Siuslaw Vikings football is mourning the loss of one of its legends as the school celebrates its third state football title.

Siuslaw Hall of Fame member Jerry Richard "Rich" Prater died Dec. 2. He was 57.

Services are noon Saturday at the First Baptist Church, 1935 E. 25th Street in Florence. An obituary appears in today's (12/8/2021) edition of the Siuslaw News.

"Len Lutero thought Rich was one of the best linemen he ever coached," Siuslaw athletic director Chris Johnson said.

Prater was born and raised in Florence, graduating in 1982, and was living in Mapleton with his wife, Kym, and seven children.

Prater was a first-team all-state lineman in 1981 when the Vikings won their first state title under Lutero. One of Prater's teammates was Tim Dodson, the Vikings quarterback who had a storied 20-year career as Siuslaw coach.

"(Prater) was injured in the 1981 state semifinals and didn't play in the championship game against South Umpqua," Vikings football historian Don Hunt noted. "I'm sure his absence hurt the Vikings' running game."

The title game was fought to a scoreless draw, the schools sharing the championship.

Prater and Dodson represented Siuslaw in the 1982 Oregon East West Shrine Game.

Prater was inducted into the Siuslaw Hall of Fame in 2015, along with Jim Archer, John LaDuke, Ron Bly, Susan Emery, Sherry Stapleton and Colin Cram and three Vikings teams.

The induction notice read:

"Prater is widely regarded as one of the best linemen in Siuslaw High School history. He played for the legendary Len Lutero, earning First Team All-State honors as an offensive lineman. A two-way player, Prater was also an accomplished defensive end. His 1981 team won the Oregon State Championship—the first football title in school history."

He was an avid bowler and loved the outdoors, according to his obituary.

Prater is survived by his wife Kym, children James, Andrew, Emily, Nicholas, Joshua, Hannah and Victoria and parents Jerry and Ida Prater.