Down 14 heading into the fourth quarter is never an ideal situation, let alone in the state championship. Quarterback Ty Thompson, former Arizona player of the year and two-time state champion, will tell you that he lives for moments like these. 

Thompson lives to defy odds, come back and win. 

On the opening possession in the fourth, Thompson drove down the field and cut the deficit to seven, powering his way into the endzone on a three-yard QB draw. Despite trailing in the final minutes against a team with only three losses, Thompson had full faith in himself, his team and his coaches to grind out a victory. 

“I’ve come back and won 10 games in my career over the past two years,” Thompson said in an interview with the Emerald. 

This wasn’t his first game with fourth-quarter magic. In his last seven playoff games, he had put together five game-winning drives. 

Winning a state championship is the dream of all high school athletes, but for Thompson it was a job. 

With just 40 seconds remaining, Thompson lined up inside the five-yard line. With thousands of people in attendance, Thompson was locked in and the field was silent. He dropped back and delivered a strike to the endzone for six. Mesquite trailed, 38-37. 

Mesquite went for the two-point conversion with the game on the line. As soon as the ball was snapped, a defensive lineman was all over Thompson. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his favorite target, receiver Eric Lira, open. Forced to throw off of his back foot, Thompson connected with Lira and sealed the game. 

“It felt like I was out there playing youth football again,” Thompson said. “I was in full control and had the game in my hand. I knew what was coming before it was coming.”

That game wasn’t just won in the fourth quarter. It was months in the making.

While other teams weren’t training over the offseason because their gyms and schools were closed due to the pandemic, Thompson rallied his team to be the best they could be, practicing wherever and whenever they could. His goals were nothing short of winning a second state title.

“Whether it was the back field at our school where no one could see us or parks five minutes down the road, we had to do what we had to do because they weren’t allowing us to practice,” Thompson said. “So I had to get the team together because I knew we needed to throw the ball around.”

Thompson is a natural-born leader. Those close to him describe him as an incredible athlete, teammate, student and person, both on and off the field. He is the type of person to work from sunup to sundown and make everyone around him better. He has a way of making people feel special and valuable.

“Ty was on an elite 7v7 team, and on that team, there were at least 10 power five division 1 athletes,” Ty’s father, Dirk Thompson, said.

On a team visit to UCLA, while the rest of the team was playing around with each other, Ty and his dad shared an intimate father-son moment.

“He picks up a football, and I just happen to be somewhere near him and he looked at me and flipped it to me and we started to play catch,” Thompson’s father said. “It warmed my heart because he could’ve chosen to play catch with any of those guys. I thought that was special… he made me feel special.” 

To Thompson, his relationship with his father has always been important.

“He’s the person that I care about the most,” Thompson said. “He’s the one who pushed me so hard to get me this far and supported me so much that the least I could do was spend a little time and energy with him instead of some of these big named guys. It didn’t come to my mind to throw with anyone but my dad.”

Thompson’s presence and impact are felt wherever he goes, even if it’s unintended. 

Being caring is something that is second nature to Thompson. It’s not hard to do, but it’s something that he does and will continue to do.

“My son was the ball boy when he was in sixth, seventh and eighth grade when Ty was here,” Ty’s high school coach, Scott Hare, said. “Ty made him feel really special and really important. It was something I didn’t expect him to do, he just did it on his own. It’s the little things that nobody sees or knows of. I don’t even think Ty knows to that degree, what kind of effect he has on the people around him.”

Peers describe Thompson as the type of individual who always strives to do the right thing at the right time. If he’s not the first one at practice and the last to leave, then he’s watching film or in the gym working out. His leadership by example shows others how dedicated he really is and motivates them to work just as hard.

“Ty is a very goal-oriented young man, who is going to really work to achieve his goals,” coach Hare said. “He’s a good-natured, genuine hard worker and that’s what people are going to look up to him for.”

The Arizona phenom signed with Oregon in March 2020, making him the first-ever five-star quarterback to sign with the Ducks. 

Thompson is the top-rated player from the state of Arizona, according to ESPN, and the No. 2 ranked dual-threat quarterback in the nation, per Rivals.

With a resume like that, you’re going to receive a ton of offers from schools all around the nation. Thompson turned down almost 20 top-flight Division 1 schools, including the 2020 national champions LSU. But for Thompson, Oregon was the place to be.

“The atmosphere at Autzen on Saturdays is unmatched,” Thompson said. “We compete for the Pac-12 every year and we’re in a position to put ourselves in the conversation for college football playoffs. I think we’re going to be a special team for years to come.”

Before his family even left the tour, Thompson knew he wanted to go to Oregon.

“We went on a lot of visits,” Dirk Thompson said. “But the culture at Oregon was palpable. You can just feel the energy when we went to Oregon. We went to that place and the energy was just second to none.” 

“I love it, I’m having a blast,” Thompson said. “I love the guys, love the coaches, love everything we’re doing.” 

Thompson finished his high school career with 9,891 passing yards and 100 touchdowns, while also rushing for 1,145 yards and 20 touchdowns. 

Thompson is one of five quarterbacks in Oregon’s quarterback room. If Thompson is able to bring his disciplined work ethic and high skill level to Oregon, he will elevate the football program for years to come.