all-around performance with seven tackles and 43 receiving yards, including a touchdown.
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