Semipro football: Gladiators to retire Thurber’s No. 4

Former Great Falls Gladiators owner, general manager and quarterback Brad Thurber’s No. 4 jersey will be retired during halftime of Saturday’s Rocky Mountain Football League game against the Brigham Sting at Memorial Stadium, and the current RMFL commissioner says he might be getting more credit than he really deserves.

“It’s very nice and kind of the Gladiators to be doing this,” Thurber said, “but I did have a lot of help in the nine years I ran the team. Mike Morgan and Jason Kjono were my head coaches, plus there were a lot of players and coaches that really did a lot for the team.

“I’m certainly honored, and I’m excited to be playing one more time in Memorial Stadium and to be playing among old friends.”

And, according to Thurber, this “one more time” will be it. He turns 41 in June. No Brett Favre impersonations for him.

“I really thought that when I moved to Utah (after the 2010 championship) that it would be the end,” Thurber added. “I’ve stopped making any promises or guarantees, but I would have to believe that the end of this season will be it.”

Richard Downing currently wears No. 4 for the Gladiators, so the number will officially be hung up at the end of the season.

Now, just because the Gladiators are going to hang Thurber’s jersey in the team’s Hall of Fame, doesn’t mean they’re going to take it easy on him this weekend. After all, he will be wearing an enemy uniform for 48 minutes on Saturday.

And, yes … he’ll be wearing No. 4.

“The Sting runs a wing-T offense, so they pass quite a bit,” Kjono, the current Gladiators’ head coach, said. “Brad is an all-around quarterback, and there’s no doubt about it: if he can’t find an open receiver, he’ll tuck the ball away and run with it.”

The Gladiators are on a two-game winning streak, and if they want to make it three, some backups are going to have to step up to the plate. Two offensive tackles and a guard will be on the shelf this weekend.

“John Degel is nursing a knee injury, Brian Buckreus is coming off a mild hamstring pull, and Grady Goodwin in out-of-state and unavailable,” Kjono said, adding that he’s got the staff to pick up the pace.

Wide receiver Marshane Haynes, who tweaked his knee and missed the entire second half of last week’s win over Magic Valley, will be back in the lineup: “He’s almost back to 100 percent,” said Kjono.

“We’ve got the potential to string a bunch of wins together.”

Kickoff is at 7 p.m. at Memorial Stadium