SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017
Siuslaw
from 1B
(24-8) and Brookings-Harbor
(54-0), Pool said there was
another, more important equation
on his mind.
“There’s always a certain level
of risk when it comes to sports,
but this was more like throwing
our freshmen and sophomores to
the wolves,” said Pool. “Not
acknowledging that and putting
the safety of our kids first would
be wrong, no matter how unpop-
ular.”
Of Siuslaw’s 28-man roster, 20
are either freshmen or sopho-
mores, with only three of the
team’s remaining five seniors
available to play — and one of
those only in his first year of foot-
ball.
By comparison, the Bulldogs’
roster of 47 players fields as
many juniors and seniors — 28 in
all — as Siuslaw’s entire line-up.
Pool said, after a sleepless
night, he contacted Siuslaw
Athletic Director Chris Johnson
with his reasons for wanting to
forfeit this Friday’s game. By
Monday morning, Johnson,
along with Siuslaw principal
Kerri Tatum and school district
superintendent Andy
Grzeskowiak were in support of
the decision.
“In the Douglas game, we had
one player who sustained an
injury that means he will no
longer be able to compete in con-
tact sports,” said Tatum. “We
NED HICKSON/SIUSLAW NEWS
Siuslaw junior Isiah Opperund weaves through the Douglas defense with back-up from sophomore Matt Horillo.
don’t see the need to risk an ath-
lete being paralyzed or worse for
the sake of a game where we’re
pitting kids from a school with
400 students against a school
with 900 students.
“We’re not going to field a
team by putting kids into a situa-
tion they shouldn’t be put into.”
Johnson agreed, saying that the
love of the game and desire to
compete doesn’t trump the
school’s responsibility to act
responsibly on behalf of its ath-
letes.
“We’ve got a pretty talented
group of freshmen and sopho-
mores, but some of them are 100-
pounds and 14 years old,”
Johnson said. “Putting them up
against 230-pound juniors and
seniors isn’t being competitive —
Sailors
it’s being irresponsible.
“Doing that not only puts play-
ers at risk, it also puts the pro-
gram at risk.”
The school’s decision comes
amid an influx of concerns raised
by a University of Boston study
regarding the long-term effects of
head injuries sustained from play-
ing football, as well as autopsy
results released last week sug-
gesting a link between Chronic
from 1B
Neece went on to claim 255
yards on 23 carries, including 4
touchdowns — one on a kick-off
return for 70 yards.
“JJ really stepped up and
helped keep our momentum
going,” said Greene, whose team
was down by just two points, 22-
18, entering the second quarter.
Also key to Mapleton’s
offense were sophomore Dylan
Rogers at center, and offensive
linemen Tanner Wilson, a senior,
and sophomore Nate Neece.
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“They really punched a whole
for JJ to get through and kept us
going,” said Greene.
In spite of those efforts, some
missed cues on defense provided
Yoncalla with scoring opportuni-
ties that translated into a 50-32
lead at halftime, with the final
score of the half coming at the
buzzer.
“We would have been looking
at a 10-point deficit, 42-32, with-
out that last-second touchdown,”
said Greene. “That gave us a
much bigger hole to dig our-
selves out of coming back into
the second half.”
Unfortunately, that hole got
bigger as Yoncalla dialed in on
the Sailors’ offense, holding
Mapleton to just 12 points in the
second half en route to a 94-44
win.
“We definitely learned some
things, especially in the second
half, and will use those as teach-
able moments,” Greene said.
“You play with heart from start to
finish and, eventually, good
things will happen.”
Friday, the Sailors will be at
home to host North Douglas for
homecoming.
Kick off is set for 7 p.m.
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Traumatic
Encephalopathy
(ECT) and the suicide of former
New England Patriots tight end
Aaron Hernandez.
Those concerns, coupled with
an OSAA districting formula that
many school administrators agree
needs re-vamping, seemed to be
part of the reason for Siuslaw’s
decision, Johnson said.
“Sure, those things are certain-
ly in the public’s mind right
now,” said Johnson. “But ulti-
mately we would have reached
the same decision whether it be
today, five years ago or 10 years
from now.
“Common sense tells us that
the kinds of injury that could
occur in this situation aren’t
worth the risk.”
With a match-up scheduled at
home against another Far West
powerhouse, Marshfield, also 4-
0, set for Oct. 6, Tatum said there
is no plan to forfeit.
“We’re hoping to have all our
players back from injury and to
play that game,” she said.
The Vikings’ junior varsity
team will still play this Monday
against North Bend, beginning at
5:30 p.m.
While the Vikings won’t be
taking to the field this Friday,
Johnson and Tatum will be pro-
viding testimony, along with
other school administrators from
around the state, as the OSAA
works to reach a final re-district-
ing plan.
Currently, Siuslaw is on the
bubble between 3A and 4A, with
North Bend likely moving to the
5A and Marshfield remaining in
the 4A.
A final decision by the OSAA
is expected the first week of
October.
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