TUMWATER — In the locker room immediately after last year’s heartbreaking state semifinal loss to Tumwater, Archbishop Murphy’s players promised each other they would get another crack at the Thunderbirds — and that next time, the result would be different.
The Wildcats fulfilled that promise Saturday afternoon, clearing what might be the biggest hurdle on their quest for the program’s first-ever Class 2A state title.
Defensive backs Kyler Gordon and Collin Montez each had a momentum-swinging, interception-return touchdown in the third quarter as top-ranked Archbishop Murphy pulled away for a 48-10 win over second-ranked Tumwater in a heavyweight 2A state quarterfinal showdown at Tumwater District Stadium.
“(For) 51 weeks, it’s been in the back of our minds — the whole year almost,” Murphy senior receiver Anfernee Gurley said of last year’s semifinal, when Tumwater rallied for 17 unanswered points to hand the Wildcats a 24-21 loss. “It’s just been eating (us) away, but it was a huge motivating factor.”
“That was something that stuck with them through the offseason,” Murphy head coach Jerry Jensen added. “And then to have the challenge of having to come play them here — the boys really rose up today and played well, and I’m super proud of them.”
The victory earns the Wildcats (12-0) their second consecutive trip to the state semifinals, where they will face fourth-ranked Lynden (11-1) next Saturday. Lynden advanced with a 34-21 quarterfinal win over West Valley (Spokane).
Murphy entered Saturday’s quarterfinal having outscored its opponents 307-6 in six games this season (the Wildcats’ other five scheduled games were forfeited by opponents due to player-safety concerns). But Tumwater (10-2) hung with the high-powered Wildcats for much of the contest, trailing just 17-10 midway through the third quarter.
Then came Murphy’s ball-hawking defense.
Facing 3rd-and-10 from his own 20-yard line, Tumwater backup quarterback Matthew Brown lofted a pass downfield that was intended for senior tight end and University of Washington commit Cade Otton. Gordon, a junior, made a leaping interception on the play and returned it 41 yards for a touchdown, weaving his way into the end zone to give Murphy a 24-10 lead.
Tumwater responded by marching 76 yards in 12 plays to the Murphy 4, where the Thunderbirds faced a pivotal 4th-and-goal. But Montez, a senior, jumped in front of a Brown slant pass and sprinted untouched for a 97-yard interception-return touchdown, stretching the margin to 31-10 late in the third and all but killing Tumwater’s hopes of an upset.
“I saw the quarterback’s eyes give a little peak to the guy outside,” said Montez, who had another interception in the fourth quarter. “They caught me on it a couple times before and I wasn’t going to let it happen again. I picked it off and I wasn’t stopping.”
“The difference in the game was Collin making that pick-six,” Jensen added. “That broke everything open for us. You could just kind of see the momentum change there.”
The Wildcats intercepted Brown three times and finished with five forced turnovers — including four in the second half — to push their total to 26 in the forfeit-shortened season. Brown filled in at quarterback in the second half after starter Noah Andrews injured his throwing-arm bicep, Tumwater head coach Sid Otton said.
It was the final game of a legendary 49-year career for Otton, the winningest football coach in state history. Otton finishes with 394 career wins, including 361 wins and five state titles in his 43 seasons with Tumwater.
“It’s always an honor to get to play against a team that is so well-coached and a guy that’s so used to winning,” Gurley said. “It’s a blessing that we got to come out with a win against a guy that’s used to winning. What he’s done for Washington football is phenomenal. I’m really proud of him and I thank him a lot.”
On the game’s opening possession, Murphy defensive end Abraham Lucas laid a fumble-forcing hard hit on Andrews, and Jackson Yost recovered the loose ball for the Wildcats to set up a Ryan Henderson field goal. Later in the first quarter, Murphy quarterback Connor Johnson lofted a 46-yard pass down the sideline to Gordon, and Montez followed with a short touchdown run to give the Wildcats a 10-0 lead.
Tumwater answered with a 12-play, 80-yard scoring drive, which senior receiver Andrew May capped on the first play of the second quarter by hauling in a tough 25-yard touchdown catch with one foot inbounds. Then after the Thunderbirds recovered a fumble on Murphy’s next play from scrimmage, Tumwater running back Jakob Holbrook broke free for a 34-yard run to set up a game-tying field goal. Holbrook led the Thunderbirds with 119 yards rushing on 17 carries.
Gurley later hauled in a 22-yard reception and took a screen pass 35 yards for a touchdown on the following play to give Murphy a 17-10 lead with less than four minutes left in the half. Gurley finished with seven catches for 114 yards.
“Anfernee’s a special kid,” Jensen said. “When you get him the ball in the open field, he’s going to make people miss.”
After Tumwater intercepted Johnson on the Wildcats’ first possession of the third quarter to take over at the Murphy 33, the Wildcats’ defense held strong by forcing a turnover on downs. Murphy then drove to the Tumwater 10 and was on the verge of stretching its lead when the Thunderbirds intercepted Johnson in the end zone to keep it a seven-point game.
But the Wildcats made up for their offensive miscues with interception returns for touchdowns on Tumwater’s next two possessions to pull away.
“Defense is the biggest thing for us,” Gordon said. “That’s the main thing that we focus on. That’s what we all love… That’s how you win championships and that’s what we’re looking to do.”
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
