Reporter for The Canyon Weekly
The Santiam High football team opens its season Friday, Sept. 8, at 7 p.m. at St. Paul.
The Buckaroos are 0-1 after starting the 2023 campaign with a 40-36 loss to Lost River of Merrill in the Dufur Classic. The Wolverines, 5-4 overall a year ago, had a bye last week.
“The team is coming along,” first-year coach Lyle Schroeder told The Canyon Weekly. “We have been hampered by illnesses and inconsistency this last week. But we are staying positive. I think our preparation for St. Paul is going well. The extra week did help some.”
Santiam is a Class 2A team that usually plays 9-man. St. Paul is a Class 1A team in the 8-man group. The two teams will play 9-man in Friday’s contest.
“St. Paul is a good, disciplined football team,” Schroeder said. “Our boys are excited for their first game, and we look forward to the challenge.”
St. Paul plays in Class 1A’s 8-man Special District 3. The Buckaroos were 10-1 a year ago, losing only to Lost River in the 1A 8-man title contest in Cottage Grove.
Scio, meanwhile, will be looking to move to 2-0 in the young season when the Loggers visit North Marion at 7 p.m. on Friday night. The Huskies are a Class 4A school but are playing down at the 3A level for football in Special District 1. Scio is in Class 3A’s Special District 2.
The Loggers opened strong last Friday with a 38-13 home win at Newcomb Stadium against Rainier. Scio controlled the line of scrimmage throughout, rushing for 275 yards and holding the visitors to minus-34 on the ground. North Marion opened with a wild 47-38 loss at Harrisburg.
Cross country: Scio opened its season in the massive Ultimook Race at Hydrangea Ranch in Tillamook. The boys’ squad finished 33rd as a team in the Class 1A-4A 5-kilometer race. Top finisher for Scio was Chris Ennis, who took 177th in 23:28.76. Emily Zamudio was the top girls finisher for the Loggers, taking 172nd in 32:32.97. Scio returns to action at a Saturday, Sept. 9 invitational at Stayton Middle School and also will run in the Sept. 13 Silver Falls Oktoberfest Invitational at Silver Falls State Park.
Volleyball: Scio is 2-1 in the early going, including a 3-0 home win vs. Santiam on Aug. 29. The Scio match is the lone loss so far for the Wolverines, who are 3-1, including 3-0 wins vs. Neah-Kah-Nie, Monroe and Jefferson.
