The Siuslaw Vikings football team has once again flipped the script from the ordeal that was the 2018 season.

Sophomore wide receiver Braydon Thornton threw for a touchdown, ran for a touchdown and caught a pass for a touchdown to lead the Vikings to a 44-15 victory over the Pleasant Hill Billies on Friday night at Hans Petersen Field.

"Having gone through every game since the early 1950s, I believe Braydon Thornton became the first Viking to run for a touchdown, throw for a touchdown and catch a pass for a touchdown in one game," school historian Don Hunt said via email.

Siuslaw, 0-8 last season, is now 5-2 for the season and 2-1 in 3A Special District 2 North, with four of those wins against teams that abused the Vikings in 2018.

It was only a year ago that the Billies routed the Vikings at Pleasant Hill, 43-16.

Siuslaw gets another shot at payback this coming Friday when they host La Pine (0-3 in league) on Homecoming/Senior Night at Hans Petersen Field. Kickoff is 7 p.m.

La Pine won last season at La Pine, 50-7.

Friday, Thornton did all of his scoring damage in the first half, then exited the game late in the fourth quarter with an apparent injury. (Vikings coach Sam Johnson said that Thornton was fine.)

Thornton played a part in three of the Vikings' four first-half touchdowns, scoring on a 5-yard run, a 35-yard pass and tossing a 16-yard TD pass to junior Brady Libby.

Junior quarterback Elijah Blankenship gave the Vikings the lead for good on the second play of the game, scoring on a 63-yard keeper.

The Billies scored on a couple of big plays, tackling Vikings running back Hector Garcia in the end zone for a safety in the first quarter and scoring a touchdown on a 67-yard run by senior running back Cody Morrell midway through the second quarter.

Siuslaw added to their point total in the second half on a safety, an 8-yard touchdown pass from Blankenship to sophomore tight end Rhys Fleming and a 5-yard TD run by sophomore backup quarterback Beau Erickson. Freshman Odin Smith had a 55-yard to set up Erickson's TD.

Pleasant Hill reserve quarterback Matt Dutton scored with less than three minutes to go on a 4-yard run.

The win lifted the Vikings into a tie for second in district with Sutherlin, which was crushed at home by Santiam Christian, 43-7.

In the other league game, La Pine lost to visiting Harrisburg, 37-31.

Scoring from play-by-play by Coast Radio's Bob Sneddon
PLEASANT HILL     2    6     0    7 —  15
SIUSLAW              14   15     9    6  — 44
First quarter
Siuslaw — Elijah Blankenship 63-yard run (Camp Lacouture run), 11:20
Pleasant Hill — Safety, Hector Garcia tackled in end zone, 7:28
Siuslaw — Braydon Thornton 5-yard run (run failed), :38
Second quarter
Siuslaw — Brady Libby 16-yard pass from Braydon Thornton (Camp Lacouture kick), 7:10
Pleasant Hill — Cody Morrell 67-yard run (kick failed), 6:45
Siuslaw — Braydon Thornton 35-yard pass from Elijah Blankenship (Camp Lacouture run), 3:43
Third quarter
Siuslaw — Safety, Max Smith tackled in the end zone, 8:00
Siuslaw — Rhys Fleming 8-yard pass from Elijah Blankenship (Camp Lacouture kick), 5:39
Fourth quarter
Pleasant Hill — Matt Dutton 4-yard run (kick good), 2:40
Siuslaw — Beau Erickson 5-yard run (kick failed), 1:52

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 50, Siuslaw 15, Adair Village
Friday, Oct. 18 — at Siuslaw 44, Pleasant Hill 15
Friday, Oct. 25 — La Pine, 7 p.m., Hans Petersen Memorial Field
Friday, Nov. 1 — at Sutherlin, 7 p.m.

SIUSLAW VIKINGS STATISTICS
Compiled by Sam Johnson
vs. Elmira, Sept. 6, at Elmira
PASSING — Elijah Blankenship 12-20-215-0, 1 TD.
RUSHING — Camp Lacouture 18-131, TD; Hector Garcia 20-102; Elijah Blankenship 11-101, TD.
RECEIVING — Brady Thornton 7-124; Isaac Garza 3-77; Rhys Fleming 2-14, TD.
vs. Philomath, Sept. 13, at Philomath
PASSING — Elijah Blankenship 20-32-318-0, 2 TDs; Camp Lacouture 1-1-5-1, TD.
RUSHING — Elijah Blankenship 14-129; Hector Garcia 14-59, TD; Camp Lacouture 8-48; Braydon Thornton 2-3.
RECEIVING — Braydon Thornton 9-145, 2 TDs; Camp Lacouture 5-75; Isaac Garza 1-65; Brady Libby 4-29, TD; Rhys Fleming 2-9.
vs. Newport, Sept. 20, at Hans Petersen Memorial Field
PASSING — Elijah Blankenship 23-31-337-0, 2 TDs; Camp Lacouture 1-1-41-0, 1 TD.
RUSHING — Camp Lacouture 15-101, 1 TD; Elijah Blankenship 11-75, 3 TDs; Hector Garcia 14-65; Braydon Thornton 1-2.
RECEIVING — Braydon Thornton 14-237, 3 TDs; Camp Lacouture 5-84; Brady Libby 3-19; Rhys Fleming 1-27; Avery Hart 1-11.
vs. McLoughlin, Sept. 28, at Madras High School
PASSING — Elijah Blankenship 5-10-76-1, TD.
RUSHING — Camp Lacouture 21-251, 4 TDs; Elijah Blankenship 11-85; Hector Garcia 5-45.
RECEIVING — Braydon Thornton 3-57, TD; Rhys Fleming 2-19.
vs. Harrisburg, Oct. 4, at Hans Petersen Memorial Field
PASSING — Elijah Blankenship 16-21-339-0, 4 TDs.
RUSHING — Camp Lacouture 21-154, 3 TDs; Hector Garcia 10-38, TD; Elijah Blankenship 8-71; Odin Smith 4-16, TD; Braydon Thornton 3-30; Beau Erickson 3-12; Brady Libby 2-8; Ian Sissel 1-5.
RECEIVING — Braydon Thornton 13-307, 4 TDs; Isaac Garza 2-24; Camp Lacouture 1-8.
vs. Santiam Christian, Oct. 11, at Adair Village
Not yet available
vs. Pleasant Hill, Oct. 18, at Hans Petersen Memorial Field
Not yet available

2019 SIUSLAW VIKINGS ROSTER
  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
54 OL/DL Julian Loftis, freshman, 6-2, 200
56 OL/DL John Corser, sophomore, 5-9, 180
62 OL/DL Isaiah Jones, senior, 6-0, 180
62 OL/DL Joe Slaughter, sophomore, 5-9, 170
64 OL/LB Christian Newlan, junior, 5-11, 200
66 OL/DL Matthew Horillo, senior, 5-10, 240
68 OL/DE Dayson Foglio, senior, 6-5, 240
70 OL/DL Tristan Stewart, freshman, 6-2, 170
76 OL/DL Zach Stinger, senior, 5-10, 220
78 OL/DL David Spencer, senior, 6-2, 330
80 WR/CB Isaac Garza, sophomore, 6-0, 160
87 OL/DL Ricky Loza, senior, 5-8, 170
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 45, at Harrisburg 7
Friday, Oct. 11
at Santiam Christian 50, Siuslaw 15
at Pleasant Hill 21, La Pine 0
Friday, Oct. 18
at Siuslaw 44, Pleasant Hill 15
Harrisburg at La Pine
Santiam Christian 43, at Sutherlin 7
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.