2B | SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 2021 | SIUSLAW NEWS
Trio
from 1B
the end.”
Loomis’s football career
in particular is one that
showed incredible grit.
Said Johnson, “Skyler
Loomis is the single-tough-
est kid I have ever coached.
From a devastating knee
injury last year in our first
practice in full pads, to
becoming the ultimate
wrecking ball in our back-
field this year, he has dis-
played how tough he is
time and time again this
year.”
With the uncertainty of
even being able to play
football this season,
Loomis’s comeback after
losing his junior year was a
true testament to what
hard work and resilience
can bring, as well as a true
tale of victory.
“He will go on to be an
incredibly successful man
because no adversity will
ever stop him from accom-
plishing what he needs to
do,” said Johnson.
The program has been
quite meaningful for
Blankenship as well, who
was named First Team
Quarterback
and
Honorable
Mention
Defensive
Back.
Blankenship explained,
“Siuslaw football is more
than just football — it is 91
years of a brotherhood that
started back in 1929. From
a football standpoint,
Siuslaw football is a hard-
nosed team that will run it
down your throat play after
play.”
Blankenship,
whose
prowess on the field as a
quarterback was literally
unmatched this season,
described one of the
aspects of the Vikings foot-
ball program that makes it
unique to others.
“Siuslaw football teams
are closer than most other
teams because we have
guys that have grown up
Honors
from 1B
Honorable Mention Of-
fense:
Skyler Loomis — RB
Avery Hart — OL
Honorable Mention De-
fense:
Elijah Blankenship —
DB
SHS Cross Country
Fishing
from 1B
through the month of
March. The Alsea River
remains open to steelhead
fishing through April and
then closes on April 30.
Trout fishing in streams
opens on May 22. The
later returning wild brood-
stock fish are providing
the majority of the catch
now and typically peak in
February and March.
SALMON
RIVER:
Winter steelhead
Winter steelhead fishing
closes on the Salmon River
on March 31. Trout fishing
in streams will open on
May 22. The peak for win-
ter steelhead on the Salmon
River is typically January to
March. Last updated
3/31/21.
NOTE: Reminder, the
Salmon River hatchery
remains closed to walk in
anglers. Anglers can use
access points upstream and
downstream of the hatch-
ery to access those tradi-
tional fishing locations.
SILETZ RIVER: Winter
steelhead
Steelhead fishing on the
Siletz River improved last
week with the bump in
river levels but has slowed
down now with the low
and clear conditions. The
Siletz River remains open
NED HICKSON/SIUSLAW NEWS
Siuslaw head coach and Viking football alumni Sam Johnson (center) walks with the team onto the field at
the start of the April 9 game against Sutherlin. The Viks ended the season at 3-3, including a final-game
romp over the Bulldogs.
together since kindergar-
ten,” said Blankenship.
“Being isolated in a small
town on the coast, we don’t
have many kids transfer-
ring in, and we can’t just
transfer to a different
school when things get
tough. We learn to stick
together and make it work.”
Blankenship’s commit-
ment to the team was
unquestionable in his eyes.
“I have many reasons why I
chose to keep playing foot-
ball after my sophomore
year,” said Blankenship.
“For starters, my love for
the game of football is too
big to just walk away from
after two bad seasons.”
With his faith unshaken,
he would not be stopped.
But it was another reason
that made the promise of
the next two years even
sweeter.
“Ever since I was young,
my class (Class of 2021)
and the Class of 2022 have
always played really well
together, and we knew we
had the potential to be a
good team,” explained
Blankenship. “Late spring
of my sophomore year, we
found out Sam (Johnson)
All-League:
First Team:
Rylee Colton
Brea Blankenship
Gracie Freudenthal
Chad Hughes
Sam Ulrich
Kyle Hughes
Jaxson Jensen
Braden Linton
Second Team:
Jane Lacouture
year-round for steelhead
fishing and provides
opportunity through April
for winter steelhead and
then summer steelhead
typically start to show up
in decent numbers in May.
Fish are now distributed
throughout the river from
the boat sections up
through the gorge. Mid-
February to mid-March is
typically the peak for Siletz
winter steelheading. The
4-mile bridge (aka Steel
Bridge) in the Siletz gorge
is open to motorized vehi-
cles on the weekends only.
Anglers can walk/bike in
the road during the week-
days. There is a parking
area located at the 1-mile
gate where anglers can
walk/bike upstream from
there.
WILSON
RIVER:
Steelhead
Steelhead fishing on the
Wilson is low and clear
which makes fishing chal-
lenging. Fishing has been
slow recently, but there are
still a few being caught and
pressure has been light.
