Vikings face 3 Top 10 teams in next 3 weeks
The new Oregon School Activities Association Class 4A football rankings are out, and they paint a daunting picture for the 1-3 Siuslaw Vikings.
Siuslaw's next three games are against top 10 teams, including No. 1 North Bend at home Friday, then road games the next two Fridays at No. 7 Marshfield and No. 9 South Umpqua.
The Vikings are ranked No. 28 following Friday's 53-0 loss at Douglas. Douglas is No. 15 and Brookings-Harbor No. 31.
Siuslaw finishes with a home game with Brookings-Harbor on Oct. 21, the Vikings' last scheduled game, which will serve as homecoming and senior recognition night.
The Vikings' postseason hopes are dimming, but are not out by any means. Two more wins and a 3-5 record might do it, but Siuslaw would have to upset one of its next three opponents while holding serve against Brookings-Harbor.
North Bend has been on an impressive roll since opening the season with a 31-21 victory at Astoria, currently the No. 4-ranked OSAA Class 4A team.
The Bulldogs followed with back-to-back 49-7 wins, the first over defending 4A state champion Cascade and the second this past Friday at Brookings-Harbor.
North Bend will play one less regular-season game because of the cancellation of the Philomath varsity season. North Bend was to play Philomath in a preleague game on Sept. 9.
Siuslaw's loss Friday at Douglas was the first time the Vikings had been held scoreless in the past 251 games, according to the school's unofficial football historian, Don Hunt.
Siuslaw hadn't been shut out since Oct. 10, 1991, when the Vikings, oddly enough, were beat by Douglas, 22-0, according to Hunt's records.
Hunt is working on a book on the history of Siuslaw football.
Hunt noted that Friday's loss was the fourth most-lopsided in school history.
Siuslaw lost to Toledo 63-0 in 1949, to Newport 60-0 in 1949 and 68-12 in 1953.
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