No. 1 Hidden Valley pulls rank on Siuslaw


Brady Libby (11) and Vikings teammates have embraced Samuel Johnson's energetic leadership as Siuslaw's head football coach.

Hidden Valley quarterback Sam Vidlak passed for four touchdowns Friday to lead the top-ranked Mustangs to a 40-12 victory over the Siuslaw Vikings in an Oregon School Activities Association Class 3A first-round football game in Grants Pass.

Hidden Valley, 10-0, advances to next week's quarterfinal round, hosting Cascade Christian of nearby Medford.

Siuslaw finished 6-4 in Samuel Johnson's first year as head coach after going 0-8 in 2018.

The Vikings were playing in their first playoff game since 2015, the last of Tim Dodson's storied 20 seasons as head coach.

Siuslaw junior running back Hector Garcia had a big game, rushing 33 times for 176 yards and a touchdown, according to statistics compiled by Coast Radio's Kevin Harris.

Vikings junior quarterback Elijah Blankenship unofficially became the all-time leader in season passing, surpassing Gabe Haberly with a 30-yard completion to Isaac Garza early in the fourth quarter.

Official statistics will be compiled by Johnson after reviewing game film.

The Mustangs, locked in a 6-6 tie early in the second quarter, bolted to a 20-6 lead on two Vidlak TD passes and a 38-yard punt return by senior Cameron Decker.

Hidden Valley had taken a 6-0 lead on the first offensive play of the game on a 47-yard pass from Vidlak, a 6-foot-1 junior, to 6-4 junior wide receiver Lawrence Matusik.

Garcia matched that TD with a 3-yard run 16 seconds into the second quarter, before Hidden Valley pulled away with 20 straight points.

Siuslaw junior running back Skyler Loomis scored on a 2-yard run with 13 seconds to go before halftime to cut the deficit to 26-12.

The Mustangs kept the Vikings out of the end zone in the second half while scoring on a 2-yard run by junior running back Tobias Powers in the third quarter and a 72-yard pass from Vidlak to 6-3 junior wide receiver Jeremiah Noga in the fourth quarter.

The Vikings had two big scoring opportunities in the fourth quarter, with Blankenship stopped inside the Hidden Valley 1 on fourth down and Garcia denied near the goal-line on the final play of the game.

NOTES

The Vikings played without regulars Matthew Horrillo, Camp Lacouture, Braydon Thornton and Beau Erickson ...

Hidden Valley is 16-4 in two seasons playing down to the 3A classification and likely is headed back to 4A next season. ...

Siuslaw is 6-12 in its two seasons at 3A and likely will play the next two seasons at 3A before heading back to 4A ... Corbett and Madras also are 4A schools playing at 3A in football. ...

Scoring from play-by-play by Coast Radio's Bob Sneddon
SIUSLAW                0   12    0    0   —   12
HIDDEN VALLEY    6   20    7    7   —   40
First quarter
Hidden Valley — Lawrence Matusik 47-yard pass from Sam Vidlak (kick failed), 11:46
Second quarter
Siuslaw — Hector Garcia 3-yard run (run failed), 11:44
Hidden Valley — Jeremiah Noga 10-yard pass from Sam Vidlak (Sam Vidlak kick), 8:22
Hidden Valley — Cameron Decker 38-yard punt return (Sam Vidlak kick), 7:26
Hidden Valley — Jeremiah Noga 9-yard pass from Sam Vidlak (kick failed), 3:29
Siuslaw — Skyler Loomis 2-yard run (run failed), :13
Third quarter
Hidden Valley — Tobias Powers 2-yard run (Max Wallace kick), 5:50
Fourth quarter
Hidden Valley — Jeremiah Noga 72-yard pass from Sam Vidlak (Max Wallace kick), 4:51

OSAA 3A FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS
First Round
Friday, Nov. 8
at No. 1 Hidden Valley 40, No. 16 Siuslaw 12
at No. 3 Burns 35, No. 14 Scio 8
at No. 5 Rainier 40, No. 12 Madras 7
at No. 6 Clatskanie 56, No. 11 St. Mary's, Medford 27
at No. 8 Cascade Christian 54, No. 9 Sutherlin 28
Saturday, Nov. 9
at No. 4 Amity 44, No. 13 Brookings-Harbor 18
No. 10 Vale 27, at No. 7 Yamhill-Carlton 23
at No. 2 Santiam Christian 50, No. 15 Nyssa 7
Quarterfinals
Friday, Nov. 15
Cascade Christian at Hidden Valley
Rainier at Amity
Valeat at Santiam Christian
Saturday, Nov. 16
Clatskanie at Burns

2019 SIUSLAW VIKINGS SCHEDULE
Record:
6-4 overall, 3-2 in 3A Special District 2 North,
3-1 in nonleague, 0-1 in 3A playoffs
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, at Adair Village
Friday, Oct. 18 — at Siuslaw 44, Pleasant Hill 15
Friday, Oct. 25 — at Siuslaw 32, La Pine 0
Friday, Nov. 1 — at Sutherlin 56 Siuslaw 18
Friday, Nov. 8 — at Hidden Valley 40, Siuslaw 12, at Grants Pass

HIDDEN VALLEY
Record: 10-0 overall, 5-0 in 3A Special District 2 South,
4-0 nonleague, 1-0 in 3A playoffs
Sept. 6 — Hidden Valley 50, at Sutherlin 26
Sept. 13 — at Hidden Valley 63, Pleasant Hill 12
Sept. 20 — Hidden Valley 24, at North Valley 19
Sept. 27 — at Hidden Valley 64, Salem Academy 0
Oct. 4 — Hidden Valley 42, at Cascade Christian 14
Oct. 11 — at Hidden Valley 49, St. Mary's, Medford 26
Oct. 18 — at Hidden Valley 48, South Umpqua 7
Oct. 25 — Hidden Valley 62, at Douglas 6
Nov. 1 — at Hidden Valley 49, Brookings-Harbor 12
Nov. 8 — at Hidden Valley 40, Siuslaw 12

DISTRICT ALL-STARS
(From earlier story)

Six Siuslaw Vikings have been named to the 3A Special District 2 North all-star football team, four on the first team.

First-team members include sophomore linebacker Camp Lacouture, junior defensive back Brady Libby, sophomore offensive lineman Henry Rankin and sophomore wide receiver Braydon Thornton.

Vikings on the second team include junior quarterback Elijah Blankenship and Lacouture at running back.

Sophomore defensive back Isaac Garza was honorable mention.

FIRST TEAM
Offense
Wide receiver — Braydon Thornton, sophomore, 6-2, 180
Lineman — Henry Rankin, sophomore, 6-0, 220
Defense
Back — Brady Libby, junior, 5-8, 170
Linebacker — Camp Lacouture, sophomore, 6-0, 170
SECOND TEAM
Offense
Quarterback — Elijah Blankenship, junior, 5-8, 170
Running back — Camp Lacouture, sophomore, 6-0, 170
HONORABLE MENTION
Defense
Back — Isaac Garza, sophomore, 6-0, 160