Oct. 15—Three seasons ago, the Northport and Selkirk high school football programs came together to solve a problem they each faced individually. They now play under a unique, unified name — the SelPort Lumberjacks — forging a new identity separate from their individual histories.
Along the way, players, coaches and administrators found out the schools had more in common than they once thought.
Before the 2024 season, Northport realized it didn't have enough players to field a team. Selkirk had its own concerns about roster size.
Northport athletic director Erik Stark contacted Selkirk athletic director LaLee Link and the schools agreed to combine their programs in a cooperative agreement under the Selkirk Rangers banner.
Northport contributed seven players, Selkirk nine. That was enough to field an eight-man team, but injuries or eligibility problems could have left the team short. Combining the programs offered the schools a chance to keep playing — but it didn't come without concerns or questions.
"My first reaction to the change was (being) worried, as I didn't know if it would work out," Selkirk senior lineman Tristan VanArsdall said.
He barely knew half the players at the first practice, but he found the unfamiliar faces didn't stay that way long.
"The team felt normal very quickly, definitely before our first game together," he said.
Northport's players accepted the arrangement because the alternative was sitting out, but joining Selkirk initially meant long bus rides, a different practice field and a uniform bearing another school's name.
They had football, which was the point — but something was missing.
Following that first season, Stark surveyed the players and one complaint kept coming up: Northport had surrendered its identity.
"They felt like we gave up everything," Stark said.
The schools discussed the arrangement after the season and took the players' feedback seriously. The next step was creating a name — something that would tie the two communities together.
The new nickname, settled on by the students, reflects the timber industry that connects both communities separated by a mountain pass and roughly 65 minutes of travel. They selected black and blue for the uniforms, drawing on both schools' historical colors.
The new uniforms arrived for the second season. Stark said the change made Northport's players happier — they no longer felt as though they were playing under Selkirk's name. They were representing "SelPort."
That distinction mattered to VanArsdall, too.
"My favorite aspect about the team is that the good things from both teams are still kept," he said.
There are still reminders that this isn't a conventional football program. The schools sit more than an hour apart, with a dirt logging road running over the mountain between them. Traveling for practice takes time, and the players don't always get to work together.
The schools both practice at home on Mondays, then work together in Ione on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and in Northport on Thursdays.
The arrangement depends on administrators, coaches, transportation staff and families being willing to put in extra time. Stark said the schools have been fortunate to find bus drivers and other resources to make the schedule work.
For him, that commitment is part of what makes the partnership unusual. He has worked at Northport for 21 years, and the football co-op was the first time the school had combined with another school for a sport.
Stark has seen players expand their social circles and get to know students they might otherwise have viewed only as rivals. The schools face many of the same challenges, he said, and their students have more in common than they might have expected.
He also sees a difference in the football itself. The Lumberjacks have four coaches: head coach Jeremy Link, his son Jay Link, Matt Moore and Kevin Dionas. The staff divides responsibilities across the offense and defense, giving players more instruction than either school could easily provide on its own.
Jeremy Link returned to coach the co-op this season after previously leading the Selkirk program from 2016-22. He said the transition has been a learning experience, with the staff making adjustments as the team has developed.
Selkirk had 21 players turn out this season, Link said, including 11 who were new to football. Northport contributed seven. The increase in numbers has changed practices — coaches can run eight-on-eight scrimmages, giving the team more opportunities to work on game situations.
After a couple of losing seasons, the Lumberjacks have been competitive this year despite playing in a challenging Northeast 1B league. They are 3-3 overall and 3-1 in league play following an Oct. 9 nonleague loss to Almira/Coulee-Hartline — which is ranked No. 1 in the state in 1B.
SelPort's record matters, but the program's growth is just as significant.
Stark would eventually like to see Northport field its own team again, but the school of roughly 49 students currently can't guarantee that outcome for the foreseeable future. Even if every boy in school turned out, he estimated, Northport might have only 20 players.
For now, the Lumberjacks are making the most of the opportunity.
The team has developed a toughness of its own according to VanArsdall. He sees a group capable of continuing to play hard after difficult losses, a quality he believes defines the program.
"The team is special because even though we don't practice (with the other school) every day, we are still very close with each other — more than most 'normal' teams," he said.
Link has noticed the friendships growing among players and coaches. He said the relationships have made the merger enjoyable and could last long after the players leave high school.
The Lumberjacks began as a way for two schools to keep offering football. Now they have a shared name and a growing roster.
They still travel over the mountain to practice. They still return to their separate schools during the week. But on Friday nights, they wear the same colors and play for the same team.
Liam Bradford's reporting is part of the Teen Journalism Institute.