Two Teens in Custody After Threats Cancel Thurston County Football Games; Both Games Rescheduled for Monday, Oct. 26

Two Thurston County high school football games canceled Friday, Oct. 23, after threats of violence will be played Monday evening, Oct. 26, with extra law enforcement on hand, and two teenagers are in custody, according to police, the sheriff's office and the school districts.

Tumwater and Black Hills will play the Pioneer Bowl at 6 p.m. Monday at Tumwater High School Stadium, according to the Tumwater School District and Tumwater High's football program, as reported by The Chronicle and West 42 Sports. Rochester and Centralia will play their rescheduled senior night game Monday evening at Rochester High School.

The Pioneer Bowl threat

The Tumwater School District canceled the crosstown rivalry game "out of an abundance of caution" while police searched for a juvenile suspected of posting online threats that referred to the game, KOMO News reported. Tumwater police said the posts were linked to a former Tumwater Middle School student who no longer attends school in the area.

Police later took a 14-year-old from King County into custody at the Tumwater Police Department "with the cooperation of a family member," the department said. The teen was booked at Thurston County Youth Services on suspicion of threats to bomb or injure property. Police said they do not expect more arrests.

The Rochester-Centralia threat

The Rochester and Centralia districts canceled their game Friday after a student reported a threat to a Centralia school administrator. Sheriff Derek Sanders said the threat targeted a specific student, KOMO reported.

The sheriff's office said the Rochester School District's resource officer found the threat of gun violence credible and established probable cause to arrest a 15-year-old on suspicion of disturbing school activities, a misdemeanor, KIRO 7 reported. Youth Services first declined to book the teen because the charge did not meet its normal threshold, and the teen was released. Sanders said he learned of the release late Saturday, Oct. 24, and contacted Youth Services, which agreed to make an exception. He said deputies found the teen within 30 minutes and he was booked into juvenile detention. Sanders took responsibility for what he called a "breakdown of communication" and said the office will review how it escalates such cases.

In a joint statement, Rochester Superintendent Justin Black and Centralia Superintendent Lisa Grant said the situation "did not start at either of the schools. It started at a party last weekend," The Chronicle reported.

Tickets

Online tickets for the Pioneer Bowl were refunded, West 42 Sports reported. Fans who bought tickets at the school can ask the school for a refund or use them Monday.