SIUSLAW NEWS | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 2020 | 5B
from 1B
whom we freshmen during
the 2018 drubbing — were
keen on hitting a few high
notes of their own against
the Bulldogs.
Though the Vikings were
first to score on an 11-yard
run from Lacouture and a
conversion from Loomis
less than two minutes into
the game, Sutherlin was
able to answer back on its
possession, connecting on
a 57-yard bomb. Howev-
er, the conversion attempt
failed, leaving Siuslaw
ahead 8-6. The Vikings
from 1B
more than 50 years coach-
ing Sailors.
Friday’s win marked
a winning record of 4-2
overall, and second place
in the 1A Special District
1 North League.
“I'm just really proud
of our kids and how
they came together,” said
Greene. “As a coach, you
always want to see im-
provement. And each
week, we saw improve-
ments; something just
clicked with our kids.”
To see the Sailors play
Friday was a true joy for
fans as the team came to-
gether as a true unit.
“Falls City was not a
bad team. They've won a
lot of games,” said Greene.
“But we came out and our
kids executed — and they
were ready to play.”
Greene explained the
importance of this final
game, and Mapleton had
several reasons to leave
it all on the field with the
Mountaineers.
“We don't know if
eight-man
is
going
to happen for us next
year, and there is a lot
of uncertainty with the
program now because
of a lack of numbers,”
said Greene. “We talk-
ed about the history, 80
years of football on that
field, and how they don't
know if that's going to
be the last game in the
last year for Sailor foot-
ball. So, our kids had the
mindset of leaving a leg-
acy on a good note.
“They're going to re-
member that last game
here on this field,”
Greene said.
In addition to mak-
ing the final Sailor foot-
ball memory count, the
team will graduate many
seven seniors from its
11-player roster.
Greene explained to
the only four athletes
at that point and never
saw the end zone for the
remainder of the game. La-
couture scored for the Viks
once more in the quarter,
slipping past the Sutherlin
defense on a 2-yard run,
followed by the conversion
from Loomis to make it 23-
12 heading into the second
quarter.
For the rest of the game,
it was all Vikings.
Siuslaw’s defense kept
the Bulldogs on a short
leash, allowing them only
a few sniffs of the end zone
but never across it. Suther-
lin turned the ball over on
downs during all three of
its second-half possessions
while Siuslaw continued to
run the board. Thornton
made three more touch-
downs in the game, on runs
of 8 yards and 55 yards, as
well as a 3-yard pass re-
ception from Blankenship,
who also scored the con-
version.
The Viks also got con-
versions from Rhys Flem-
ing and Loomis.
Ahead 47-12 entering
the fourth quarter, a run-
ning clock was initiated as
part of the 35-point Mer-
cy Rule. Still, Siuslaw was
able to score one more time
when Isaac Garza snagged
a 2-yard pass from Blan-
kenship, followed by the
PAT from Lacouture less
than two minutes into the
quarter.
Siuslaw held Sutherlin
scoreless for the next 10
minutes and, ultimately, a
lopsided 54-12 win.
From the pocket, Blan-
kenship had 197 yards
passing, including 3 touch-
downs. In rushing, Lacou-
ture had 12 carries for 119
yards and 2 touchdowns;
Thornton had 3 carries for
61 yards and 2 TDs; Loomis
had 8 carries for 40 yards.
Thornton led all receiv-
ing with 7 catches for 91
yards and 2 TDs; Fleming
had 44 yards on 2 recep-
tions; Garza had 3 catches
for 38 yards and 1 TD; and
Lacouture had 20 yards on
2 receptions.
Beau Erickson also had
a pass interception for the
Vikings.
That same night, Siu-
slaw’s cheerleading squad
said goodbye to the team’s
only senior this year, Adria
Sandusky.
The Vikings finished the
season at 3-3, with wins
against Harrisburg, Sisters
and Sutherlin; losses were
to La Pine, Santiam Chris-
tian and Junction City.
who aren’t seniors on the
team, “This is their last
game, and if I'm not a se-
nior, I’m playing through
them or for them.”
With COVID-19 put-
ting a huge strain on the
season, Greene said he
felt fortunate that his
team was able to make it
successful at all, let alone
having it end on such a
high point.
