The North Thurston football team couldn’t contain the high-octane Central Kitsap pass attack in a 41-21 loss in a Puget Sound League crossover in Silverdale on Thursday, Oct. 29.
Central Kitsap punished the struggling Rams secondary with four touchdown passes over 50 yards, including a 79-yarder in the first quarter to put the Cougars up 7-0 through one.
North Thurston, coming off of a thrilling double-overtime win against River Ridge in Week 8, answered on a 3-yard touchdown plunge by Tasesa Maiava midway through the second quarter. But 18 seconds later, Central Kitsap threw a 76-yard bomb to regain the lead, and a 68-yard touchdown pass in the last two minutes of the half extended the Cougars lead to 21-7 at halftime.
The Cougars’ defense padded the lead with two pick-sixes of Rams quarterback Mateo Henry in the third quarter. Toa Tunai, the standout North Thurston running back and reigning Thurston Chronicle Athlete of the Week, stopped the Cougars’ scoring spree with a 9-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. After a 59-yard TD pass by CK, Henry threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Jackson Brewer in the final minute of the contest.
“Our secondary, it’s been like that all year. We’ve been able to stop the run, but we just haven’t been able to stop the pass,” North Thurston head coach Deon Toliver said. “We had a little lack of focus, especially early in the game, that cost us. The long bombs have been our Achilles heel all season on defense.”
North Thurston (2-7, 1-5 Puget Sound League) is keeping its options open for a potential Week 10 matchup, but it’s uncertain whether the Rams will schedule an opponent. If it’s the end of the season, Toliver said he’s proud of the effort and fight from his team in 2026.
“I’m proud of the kids, especially my seniors. They started the process. It might not be in wins and losses, but it’s definitely in effort and the brotherhood that they brought to the program,” he said. “Those guys never quit. They showed my youngsters how to stick together. That’s a huge start to building a program, and I think we’ll move forward strongly from there.”
