Colts kick it up a notch to top Lancers.

Byline: Steve Mims The Register-Guard

Thurston is turning its football season around.

After a 1-3 start in nonleague play, the Colts became the first Midwestern League team to get to 2-0 in league play with a 31-7 victory over Churchill Thursday night at Churchill High School. The Colts knocked off the defending league champions to take a half-game lead over Springfield (1-0), which hosts North Eugene tonight.

"We're 2-0, we beat the defending champs, so we have to avoid a letdown," Thurston coach Justin Starck said. "Willamette is next, and they are a good team so we will scout them (tonight) and be ready to go."

Thurston opened the league schedule with a 40-13 victory over North Eugene and has outscored its two league opponents 71-20.

"We're all pulling together, the chemistry is finally coming together and we are playing as a team," said junior quarterback Tym Pearson, who was 8-for-14 for 109 yards and two touchdowns and also ran for 59 yards on 10 carries. "We're trying to eliminate mistakes and play a good game. I like the fact we are all coming together as one and that it's showing."

Thurston played a tough nonleague schedule that included losses to Bend, the No. 6 team in Class 5A, as well as Grants Pass and Sheldon, who are both ranked among the top six teams in 6A.

"I think we got better for playing the schedule we played, and we are starting to see it now," Starck said. "Maybe we didn't know how good we were when we were 1-3, but the kids are starting to realize how good they can be."

One week after rushing for 236 yards against North Eugene, the Colts totaled 235 yards on the ground against Churchill.

Sophomore Omar Jackson rushed for 108 yards on 11 carries, and Travis Newman had 61 yards on 14 carries.

"We have to give credit to the offensive line," Pearson said. "We just run and do what we do. The line opens us up, and we hit the hole."

Thurston drove 78 yards on its first possession before Pearson threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Tim Autele.

Jonny Wymore added a 24-yard field goal for the Colts before Newman scored on a three-yard run to put the Colts ahead 17-0 at halftime.

Churchill's Morgan Ostran-der tossed a nine-yard touchdown pass to Justin Hoffman early in the third quarter, but Thurston answered when Jackson scored on an eight-yard run to take a 24-7 lead. Pearson threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Michael Akins later in the quarter.

Thurston's defense intercepted five passes and recovered a fumble while limiting Churchill to 37 rushing yards on 18 carries.

The Lancers dropped to 1-1 in league.

"We got outplayed," Churchill coach Darrell Mehl said. "Thurston got around the football real well on defense and outplayed us. We made too many mistakes to have an opportunity to win."