Vikings, Eagles defenses will be challenged
Santiam Christian's Marcus Fullbright rushed for 189 yards and six TDs Friday against Pleasant Hill. (Albany Democrat-Herald photo)The Siuslaw Vikings football team is on a serious roll as it heads to Adair Village for Friday's game.
Their opponent is the Santiam Christian Eagles, who are on an even bigger roll.
Kickoff is 7 p.m.
The Vikings are 4-1, winners of four in a row, including last Friday's 64-8 blowout of Harrisburg in their 3A Special District 2 North opener.
The Eagles are 5-0, ranked No. 2 in the OSAAtoday 3A coaches' poll, and are coming off a 63-20 thrashing of Pleasant Hill in their league opener.
Santiam Christian, led by freshman quarterback Ely Kennel, rolled to a 32-6 victory at Siuslaw last season. The Eagles finished 7-3 and shared the league title at 4-1.
The sophomore-dominated team was bounced in the first round, after reaching the state quarterfinals or better the nine previous seasons.
For the Eagles, 2018 was a down year.
This season they are well-grounded behind junior running back Marcus Fullbright, a 6-foot, 175-pound junior who had 31 carries for 189 yards and six touchdowns against Pleasant Hill.
Santiam Chistian has scored 238 points so far this season, third-best in 3A, for an average of 47.6 points a game. The stingy Eagles, who started the season with three shutouts in a row, have given up 35 points in five games, an average of 7.0.
The Vikings have scored 208 points, fourth best in 3A, a 41.6 average, while giving up 123, or 24.6 points a game.
Siuslaw answers Santiam Christian with a passing game that may threaten school records by season's end.
Junior quarterback Elijah Blankenship has the three top passing games in school history, all this year. He is 76 for 114 for 1,285 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Sophomore Braydon Thornton, the Coast Radio athlete of the week, has 46 receptions for 770 yards and 10 touchdowns in five games.
Vikings rushing has been every bit as potent as their passing.
Blankenship, sophomore running back Camp Lacouture and junior running back Hector Garcia have a combined 1,455 yards on the ground, or nearly 300 yards a game.
Lacouture has 83 carries for 685 yards and 9 touchdowns, Blankenship 55 for 461 and four TDs and Garcia 63 for 309 and two TDs.
Last week the Vikings rolled up a school-record 673 yards in offense, 339 passing and 334 rushing.
Friday, the Irresistible Force meets, well, the Irresistible Force.
Siuslaw school historian Don Hunt suggests the first team to 50 wins.
It has the potential to be one for the record books.
QUICK KICKS
It's Senior Night for Santiam Christian, which has seven on a varsity roster of 48 … Siuslaw has six seniors on a varsity roster of 36. …
Vikings Quarterback Club meets at 11:24 a.m. Friday at the high school, featuring first-year coach Samuel Johnson. …
2019 SIUSLAW VIKINGS SCHEDULE
Friday, Sept. 6 — at Elmira 30, Siuslaw 26
Friday, Sept. 13 — Siuslaw 28, at Philomath 19
Friday, Sept. 20 — at Siuslaw 42, Newport 20
Saturday, Sept. 28 — Siuslaw 48, McLoughlin 46, at Madras High School
Friday, Oct. 4 — at Siuslaw 64, Harrisburg 8
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
Information from school's OSAA web page
1 TE/LB Rhys Fleming, sophomore, 6-3, 170
3 QB/S Elijah Blankenship, junior, 5-8, 170
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, 5-8, 170
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
15 TE/DE Noah Dotson, freshman, 5-10, 160
22 RB/DB Odin Smith, freshman, 5-8, 150
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
54 OL/DL Julian Loftis, freshman, 6-2, 200
56 OL/DL John Corser, sophomore, 5-9, 180
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
70 OL/DL Tristan Stewart, freshman, 6-2, 170
76 OL/DL Zach Stinger, senior, 5-10, 220
80 WR/CB Isaac Garza, sophomore, 6-0, 160
87 WR/CB Colin Leland, junior, 6-0, 160
88 TE/DE John Rose, freshman, 6-3, 200
89 WR/DB Izaac Mattson, sophomore, 6-0, 140
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 North Schedule
Friday, Oct. 4
at Siuslaw 64, Harrisburg 8
Sutherlin 29, at La Pine 28
at Santiam Christian 63, Pleasant Hill 20
Thursday, Oct. 10
Sutherlin at Harrisburg, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 11
Siuslaw at Santiam Christian (Adair Village), 7 p.m., Senior Night
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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