Season of joy tempered by Vale's sorrow

[Guest guest]

Season of joy tempered by Vale's sorrow

By Steve Mims

The Register-Guard

Published: Wednesday, December 7, 2005

http://www.registerguard.com/news/2005/12/07/b1.sp.valefootb.1207.p1.

php?section=sports

The facts show that Vale is back in the OSAA Class 2A football final

after losing in the semifinals during five of the past seven years.

Beyond the numbers is the story of a team that overcame much more

than just past playoff disappointment to reach the championship game

for the 13th time in school history.

During the past nine months, one Vale player died in a tractor

accident and another spent a month in a coma following a car

accident. Coach Jeff s has been in and out of the hospital

throughout the season due to a fungus in his eye that eventually led

him to get a corneal transplant last month.

" They've had to overcome a lot that most teams don't necessarily

have to overcome, " s said. " It's not something that happens

every year, but I am pleased with how mentally tough these guys

are. "

advertisement The first tragedy struck in the spring when Van

Lith was killed in a tractor accident.

s first felt something wrong with his eye the week before the

season started, and eventually he had an emergency transplant last

week.

s was back on the field Saturday after missing the quarterfinal

victory over Santiam Christian.

He has missed games and practices this season while having to make

four trips to the hospital. Doctors were concerned the fungus would

get behind his eye and into his brain, so s had the transplant.

He was admitted to the hospital on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving

and went home for the holiday before returning the following day. He

spent another week in the hospital before leaving Saturday morning

to watch the semifinals.

The day after Halloween, all-state senior tight end Dominic LeRoux

was in a car accident that left him in a coma for a month. He is now

awake and communicating and was on the mind of his teammates

following Saturday's 41-6 semifinal victory over Heppner.

" We've got our coach and Van Lith who was a friend of ours

that passed away and Dominic LeRoux, this was for all of them, "

senior quarterback Brady Lovell said.

Lovell will lead the Vikings (10-2) into the championship game

against Wapiti League rival Nyssa (12-0) at 7:30 p.m. Friday at

Autzen Stadium. The Vikings barely missed out on a trip to Autzen

during the past two years, losing in the semifinals both times.

" The seniors have been trying for three years to get over that hump

and into the finals, and now this is what we are playing for, "

Lovell said.

Vale also lost in the semifinals three straight years from 1998-

2000.

" I think we were the team to get us past all that, " said sophomore

running back Luke Skerjanec, who scored four touchdowns against

Heppner. " We play as a unit, and that is more important than

anything. "

Vale has a rich football history that includes a record 10 state

championships. Vale won seven titles between 1954-75, then won back-

to-back championships in 1990-91 before claiming its last crown in

1993.

Vale moved up from 2A to the 3A level in 1994 and made the playoffs

nine times in 10 years. The Vikings lost to state runner-up

ville, 33-20, in the 2003 semifinals, then moved back down to

2A last year and lost to state champion Lost River, 31-18, in the

semifinals.

Vale left no doubt it belongs in the final this season with a rout

of Heppner.

Skerjanec scored all four of his touchdowns in the first half to

help the Vikings take a 28-0 lead at halftime.