Springfield hasn't had much luck against Thurston recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Millers will be playing at home against the Colts at 7:00 p.m. Springfield has given up an average of 35 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Springfield and North Eugene meet (six straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Friday. The Millers won a game that couldn't have been any closer, slipping by the Highlanders 35-34. The high-flying offensive performance was a huge turnaround for the Millers considering their 12-point performance the contest before.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Springfield to victory, but perhaps none more so than Khamani James, who rushed for 180 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 10.0 yards per carry, and also picked up 78 receiving yards. Those 180 rushing yards gave James a new career-high. Noah Solo was another key player, rushing for 97 yards and one score.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Springfield was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 313 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Thurston had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 24.5 points) and they went ahead and made it three on Friday. They walked away with a 26-14 victory over the Indians.
Springfield better keep an eye on Justin Fisher. He was instrumental in Thurston's win, rushing for 112 yards and one TD on only 13 carries, while also picking up 43 receiving yards. That high mark didn't come from nowhere: Fisher posted at least 112 rushing yards in the third games prior.
Thurston's win bumped their record up to 4-1. As for Springfield, their victory (their first of the season) made their record 1-3.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Springfield has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 204.5 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Thurston struggles in that department as they've been averaging 157.2 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Springfield was dealt a bruising 39-7 loss at the hands of Thurston in their previous matchup back in September of 2024. That contest was all but decided by halftime, at which point the Millers were down 20-0.
