Former long-time Tumwater teacher and coach Gary Taylor passed away on June 29th after a long and courageous battle with prostate cancer. Gary taught Math at THS and was an assistant football and wrestling coach from 1975 until departing in 1997 to become the Athletic Director at Black Hills High School. Highlights of his career include coaching his sons Casey and Gentry during the 1987 and 1993 State Championship seasons.

A memorial will be held to celebrate his life in the THS gymnasium at 7:00pm on Wednesday July 7th. Gary requested that those attending wear either T-Bird gear or a muscle shirt with cargo shorts.

LINK TO GARY'S OBITUARY

2010schedule2.pdf

We will soon be updating our site to gear things up for the 2010 season.  In the meantime, here are some important dates to remember:

• March 25th - April 15th:  Calendar sales
• June 2nd - June 18th:  Mini-camp practices will be held every Monday, Wednesday and Friday
• June 19th - June 22nd:  Team Camp at Central Washington University
• July 26th - July 29th:  Tumwater Football Camp (TFC) TFC2010.pdf
• August 18th:  First day of Fall practice
• September 3rd:  Game 1 at Ingersoll stadium vs Olympia

Matt Johnson has been named the Sports Network National Defensive Player of the Week and the Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Week for his four interception performance vs Portland State on Saturday.

http://www.goeags.com/sports/m-footbl/2009-10/releases/09fbNov2JohnsonHonors

Former T-Bird Matt Johnson has been honored by the Big Sky Conference as well as The Sports Network for his efforts in last Saturday's game vs Portland State.  Matt had four interceptions to spark Eastern Washington to an important Conference victory. 

http://www.goeags.com/sports/m-footbl/2009-10/releases/09fbNov2JohnsonHonors

T-Birds celebrating ’89 title team tonight

HIGH SCHOOLS: Legendary Tumwater state champions to be honored by school

GAIL WOOD; The Olympian | • Published October 09, 2009

http://www.theolympian.com/highschoolsports/story/997818.html

Of Sid Otton's four state championship football teams, the 1989 Tumwater team that outscored opponents 566-92 and finished 13-0 was his best.  It’s considered one of the best South Sound teams ever. 

A Tumwater team that beat Cheney 27-7 in the 2A state championship game and was led by an all-state trio of Scott Gurnsey, Brad Otton and Lance Martin will be the guests of honor at tonight’s home game against Hoquiam.

“It was a unique team,” Sid Otton said. “No. 1, they were tremendous competitors. No. 2, they kept it on a consistent level. It didn’t matter who they were playing. They always had that business-like attitude.”

Gurnsey, the speedy wingback in Tumwater’s Wing-T offense, gave the T-Birds the game-breaking playmaker. Brad Otton, who threw 29 touchdowns with just three interceptions and went on to play quarterback for USC, gave them the long-ball threat. Martin, a hard-hitting linebacker who led his team in tackles, gave them a stopper, and a leader on defense.

Karl Pfaff, Bryan Lowe and Kevin Clark gave them the power running game. And Tony Doughty gave them the sure-handed receiver.

“I’d think Scott Gurnsey was our star, but there were so many kids who contributed,” said Pat Alexander, Tumwater’s defensive coordinator. “My favorite one was Lance Martin, who was our all-state linebacker.”

Tumwater’s defense dominated, shutting out four opponents and allowing only one team to score more than one touchdown during the regular season.

Tumwater outscored opponents 457-57 in 10 regular season games, with 21 points of that coming in a 45-21 win against White River. In wins against Olympia and Capital, the Thunderbirds outscored them, 97-15.

“They were a special group of kids,” Alexander said. “At the time, we didn’t think they were exceptionally athletic. But they were very focused. What stood out about that ’89 team was they were focused every game.”

In a 61-0 win against Aberdeen, Tumwater wanted to shut down Mark Bruener, Aberdeen’s all-state tight end who went on to play for the University of Washington and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“We knew they had an audible to Bruener if we stunted,” Alexander said. “So we had Lance fake the stunt and Chad Stussy stepped in front of Bruener and ran it back for a touchdown.”

Bruener finished with one catch for 4 yards.

In the playoffs, Tumwater beat Renton 41-15 and O’Dea 41-13 to reach the finals. Against Cheney in the finals, Tumwater led 27-0.

Seven players from that team went on to play college football.

“At every position, there was a very good player,” said Doughty, who had 46 catches for 627 yards and 11 touchdowns that season. “We didn’t have any weak spots.”

About 30 players off that 1989 team are expected at tonight’s game. They’ll be introduced before the game and then run through a tunnel formed by this year’s team onto the field. Gurnsey, who does the radio color commentary for the Montana Grizzlies, will drive back to Montana after the game to catch the Grizzlies game on Saturday.

That 1989 team won on the field and was friends off of it.

“That was the pinnacle to my athletic career,” said Doughty, who was an all-conference receiver at Whitworth College. “That was the most fun time. That was the best group I’ve been around.”

Tumwater won state titles in 1987, ’89, ’90 and ’93.

Bearcats pass major EvCo test

HIGH SCHOOLS: Ben Ternan's 5 TD throws help Chehalis top Tumwater, 34-14

• AARON WASSER; For The Olympian | • Published October 03, 2009

TUMWATER - If the Chehalis Bearcats are going to put together the special year they believe this season can be, Friday night's game featured one of the big hurdles they needed to clear on their way to achieving that goal.

