Panthers’ shutout ends Bombers’ 18-0 run
FAYETTEVILLE — The Siloam Springs boys soccer team went through an 11-game stretch this season when it didn’t score more than two goals in any game.
Finishing wasn’t a problem on Friday for the Panthers in the Class 6A state championship.
Sophomore Eli Jackson scored three times, and the Panthers added another goal in a 4-0 victory to spoil Mountain Home’s undefeated season at Razorback Field on the campus of the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.
That’s two consecutive Class 6A state championship for Siloam Springs (21-5-1).
The Panthers have won four overall, counting Class 5A titles in 2011 and 2012.
“It’s hard to describe the feeling,” said senior midfielder Austin Shull, who assisted on the Panthers’ third goal. “It’s kind of like Christmas morning when you wake up, you know, you’re so excited? We all were so excited for this game. We knew that Mountain Home was going to play aggressive. We knew they were going to play hard. We just knew we needed to play our game and just play how we always play, which is quick. It ended up working for us.”
Mountain Home (18-1), known for hunkering down on defense, got the game’s first shot by midfielder Xaco Baonza in the game’s 14th minute, but Panthers goalkeeper Wyatt Church was there for the save.
Jackson scored in the 21st minute on a play that he didn’t give up. Christian Marroquin played the ball down the right flank and Francisco Sifuentes played it in the box. Sifuentes crossed to his left and found Jackson, who fired. The shot deflected off of Mountain Home keeper Spencer Foster, but Jackson stayed with the play for the game’s first goal with 19 minutes, 49 seconds left.
Church made two more saves in the first half to keep Siloam Springs ahead 1-0 at
halftime.
The Panthers scored again less than three minutes into the second half on a penalty kick from Marroquin.
Sifuentes was fouled inside the 18-yard box by Mountain Home’s Mikey McLean. The Panthers were awarded the penalty kick, which Marroquin banged home in the lower right corner for a 2-0 lead in the 43rd minute.
Less than a minute later, Jackson picked up his second goal.
Shull served up a free kick from in front of the Panthers’ bench and found Jackson’s head with 36:24 remaining and
a 3-0 Siloam Springs lead.
Jackson scored his final goal with 26:12 remaining when Marroquin served the ball into the box and Jackson streaked in front of Foster and flicked the ball over him for his third goal of the game.
“It was just a great ball, and I was able to get something on it and put it past the keeper,” said Jackson, who was named Most Valuable Player.
“That’s just a great touch,” Siloam Springs Coach Brent Crenshaw said. “And he probably knew he was going to get killed by that goalkeeper, who was huge. You sacrifice your body. That’s what you have to
do sometimes.”
Mountain Home entered Friday’s championship with 18 consecutive victories.
The Bombers rallied from a 2-0 deficit to knock off Little Rock Hall in the 6A-East Conference finals before beating El Dorado and upsetting Russellville in the 6A state tournament.
“We’ve caught breaks all season,” Mountain Home Coach Bryan Mattox said. “We didn’t catch them today. You can’t complain about that. I told the kids if your season is not enough without a state championship, it was not going to be enough with it.”