Elmira rallies past Siuslaw in opener, 30-26
Viking captains for the opener were Braydon Thornton (8), Camp Lacouture (5), Skyler Loomis (33) and Elijah Blankenship (3). The Siuslaw Vikings football team had everything in its favor but the final score.
The Vikings had heart. They had their brotherhood. They had their fans cheering them on.
But in the end, the host Elmira Falcons erased an 11-point deficit in the final six minutes and held off a late desperation drive by the Vikings for a 30-26 nonleague football victory Friday night.
Siuslaw won first downs, 25-10.
The Vikings had nearly twice as many yards in total offense, 450 to 245.
Siuslaw also won the unofficial and dubious penalty battle, 22 for 125 yards to 15 for 117 yards, with several of the numerous 5-yard motion infractions coming at inopportune times.
The Vikings seemed to have victory in hand, holding a 26-15 lead and in possession of the ball with just over six minutes to play.
But Siuslaw turned the ball over on downs at the Vikings 27, and two plays later, Elmira senior running back Gavin Parker scored on a 25-yard run and a two point conversion.
Suddenly, it was 26-23.
Siuslaw got the ball back for one series, with Elmira taking possession on the Vikings' 4 with nearly five minutes to play.
Elmira junior running back Ayden Wolgamott spun around right end and into the end zone from the 14 with 3:28 as the Falcons took the lead for good. Landen Parker tacked on the second of his two extra-point kicks.
Siuslaw had one last shot at victory, starting on the Vikings 35 following a kickoff that sailed out of bounds.
The Vikings drove inside the Falcons' 10-yard line, helped mightily by two major Elmira infractions on one play — pass interference and unsportsmanlike penalties — that put the ball on the Elmira 13 with under a minute to play.
Elmira's defense took control, sacking Vikings junior quarterback Elijah Blankenship for a loss on fourth down with 10 seconds to play.
Blankenship had a big night offensively, passing for 182 yards and a score and rushing for 61 yards and a score.
Siuslaw sophomore running back Camp Lacouture had 27 rushes for 129 yards and a TD, while sophomore Braydon Thornton had six catches for 158 yards.
Siuslaw plays next Friday at Philomath, which won its opener Friday at Junction City, 15-13. Kickoff is 7 p.m.
SIUSLAW 0 18 8 0 — 26
ELMIRA 8 7 0 15 — 30
First quarter
Elmira — Gavin Parker 31-yard pass from Cobyn Herbert (Bryce Sawyer run), 6:30
Second quarter
Siuslaw — Elijah Blankenship 1-yard run (pass failed), 10:34
Siuslaw — Camp Lacouture 6-yard run (run failed), 7:18
Elmira — Ayden Wolgamott 1-yard run (Landen Parker kick), 5:41
Siuslaw — Rhys Fleming 5-yard pass from Elijah Blankenship (run failed), 0:00
Third quarter
Siuslaw — Brady Libby 33-yard interception return (Hector Garcia run), 1:00
Fourth quarter
Elmira — Gavin Parker 25-yard run (Gavin Parker run), 5:47
Elmira — Ayden Wolgamott 14-yard run (Landen Parker kick), 3:28
Statistics, by Ken Best
Passing — Siuslaw: Elijah Blankenship 9-20-182, Braydon Thornton 0-1-0, team minus-10 yards. Elmira: Cobyn Herbert 10-20-132, Bryce Sawyer 1-3-5, Ian Drago 0-2-0.
Rushing — Siuslaw: Camp Lacouture 27-129, Hector Garcia 24-88, Elijah Blankenship 14-61. Elmira: Ayden Wolgamott 13-41, Gavin Parker 3-41, Cobyn Herbert 7-37, Alex Head 1-4, Ian Drago 2-0, Bryce Sawyer 1-minus 6.
Receiving — Siuslaw: Braydon Thornton 6-158, Rhys Fleming 2-13, Isaac Garza 1-11. Elmira: Gavin Parker 3-41, Josiah Hernandez 2-67, Bryce Sawyer 2-20, Ayden Wolgamott 2-7, Alex Head 2-2.
2019 SIUSLAW FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Friday, Sept. 6 — at Elmira 30, Siuslaw 26
Friday, Sept. 13 — at Philomath, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 20 — Newport, 7 p.m., Hans Petersen Memorial Field
Saturday, Sept. 28 — McLoughlin/Griswold, 4 p.m., Madras High School
Friday, Oct. 4 — Harrisburg, 7 p.m., Hans Petersen Memorial Field
Friday, Oct. 11 — at Santiam Christian, 7 p.m., Adair Village
Friday, Oct. 18 — Pleasant Hill, 7 p.m., Hans Petersen Memorial Field
Friday, Oct. 25 — La Pine, 7 p.m., Hans Petersen Memorial Field
Friday, Nov. 1 — at Sutherlin, 7 p.m.
