| Saturday | Nov 19th | 2016 | 2A Playoffs | Boys | Football | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tumwater District Stadium | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final | |
| Tumwater | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| Archbishop Murphy | 10 | 7 | 14 | 17 | 48 | |
Murphy Avenges 2015 Tumwater Knockout in Otton’s Final Game
By Steve Dion
The juggernaut of 2A this season Archbishop Murphy traveled south to take on Sid Otton and Tumwater for a state semi berth and a chance to avenge last year’s finish when the Wildcats were eliminated by this same Tumwater team.
Archbishop jumped out to a quick double digit lead as Ryan Henderson buried a 39 yard field goal on the opening drive. Later in the quarter Collin Montez scored the first of many Wildcat touchdowns, this time from one yard out.
The Tbirds gathered their composure and established a run game with Noah Andrews and Jakob Holbrook to set up a circus catch in the endzone by Andrew May. Tumwater then tied the game when Nathan Seaman buried a field goal.
As the half was winding down, the Tbirds had a chance to take the lead, but the Cats defense held firm and gave their offense a chance to take a lead to the locker room.
Anfernee Gurley hauled in a late touchdown grab before the second quarter elapsed and the scoreboard read 17-10 in favor of ATM with one half to go.
Tumwater’s defense emerged from the locker room with renewed energy and were able to force two early turnovers. However, these opportunities did not result in any points.
The turning point occurred when Collin Montez picked off a pass deep in his team’s territory and ran the ball back 96 yards for the score.
Emmanuel Osuoha joined the party with a few late touchdowns to add to the Wildcats lead. Abraham Lucas played a crucial role in the second half shutout of the Tumwater attack.
With the win, Archbishop continues their run of dominance and places themselves one step closer to a state title. For Tumwater, their season ends, but more importantly, Sid Otton closes out his legendary coaching career.
The emotions on the field after the game covered the gamut and reminded us why we love high school football.
The Final Score:
Archbishop Murphy 48, Tumwater 10.
Top Performer
Archbishop Murphy
Collin Montez- 2 TDs (1 yard rush, 96 yard interception return)