Emeralds win; Siuslaw Hall of Fame to honor local volunteer

30 July 2015

Eugene holds on for road win

Donny Dewees hit a line drive single to center field with two outs in the seventh inning last night, sending Ricardo Marcano across the plate to break a 3-3 tie and the Eugene Emeralds held on for a 4-3 win over the Spokane Indians. The formerly lifeless Emeralds bats had a little zip last night. As a team they put up 11 hits in all.

Game two of the five game series in Spokane is tonight.

Archer to be honored by Siuslaw Hall of Fame

Long time Siuslaw Cross Country and Track & Field volunteer Jim Archer will be inducted into the Siuslaw High School Hall of Fame July 31st at the Florence Events Center.
Long time Siuslaw Cross Country and Track & Field volunteer Jim Archer will be inducted into the Siuslaw High School Hall of Fame July 31st at the Florence Events Center.

Tickets are still available for tomorrow’s Siuslaw High School Hall of Fame ceremony at the Florence Events Center. Long time track and field, and Cross Country volunteer Jim Archer will be enshrined along with six former student athletes and three state championship teams. Admission is just $10 and advance tickets are available at Sue Gilday State Farm Insurance, Coast Insurance Services and the Chicken Coop. Doors open at 5:30 Friday evening.

Jim Archer (Viking Spirit) Archer has been a long-time supporter of Siuslaw Viking Athletics. His efforts have helped stage hundreds of events and raised thousands of dollars. Archer is a fixture at all Siuslaw Cross Country and Track and Field meets and helps organize community runs, like the Rhody Run, which all raise money to support our local athletes. Archer has set the bar for community support in decades of service.

Other inductees include:

John LaDuke (1960) LaDuke was a track and field star for the Siuslaw Vikings. He won back-to-back state championships in the broad jump for the Vikings in 1959 and 1960. His 1960 championship leap of 22-2 ½ helped Siuslaw to its first ever team title in any sport—a narrow 6 point victory over Nyssa (45-39). LaDuke’s victorious mark from 1960 still stands as the 5th best mark in school history, even after fifty-five years.

Ron Bly (1965) Bly was the first-ever state champion wrestler in Siuslaw High School history. At the 1965 State Oregon A-2 Wrestling Tournament, Bly won the 148 pound weigh class over Bob Damewood from Glide High School. Bly led the Vikings to an 8th place team finish that year. Bly is also remembered as a very tough football player for the Vikings.

Rich Prater (1982) Prater is widely regarded as one of the best lineman 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.

Susan Emery (1987) Emery could do it all on the fields of play. She was a three-sport star at Siuslaw in volleyball, basketball and track and field. She is a former school record holder in the 100 hurdles (15.9) and is still on the school top 10 lists in four events (4×100 relay, 100 hurdles, 300 Hurdles and the 100m Dash). Emery was also selected First Team All-Tournament in basketball in 1987.

Sherri Stapleton (1988) Stapleton was a standout and a leader on an experienced and talented girls basketball team, coached by Margie Becker, that won the 1988 State AA Basketball Championship. Stapleton was honored as the 1988 AA Player of the Year in 1988. She was also named First Team All-State and First Team All-Tournament.

Collin Cram (2004) Cram was a two-sport superstar in Football and Track and Field while at Siuslaw. He was a record-breaking First Team All-State wide receiver on the football field, a state champion in the Pole Vault and was All-State as well in the 110H, 300IH and the LJ. Cram still holds two school records (PV, 15-6 ½ and 110HH, 14.57a). After High school Cram had a short stint with the U of O Football team, then was a decorated decathlete at both Lane Community College and Long Beach State University.

1988 Cheerleaders One cannot overlook the winning tradition of the Siuslaw Viking Cheerleading teams over the years. This hard-working group has enjoyed a great deal of success, both in competition, and in their unwavering support of all of the athletic teams at Siuslaw. The 1988 team, coached by Nancy Gray, won the 1988 State Championship in Cheerleading over Pleasant Hill and Elmira, who were 2nd and 3rd respectively.  Members of the squad were Christy Davis, Karrie Bedgley, Rene Head, Michelle Green, Sarah Yandell and Kristina Johnson.

Boys Golf (1993) Coach Art Weston and the 1993 boys team won Siuslaw’s first-ever Boys State Championship in Golf winning the 1A-2A-3A Tournament by seven (7) stokes over the Taft Tigers (624-631). The Vikings were led by co-medalist Doug Kelley, who’s score of 144 (72-72), tied him for the low stroke total with Santiam Christain’s Brian Gilder. Nelson Arblaster (156), Todd Davis (175), Aaron Fleming (164) and Mike Strickler (165) were the other scores for the Vikings.

1994 Boys Golf Coach Weston’s 1994 team completed the first back-to-back state championship in boys athletics at Siuslaw. They did so in dramatic fashion, with a one-hole sudden death play-off over Silverton (20-22).   Both teams’ thirty-six hole total was 638. Nelson Arblaster (156) and Nathan Lorenz (157) both finished in the top 10, with Craig Stewart close behind (159). Shawn Ransom (166) and Nik Remer (168) rounded out the scoring for the Vikings.