Tautologies, contradictions and contingencies, oh my!

It's a daily test for Siuslaw mathematics teacher Sam Johnson.

It's a planning mini-nightmare for second-year Siuslaw head football coach Sam Johnson.

"I have been swamped with trying to get everything set up for my math students," he said, "so they can get some sort of education while we all stay at home and stay safe."

While he and his fellow educators practice safe texts, with the conclusion of this school year unclear, Johnson also has tackled the various contingencies awaiting his second year as a Siuslaw teacher and Vikings coach.

"We had been lifting as a group at 7 every school morning since football ended," he said. "But as for actual football specific things in the spring, we are probably looking at little to nothing with the coronavirus pandemic."

Johnson and company are good to go once the green light is given.

"We have everything in place to start May 26th," he said, "and really get going but if the OSAA tells us we can't or school hasn't started by then. It will just reduce the amount of stuff we do in the summer as a team.

"That doesn't mean we won't be doing anything. It will change all of our physical work together to our mental work together, and we will be analyzing the why behind our offense, defense, and special teams as a team.

"We will be implementing rules on our blocking schemes, routes, and all of that. We are fully prepared either way, and are excited for this craziness to be over so we can get back to normal life."

Amen to that, and without contradictions.

GRADE A FOR ALL-3A SCHEDULE

The Vikings will play an all-Class 3A football schedule the next two seasons, and while Johnson is eager to rejoin the 4A Sky-Em League, he's happy enough with what's ahead.

He credits athletic director Chris Johnson, who had a schedule in place in late January.

"Chris did an unbelievable job of getting our schedule as quick as possible, and get us really good games," he said. "I gave hime a list of five teams we would want to play based on their offensive styles, defensive styles, or who their coaches were.

"Basically our criteria was playing teams that would help us in our league and in the playoffs, and play teams who had hard-nosed coaches who were going to prepare their teams to hit us in the mouth over and over — because that's gonna get us ready for our league schedule and a run in the playoffs."

Siuslaw's nonleague foes are South Umpqua, Brookings-Harbor and Sutherlin.

The Vikings have four road games, opening the regular season Sept. 4 at South Umpqua and closing Oct. 30 at Junction City. Siuslaw plays Oct. 2 at Harrisburg and Oct. 9 at La Pine.

Home games are Sept. 11 vs. Brookings-Harbor, Sept. 18 vs. Sisters, Sept. 25 vs. Sutherlin, Oct. 16 vs. Pleasant Hill and Oct. 23 vs. Santiam Christian, the defending 3A state champion.

"When you look at South Umpqua, they have a great head coach who knows how to prepare his team well," Sam Johnson said. "(They have) a great defensive coordinator who is used to playing the veer, because he was the defensive coordinator at North Bend when they were really good a few years ago, when I was in high school he was their defensive coordinator.

"Brookings is our next game, and their head coach is a North Bend guy as well. They bring back a lot of talent and will know how to play the veer, which will make us work really hard as a staff and team to get our guys in favorable matchups.

"Sutherlin is our last (nonleague) game, and I don't think I need to remind any Siuslaw football fans about what they did to us last year. They are the epitome of a team that will hit you in the mouth until you break."

First practice is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 17.

"We will have a jamboree and the goal would be either to go to Marshfield or host it if that doesn't work out with some other teams. But as of now it looks like it will be at Marshfield."

ONCE MORE, SAME AS BEFORE

Sam Johnson had little prep time for his first year as a math teacher and football coach at Siuslaw.

Some things may change, but most likely will stay the same.

"We are approaching things with the same attitude as last year, and that's one where we will fear nobody we play against and we will be ready as a team to go against whoever," he said.

"That's our attitude because we know we are putting in the work to do that. We aren't just saying that for a good headline. We actually show up every day as a team — or at home right now — with the mentality and attitude to outwork everyone in the state.

"We are a team that will be more disciplined this year and more focused, because we actually have an offseason together, instead of two months together like last year."

SIUSLAW VIKINGS 2020 SCHEDULE

Friday, Aug. 28 — at Marshfield Jamboree
Friday, Sept. 4 — at South Umpqua (Tri City), 7 p.m., nonleague
Friday, Sept. 11 — Brookings-Harbor, 7 p.m, nonleague
Friday, Sept. 18 — Sisters, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 25 — Sutherlin, 7 p.m., nonleague
Friday, Oct. 2 — at Harrisburg, 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 9 — at La Pine, 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 16 — Pleasant Hill, 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 23 — Santiam Christian, 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 30 — at Junction City, 7 p.m.

3A SPECIAL DISTRICT 2 SCHEDULE

Friday, Aug. 28
Siuslaw at Marshfield Jamboree
Dayton at Junction City Jamboree
Amity at Santiam Christian Jamboree
La Pine, Harrisburg, Pleasant Hill, Sisters TBA

Friday, Sept. 4
Siuslaw at South Umpqua, 7 p.m., nonleague
Burns at Sisters, 7 p.m., nonleague
La Pine at Cascade Christian, 7 p.m., nonleague
Junction City at Sutherlin, 7 p.m., nonleague
Harrisburg, Pleasant Hill, Santiam Christian TBA

Friday, Sept. 11
Brookings-Harbor at Siuslaw 7 p.m., nonleague
Sisters at Madras, 7 p.m., nonleague
Salem Academy at La Pine, 7 p.m., nonleague
Dayton at Santiam Christian, 7 p.m., nonleague
Harrisburg, Pleasant Hill, Junction City TBA

Friday, Sept. 18
Sisters at Siuslaw, 7 p.m.
Vale at La Pine, 7 p.m., nonleague
Harrisburg, Pleasant Hill, Santiam Christian, Junction City TBA

Friday, Sept. 25
Sutherlin at Siuslaw, 7 p.m., nonleague
Santiam Christian at Sisters, 7 p.m.
Harrisburg at La Pine, 7 p.m.
Junction City, Pleasant Hill TBA

Friday, Oct. 2
Siuslaw at Harrisburg, 7 p.m.
Sisters at Junction City, 7 p.m.
La Pine at Pleasant Hill, 7 p.m.
Santiam Christian TBA

Friday, Oct. 9
Siuslaw at La Pine, 7 p.m.
Pleasant Hill at Sisters, 7 p.m.
Harrisburg, Santiam Christian, Junction City TBA

Friday, Oct. 16
Pleasant Hill at Siuslaw, 7 p.m.
La Pine at Santiam Christian, 7 p.m.
Harrisburg, Junction City TBA
Sisters at La Grande, 6 p.m., nonleague

Friday, Oct. 23
Santiam Christian at Siuslaw, 7 p.m.
Sisters at Harrisburg, 7 p.m.
Junction City at La Pine, 7 p.m.
Pleasant Hill TBA

Friday, Oct. 30
Siuslaw at Junction City, 7 p.m.
La Pine at Sisters, 7 p.m.
Harrisburg, Pleasant Hill, Santiam Christian TBA

Friday, Nov. 6/Saturday, Nov. 7
First round (8 games) of Class 3A playoffs