From The Olympian: Link

Tumwater 29, Aberdeen 22: The Tumwater Thunderbirds had the upper hand in the back-and-fourth battle on the harbor and recovered an on-side kick late in the fourth quarter to hand Aberdeen its first loss.

Tumwater scored two quick touchdowns in the first quarter, but Aberdeen had the momentum going into the locker room at halftime with a 15-14 lead.

“They moved the ball right down the field on us,” Tumwater coach Sid Otton said. “They had more organized drives, and we couldn’t get them off the field.”

T-Birds quarterback Kyle Warner had 159 yards rushing on 13 carries and one rushing touchdown. Fullback Payten Olson rushed for 121 yards on 14 carries.

After Aberdeen scored to pull within 29-22, the Bobcats tried an onside kick, but Tumwater recovered. “I was happy to see how our kids responded coming into the second half,” Otton said.

Otton also noted the play of Michael Glasgo, who had two interceptions on defense.

From The Daily World: Link

Holding the lead at halftime, Aberdeen had all of the momentum entering the third quarter.

Unfortunately, no one told Tumwater.

The visiting T-Birds took the lead on the opening drive of the second half, held the Bobcats on a pivotal red-zone drive and survived a furious comeback attempt for a 29-22 Evergreen 2A football win Friday night at Stewart Field.

On the legs of senior quarterback Mike King, Aberdeen scored with 3:38 remaining to reduce the deficit to seven. An onside kick attempt failed, but Tumwater couldn’t ice the game, allowing Aberdeen one last try.

With 1:36 remaining, the Bobcats (1-1, 3-1) couldn’t escape the shadow of their own goal posts. On fourth down, Michael Glasgo picked off King for the second time to end the comeback.

Tumwater (2-0, 3-1) finished with 406 yards rushing, with quarterback Kyle Warner leading with 161 yards and one touchdown and Payton Olson adding 105 yards on 14 carries.

“The kids played hard; I’m proud of them,” AHS coach Ron Clark said. “(Tumwater) is a better team, more disciplined than we are. If we’re going to have aspirations of becoming a playoff team this season, we need to get serious about stopping the run or it’ll be the Mike King and Tanner Sturm show for the fans.

“A serious team will stop the run (on defense).”

King finished with 254 yards passing on 22-of-39 attempts, one score and two interceptions. Sturm hauled in seven of King’s throws for 124 yards and one score.

Before the game, former Seattle Seahawk receiver Paul Johns presented a $200,000 check to the “Save Stewart Field” committee toward the turf renovation at the stadium.

Former Bobcats and retired pros Guy Bingham and Mark Bruener were honored as honorary co-captains for Friday’s game.

Aberdeen felt as if it had Tumwater on its heels after scoring twice to take a 15-14 halftime lead.

King did most of the work and got plenty of help on the first Bobcat scoring drive, a 12-play, 75-yard march. The senior slinger went 5-for-6 for 47 yards and ran for 23 yards, including a 7-yard option keeper for a touchdown.

Diego Fortuna booted the extra-point try, then pinned Tumwater back on the kickoff.

Aberdeen registered its first defensive stop of the game on Tumwater’s third drive, setting up a scoring drive from midfield. Senior Jeff Ancich and King ran for first downs before King hit Luis Clinton for an 8-yard completion.

On the next play, a bobbled shotgun snap sent King scrambling. On the run, the senior hit wide receiver Tanner Sturm in the back of the end zone for a 25-yard touchdown. Sturm outmaneuvered Glasgo for the ball to make the catch.

On the ensuing extra-point try, the ball was hiked past Sturm, the holder. Scrambling, Sturm threw to a wide-open Mike Miller for an impromptu 2-point conversion.

Tumwater got the ball to start the second half and rekindled the dominant rushing attack that it showcased in the first quarter.

The T-Birds needed just 31⁄2 minutes to go 76 yards on seven plays, capped by a 17-yard touchdown run by Josh Yandle. Quarterback Kyle Warner hit Jake Dowers for a 2-point conversion and a 22-15 lead.

The teams traded punts before Aberdeen got its chance to tie the game.

King hit Sturm on a 48-yard pass down to the Tumwater 15-yard line late in the third quarter. A King run to the 6-yard line set up the Bobcats on third down and 1 yard to go. With a full backfield, King play-actioned away, but found three T-Bird defenders bearing down for an 11-yard sack.

On fourth down, a screen pass from King to Ancich went nowhere to end the drive.

“That was a killer,” Clark added. “We didn’t put the kids into a position to win on that play. (The kids) are resilient. They showed that against Centralia and they did that here.”

Buoyed by the defensive stop, Tumwater marched 85 yards on nine plays, led by two 16-yard keepers by Warner and a 20-yard sweep by Yandle.

Pat Peden scored his second touchdown, a 5-yard bull run with three Bobcats draped ont him early in the fourth quarter. Peden started the scoring with a 7-yard run on Tumwater’s first drive of the game.

Aberdeen needed 16 plays to go 71 yards to give itself a chance for a tie late, with Tumwater helping with a personal foul to extend the drive. A completion to Clinton and Ancich moved the Bobcats down the field before King scrambled out and spun his way into the end zone from 15 yards out.

Aberdeen travels to Olympic Stadium to take on rival Hoquiam a week from today. The kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.