GSL football: Sophomore Toby Thornburg carries University Titans over Walla Walla 18-13; U-Hi reaches state first time since 2012

Toby Thornburg is just a sophomore, but University coach Joe Ireland said he’s not “just a sophomore.”

“We brought him and (receiver) Grant Petersen up last year as freshmen so they wouldn’t feel like sophomores this year,” Ireland said.

Thornburg certainly made his coach look prophetic on Tuesday, carrying 39 times for 214 yards and two touchdowns, and the Titans held off the visiting Walla Walla Blue Devils 18-13 in a District 6 3A state play-in game.

Petersen had five catches for 44 yards with a 4-yard touchdown catch. 

“He’s just a horse,” Ireland said of the 5-foot-11, 190-pound Thornburg. “He’s always focused. He’s pretty humble. We’ve got a lot of really good running backs, and he’s just kind of risen to the top.”

U-Hi (5-5) hadn’t qualified for the state football playoffs since 2012. The Titans will travel to face Eastside Catholic (7-1) in a State 3A Round-of-32 game on Saturday – the same Crusaders who ended the Titans’ last playoff run.

The Blue Devils had no answer for Thornburg, who continuously pounded the ball between the tackles. 

“Our game plan was to try to get outside,” Ireland said, “but (Walla Walla) kind of came out in a little something different than we had thought and took that away. … So, we had to lean on what we’ve done all season and who’s gotten us here, and that’s Toby.”

It’s a dramatic and rapid change for the Titans, who won just one game last year. 

“We turned it around from last year going 1-9. We just changed the culture with this sophomore class,” Thornburg said. “We’re really trying to change the culture here and just turn it around and make a run these next two, three years.”

“This was a great experience for us to come out and get a win at home, because we wouldn’t get a home playoff game,” Ireland said. “We knew we’d be traveling. So, just glad that we get to keep going, and we’ve got to figure out what we’re going to do tomorrow and start looking at some Eastside Catholic film.”

Thornburg’s 25-yard touchdown run with 3 minutes, 33 seconds to go put U-Hi up 18-7.

But Wa-Hi QB Lincoln Heinrich (21 of 38, 310 yards) hit Trey McCauley on a fly pattern down the left sideline, and the junior receiver raced 66 yards for a touchdown. The 2-point conversion pass attempt was knocked away, and U-Hi led 18-13 with 2:55 left.

U-Hi recovered the onside kick at its 32, but three Thornburg runs couldn’t pick up a first down. Walla Walla fair caught the punt at its 25 with 1:25 left. U-Hi nearly had a game-clinching interception that went incomplete, then on fourth-and-20 at the WW 40, Heinrich heaved it to McCauley (seven catches, 131 yards) for 43 yards to the U-Hi 17 with one second left.

Heinrich’s pressured attempt as time expired sailed through the end zone, and the Titans held on.

“I’m sure glad that, you know, we’re not turning in gear,” Ireland said. “This is just a great opportunity for these kids to get to go and travel to the West Side, play a school and teams and kids that they don’t know, and just have a great experience.”

“It really just starts with the players and coaches just having leadership, just leaders coming up, boosting everybody’s confidence,” Thornburg said. “It’s having good practices, being a team, and just bringing it every practice, every day.”

After a scoreless first quarter, Walla Walla (3-7) took the ball at its 23. Heinrich hit Kaden Wilson for 28 yards to the U-Hi 22 and on the next play he found McCauley for the rest of it and the game’s first score.

Walla Walla tried a pooch kickoff but the Titans were not fooled and took over at the Blue Devils 47. Five plays later Thornburg barreled in from the 8. The extra point was blocked, and U-Hi trailed 7-6 with 4:58 left in the half.

The Titans defense sacked Heinrich for a big loss to the WW 14, and a short punt put U-Hi at the Blue Devils 44. U-Hi QB Aiden Sauter ran for 12 yards to the Walla Walla 28, then a pair of carries by Thornburg gave the Titans first-and-goal at the 4, where Sauter (7 of 12, 55 yards) hit Petersen on an out route for a touchdown.

The 2-point conversion attempt was stuffed, and the Titans led 12-7 at the half.

The teams traded punts at the start of the third quarter, then U-Hi’s Lincoln Murray picked off Heinrich and returned it to the Titans 46.

U-Hi kept pounding Thornburg up the middle, and Sauter found Petersen to convert a fourth-and-4 at the WW 34. U-Hi had a touchdown pass called back on an illegal shift penalty, then a holding penalty pushed them back further.

On fourth-and-16 at the 32, Sauter completed a long pass to Pedersen, but the spot was just short and the Titans turned it over on downs.

The teams traded punts again, and U-Hi got it back at its 44. Thornburg went off-tackle for 15 yards, then broke through the line for a 25-yard TD run. Sauter couldn’t get around the right end for the 2-point conversion, and U-Hi led by 11 with 3:33 to go.

Rob Bartlett was in his first year as head coach with the Titans in 2012 when they beat O’Dea and North Thurston in the State 3A playoffs before falling to second-ranked Eastside Catholic in a state semifinal at Joe Albi Stadium. 

“(Assistant) coach (Scott) Sutherland, who’s just an amazing coach, has been here, like, 40 years,” Ireland said. “And he has a t-shirt, and he wore it, when we beat Ridgeline (on Oct. 24 to clinch third place), and he said, ‘Hey, it says 2012 state (playoffs). That’s the time guys,’ “.

The Titans now get the chance go on the road on Saturday hoping to pull off the upset and avenge that loss. 

Kamiakin 28, Lewis and Clark 0: The Braves (7-2) blanked the Tigers (5-4) in a District 6 4A state play-in game at Lampson Stadium in Kennewick.

Kamiakin faces Bethel (5-4) in a State 4A Round-of-32 game on Saturday. Kamiakin was the No. 14-ranked team in 4A by the state RPI system.

This story was updated after print publication with additional quotes and statistics.