There are still a few hatch-
ery and wild steelhead
(catch-and-release only for
wilds) throughout the sys-
tem. The Little North Fork
and the South Fork of the
Wilson closed to steelhead
fishing April 1. Remember
to handle and release wild
had been hired as our new
coach, and that brought
hope. I’ve known him since
I was a little kid, and I
knew what a great guy he
was; very positive, energet-
ic and encouraging.”
Blankenship
also
remembered Sam’s older
brother, John, who coached
his eighth-grade team.
“It was a great experi-
ence,” said Blankenship.
“The Johnsons have a long
history of football knowl-
edge and success. Most
importantly, Sam played
Siuslaw football and we
knew he could get it back
to what it was — and
should be.”
The tradition of Vikings
football reaches far into the
past, and the coaches who
kept it going were the heart
of the program. Len Lutero
spent 29 years at the helm
of the Vikings’ football
ship, coaching players that
including his predecessor,
Tim Dodson, who coached
for 20 years after Lutero
retired — and mentoring
Sam Johnson along the
way.
It is no surprise that
Johnson coming on to
Corduroy Holbrook
Dylan Jensen
Jacob Blankenship
All-State
First Team:
Rylee Colton
Second Team:
Brea Blankenship
Chad Hughes
Sam Ulrich
Third Team:
fish with care! There are
some great resources avail-
able in the regulation book
(page 15) and on the
ODFW website.
YAQUINA
RIVER:
Winter steelhead
Winter steelhead will
start to show up in the
Yaquina/Big
Elk
in
December and typically
peak from January to
March. Fishing closes on
the Yaquina/Big Elk on
March 31 and will re-open
on May 22 for trout fish-
ing.
COOS RIVER BASIN:
Bottomfish
Boat and bank anglers
(on the jetty) are still catch-
ing rockfish and lingcod
inside lower Coos Bay.
Smaller jigs with a twister
tail or 1-ounce jigging
spoons have been working
to catch rockfish. Lingcod
are being caught on bigger
jigs or by suspending a fro-
zen herring around the
rocks. The daily bag limit
for marine fish is 6, which
includes a one fish sub-bag
limit for China, copper and
quillback rockfish. Anglers
can still harvest 2 lingcod
per day. Trout fishing in
streams and rivers opens
on May 22.
UMPQUA
RIVER,
SOUTH: Winter steelhead
After a slow season,
most anglers are eyeing
coach brought hope and
inspiration to the student
athletes he would have
under his wing. It certainly
served to carry Blankenship
through his final two years
on the team.
“I am so thankful to be a
part of Siuslaw football,
and for coach Johnson
turning the program
around,” said Blankenship.
“Although the past four
years have had a lot of
adversity with two tough
seasons and COVID, I
would not trade these last
four years for anything.
Not only have they helped
me grown as a man, my
team and I grew really
close as brothers.”
Johnson recognized how
special his time with
Blankenship was as well.
“For me, the highest
praise I could ever give
someone is that they
remind me of my dad and
brother John in how they
represent themselves in
every facet of life,”
explained Johnson. “Elijah
Blankenship does just that.
Elijah will go down in my
book as the most impactful
player in the history of
Jaxson Jensen
Gracie Freudenthal
Honorable Mention:
Brayden Linton
Jane Lacouture
MHS football:
While the league didn’t
hand out individual rec-
ognition, the performance
of senior JJ Neece is nota-
ble. The senior receiver,
other opportunities. But
there are still fresh steel-
head returning to the
South and little angling
pressure. Don’t forget to
turn in snout from hatch-
ery winter steelhead for a
chance to win a gift card
PACIFIC OCEAN AND
BEACHES: Bottomfish,
surfperch
Boat anglers have been
doing very well catching
nice size lingcod and rock-
fish when the ocean swells
are down. Bottom fishing
is open to all depths
through May 31. The daily
bag limit for marine fish is
6 fish, which includes a
one fish sub-bag limit for
China, copper, and quill-
back rockfish. Anglers can
still harvest 2 lingcod per
day. Anglers must release
all cabezon through June.
Anglers may also
choose to fish the offshore
longleader fishery outside
of the 40-fathom regulato-
ry line, which is open year-
round. The longleader
fishery has a daily bag limit
of 10 fish made of yellow-
tail, widow, canary, blue,
deacon, redstripe, green-
stripe, silvergray, chillipep-
per, and bocaccio rockfish.
No other groundfish are
allowed and offshore long-
leader fishing trips cannot
be combined with tradi-
tional bottomfish, flatfish
Siuslaw football.”
Siuslaw’s final senior
completing his fourth sea-
son with the Vikings is
Newlan, who earned the
honor of Second Team
Defensive Line.