2019 SIUSLAW VIKINGS ROSTER
Heights and weights are semicredible guesstimates, for now
1 TE/LB Rhys Fleming, sophomore, 6-3, 170
3 QB/S Elijah Blankenship, junior, 5-7, 145
5 RB/LB Camp Lacouture, sophomore, 6-0, 170
7 RB/LB Ian Sissel, freshman, 5-10, 160
8 WR/CB Braydon Thornton, sophomore, 6-2, 170
9 TE/DE Avery Hart, sophomore, 6-3, 220
10 QB/S Beau Erickson, sophomore, 5-8, 140
11 WR/S Brady Libby, junior, 5-7, 140
12 RB/LB Hector Garcia, junior, 5-10, 175
13 RB/CB Hunter Petterson, freshman, 5-6, 140
14 RB/LB Mason Buss, freshman, 5-6, 130
15 WR/CB Jake Roberts, freshman, 5-8, 140
23 WR/CB James Smith, sophomore, 5-11, 160
26 WR/LB Tyrone Krohn, junior, 5-10, 150
33 RB/LB Skyler Loomis, junior, 5-10, 170
41 WR/CB Jason Garcia, sophomore, 5-8, 150
50 OL/LB Victor Ayala, freshman, 5-8, 200
51 OL/DL Henry Rankin, sophomore, 6-0, 220
53 OL/LB Ethan Aaron, sophomore, 5-9, 170
53 OL/DL Ricky Loza, senior, 5-8, 170
56 OL/DL John Corser, sophomore, 5-9, 180
57 OL/DL Zach Stinger, senior, 5-10, 220
62 OL/DL Joe Slaughter, sophomore, 5-9, 170
64 OL/LB Christian Newlan, junior, 5-11, 200
65 OL/DL Matthew Horillo, senior, 5-10, 240
67 OL/DE Dayson Foglio, senior, 6-5, 240
68 OL/DL David Spencer, senior, 6-2, 330
70 OL/DL Isaiah Jones, senior, 6-0, 180
84 WR/CB Isaac Garza, sophomore, 6-0, 160
88 WR/CB Colin Leland, junior, 6-0, 160
88 TE/DE John Rose, freshman, 6-3, 200
Head coach: Sam Johnson (first year)
Assistant coaches: Andy Johnson, Billy Jones, Bob Teter, Dennis Davidson, Gerald Fleming, Jeff Gray, Nick Johnson, Tom Shinn.
OSAA Class 3A Special District 2 Schedule
Nonleague
Friday, Sept. 6
at Elmira 30, Siuslaw 26
at Taft 14, Harrisburgh 6
at La Pine 42, Douglas 22
Hidden Valley 50, at Sutherlin 26
Santiam Christian 39, at Dayton 0
Saturday, Sept. 7
Salem Christian at Pleasant Hill, 1 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 13
Siuslaw at Elmira, 7 p.m.
Harrisburg at. Blanchet Catholic, 7 p.m.
La Pine at Madras, 7 p.m.
Pleasant Hill at Hidden Valley, 7 p.m.
Taft at Sutherlin, 7 p.m.
Douglas at Sutherlin, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 20
Newport at Siuslaw, 7 p.m.
Cascade Christian at Harrisburg, 7 p.m.
La Pine at Burns, 7 p.m.
Dayton at Pleasant Hill, 7 p.m.
Sutherlin at Douglas, 7 p.m.
Scio at Sutherlin, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 27
Douglas at Harrisburg, 7 p.m.
La Pine at Rogue River, 7 p.m.
Pleasant Hill at Cascade Christian, 7 p.m.
South Umpqua at Sutherlin, 7 p.m.
Santiam Christian at Blanchet Catholic, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 28
Siuslaw vs. McLouglin/Griswold at Madras, 4 p.m.
League
Friday, Oct. 4
Harrisburg at Siuslaw, 7 p.m.
Sutherlin at La Pine, 7 p.m.
Pleasant Hill at Santiam Christian, 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 11
Siuslaw at Santiam Christian (Adair Village), 7 p.m.
Sutherlin at Harrisburg, 7:30 p.m.
La Pine at Pleasant Hill, 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 18
Pleasant Hill at Siuslaw, 7 p.m.
Harrisburg at La Pine, 7 p.m.
Santiam Christian at Sutherlin, 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 25
La Pine at Siuslaw, 7 p.m.
Harrisburg at Santiam Christian, 7 p.m.
Sutherlin at Pleasant Hill, 7 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 1
Siuslaw at Sutherlin, 7 p.m.
Pleasant Hill at Harrisburg, 7 p.m.
Santiam Christian at La Pine, 7 p.m.
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