“So much has been
taken away from them,”
he said, “and for them to
come out and perform
like that was really cool.
You're not playing for
anything, but we had to
figure out something to
play for besides the last
game.”
And they played their
hearts out with every
member of the team con-
tributing.
“It was a great team
win. And it had to be a
total team effort to win,”
said Greene. “It's not just
about one kid. Yeah, JJ
[Neece] had a monster
game. But you know, he
wouldn't have gotten
those yards without those
kids — it's a team effort.”
Neece did have a mon-
umental game, with 40
carries for 452 yards rush-
ing and 9 touchdowns.
He also had 15 tackles, 3
sacks, 2 interceptions and
a pick six. Said Greene,
“He's doing things that
normally don't happen in
eight-man. You don't have
a kid with his ability play-
ing eight-man. And the
hits he was making! That
one was like a gun going
off, I'm surprised that kid
got up! But it’s football,
he played the game the
way it's supposed to be
played.”
Neece, who is attending
Western Oregon Univer-
sity on a football schol-
arship in the fall, also
received the Blitz Friday
Night Lights Performance
of the Year from KEZI.
“He's fun to watch,” said
Greene. “When you get an
athlete like that, it's like
watching art, really. Or a
ballet or a performance.”
In addition to Neece
the rest of the team had a
great game as well.
Mapleton senior AJ
Moso was two for three
from the pocket, with 109
yards and two passing
touchdowns, as well as
three catches for 54 yards.
Fellow senior Philip
Burnett had 10 tackles
on defense and scored on
a 40-yard touchdown at
running back.
Jeremy Bender, also a
senior, who was out last
year with a knee inju-
ry, was able to pick up a
2-point conversion.
Joe Shepherd, a junior,
had three catches for 139
yards and two touch-
downs.
“He had a key role on
the offensive and defen-
sive sides, and he just
keeps getting better and
better,” Greene said of
Shepherd.
“Hopefully,
he'll be back next year be-
cause he's going to be re-
ally good next year.”
The Sailors did a fan-
tastic job on defense as
well, adjusting at halftime
to account for the pass-
heavy Mountaineers.
“[Assistant coach] Eric
Wolgamott made a nice
adjustment to what they
were doing, and how to
stop their passes,” said
Greene. “We were kind of
zone [defense] in the first
half, and then we started
[man-to-man defense] in
the second half, because
it was a pretty tight game
still. Then we just started
kind of pulling away.”
Greene also made sure
to mention two players
on the team who have
made vast improvements
as players, sophomore Jeff
Bernhardt and Shepard.
“Those two guys are
the most improved on the
team in how much bet-
ter they've gotten,” said
Greene. “But a lot of it has
to do with their attitude;
they have to have a good
attitude to get better, and
they were wanting to get
better. It showed.”
In all, the Sailors’ out-
standing game was quite a
sendoff for Greene.
“It was like a good sto-
rybook Disney ending,”
he said.
Greene, Moore and the
coaching staff brought the
Sailors far this season, es-
pecially when considering
the small roster it had.
Even playing eight-man
with such a small team
was risky to begin with.
“Most coaches wouldn't
have played, or they would
have played six-man,” said
Greene. “We said no way,
we're going to play.”
To be able to close out
his final year on such a
positive note was defi-
nitely a bonus for Greene,
who has many positive
memories to hold onto.
“They’ll look back
on going to games on
the buses, and the fun-
ny things that happen at
practice — it's just that
bond you have with your
teammates,” Greene said.
“That's what they will re-
member.”
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Mapleton
again scored just two min-
utes later, when Blanken-
ship found Thornton on
a 25-yard pass. Lacouture
kicked for the extra point
and Siuslaw moved ahead
15-6.
With just over two min-
utes remaining in the quar-
ter, Sutherlin managed a
29-yard scamper into the
end zone but, once again,
Siuslaw’s defense denied
the conversion attempt,
leaving the Bulldogs trail-
ing 15-12.
While on the surface
it appeared the game was
going to be a grinder, the
Bulldogs ran out of meat
M
Siuslaw
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available starting April 1st
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