According to Newlan,
“Siuslaw football means
more than most things in
life because it’s a family —
it’s a brotherhood — and it
gave me a sense of pur-
pose.”
Newlan’s commitment to
the team also came from a
place of faith and trust in
the program.
“I chose to stick it out
because I had faith that
something would change,”
said Newlan, “and that
change happened junior
year when our coach saw
our potential and pushed
us to be our best.”
Newlan is another player
who identifies with grow-
ing from a boy to a young
man as a result of his time
playing Vikings football.
“Being in this program, I
learned how to face adver-
sity, I learned how to be a
better person, and I learned
how to be a leader,” said
Newlan.
“The
most
important thing that came
out of this program is the
family members we gained.
All of those guys that chose
to stick with the program
mean a lot to me; I’ll always
remember them and I will
always remember our
coaches that were there
with us along the way.”
The coaches will certain-
ly remember Newlan as
well. According to Johnson,
“Christian Newlan is a kid
who gave me everything he
had from day one. He was
all in and would do what-
ever it took to make sure
our line was prepared to go
to battle every Friday
night.”
Another quality Newlan
brought to the team was
camaraderie and spirit. As
Johnson said, “He loved
those around him and cele-
brated the successes of oth-
ers on and off the field. He
displayed every practice
and game how much he
cares for those around him.
To me that is the greatest
quality of a young man:
how well he can celebrate
the success of those around
him, because it teaches him
how to love those around
him.”
Loomis, Blankenship
and Newlan have given
their all to the program
over the years, and Johnson
made sure to recognize all
that these three seniors
have done for the Vikings
these past four years and
for the future.
“The three seniors I have
that have stuck around
from before I was the coach
will go down as the most
influential players to have
ever played for this pro-
gram since 1929,” said
Johnson. “They went from
a losing mentality to revi-
talizing Siuslaw football.
We haven’t been rewarded
this year on the field how
we hoped, but that doesn’t
diminish what those three
have done for the culture of
this program and school.”
runningback and quarter-
back rushed for 452 yards
on 40 carries against Falls
City last week. The yard-
age total ranks No. 13 on
the state's all-time sin-
gle-game list for eight-
man football. It also
boosted his career rush-
ing total to 6,502, which
is No. 2 all-time to Du-
fur’s John Hammel (6,959,
1965-68). With a full sea-
son, he likely would have
become Oregon's all-time
eight-man rusher. In
passing, threw for 2,304
yards and 31 touchdowns
in his high school career.
His combined yardage of
9,082 for rushing, passing
and receiving is No. 6 on
the career list.
or halibut trips. Find infor-
mation about a longleader
setup here.
Ocean Chinook salmon
fishing opened on March
15.
Surfperch anglers have
been doing well catching
good size red-tail surf-
perch along beaches near
the mouths of rivers and
bays.
WE ARE NOW HIRING!
CAREGIVER POSITION
Are you tired of just going to work? Are you ready to make a real diff erence in the lives
of others? Consider becoming a caregiver. Spruce Point Assisted Living & Memory Care
is seeking compassionate, caring individuals who have a desire to provide assistance to
those in need. You don’t have to be certifi ed; we off er on the job training and ongoing
support as well as a competitive salary. If you would like to work in a fun and friendly
environment and be part of a team that strives to help others live their best life at any
age, we would love to meet you. Give us a call or send us your resume.
$250 Sign on bonus.
COMPETITIVE WAGES • FRIENDLY WORK ENVIRONMENT
ON-THE-JOB TRAINING • SUPPORTIVE TEAM • FAIR HOURS
SPRUCE-POINT.COM • 541.997.6111 • FLORENCE
BWINGFIELD @SPRUCE-POINT.COM
FLORENCE FOOD SHARE
Here to alleviate hunger and enhance the health and dignity
of people in Lane County. Because no one should go hungry.
Procedure for pick-up once qualifi ed:
1. A staff member will greet you in front of the building OR, you
can call our phone line when you are in our parking lot. If you
would like to speak with our greetings staff face to face, a
correctly worn mask and adhering to 6-foot social distancing
guidelines is required to receive service.
2. The staff member will talk you through our daily menu of
selectable options.
3. The staff will pass your choices to our team of volunteers inside
the building. They then fi ll your shopping cart with both your
selections and other availalbe items.
4. The cart is then wheeled out of the building to your location in
the parking lot.
Hours: Mon-Fri 9:30am-1pm • Mon & Wed: 4pm-6pm
Sat. 10am-1pm
2190 Spruce Street
Florence, OR 97439
(541) 997-9110
fl orencefoodshare.org