Latest in line of Lamptons
Younger brother Luke has breakout game to help Panthers win their first game.
Luke Lampton has spent all his life looking up to two older brothers who were both standout athletes at Siloam Springs.
First, there was his oldest brother Christopher Lampton, who was the Panthers’ starting quarterback for two years and finished his career in the fall of 2014 as an All-State selection in Class 6A.
The next brother, Caleb Lampton, graduated last spring and was one of the top shooters on the Siloam Springs basketball team for the last two seasons.
And now Luke Lampton, a senior quarterback for the Panthers, is getting his chance to leave his mark.
“We’re all so close together (in age), but we’re all so different,” Luke Lampton said. “We’re all different types of athletes. Christopher is the big, bulky, strong one. Caleb is the tall one. And I’m kind of the stocky, fast one. We’re all so different.”
Luke Lampton said observing his older brothers ahead of him made him want to do what they did.
“Just watching your older brothers play sports, you just follow right in,” Lampton said. “It started with baseball, then basketball. Chris joined football and I wanted to play football. Caleb played football
too. I think he should have stuck with it. I really think he would have been a good receiver and defensive back.”
Siloam Springs head coach Bryan Ross agrees with the youngest Lampton son’s assessment.
“Caleb could’ve helped us,” Ross said. “I told (father) Carey he’s in trouble for not sending me anymore boys. They’re a great family. Chris was enjoyable to coach and Luke is too.”
The Lampton boys aren’t the only athletes in the family. Sister Lin, a junior, ran cross country for several years, and sophomore Ellie, the baby of the family, is a starting hitter on the Lady Panthers’ volleyball team.
“She’s the best athlete, and she’s the only one that can say she played up in a varsity sport,” Luke said of Ellie, who started on the varsity as a freshman. “I think she’s the only one in our family who has a chance to play Division I.”
The Panthers football team sure is glad to have Luke Lampton (5-foot-10, 190 pounds) this season, especially after last week’s come-from-behind 24-21 homecoming victory over Sheridan.
Lampton played the best game of his career, rushing 19 times for 210 yards and three long touchdown runs.
The Panthers (1-3, 1-0) trailed 14-0 early in the second quarter when Lampton ripped off a 76-yard touchdown to reenergize his team and the big homecoming crowd.
On the play, Lampton faked the option read to junior running back Kevin Canales and kept the ball up the middle. He received key blocks from the Panthers’ offensive line and blew past the Sheridan defense for the long run.
“That’s a run scheme we’ve had for the last few years and we use it against certain defenses,” Ross said. “We felt like it would be good for us but not for 76 up the middle.”
Later in the first half, Lampton had a 44-yard touchdown run on a similar play, faking the option read to sophomore Kaiden Thrailkill before busting through for the score.
“Luke’s got that little extra gear there,” Ross said. “We were laughing because we said he was leaking oil on that second one. I don’t know if he could have made it 10 more yards. He’s not used to running that far very often.”
And in the second half, Lampton’s 29-yard touchdown run tied the game 21-21, setting the stage for a game-winning drive in the fourth quarter where the Panthers won the game on a 27-yard field goal by Luke Gumm.
For the season, Lampton has rushed 59 times for 350 yards and five touchdowns. He’s also completed 51 of 105 passes (48.6 percent) for 530 yards and four touchdowns along with five interceptions.
“We’ve known since he was in eighth grade that he was a good runner, and we’ve tried to tailor the offense to what he does well,” Ross said. “Obviously being in spread offense we still have to throw the ball, and he’s really improved in that area. He’d be the first to tell you he still has a ways to go in that area.”
Lampton has played a role the last two seasons for the Panthers. As a sophomore he was the primary backup to his older brother Chris after Jordan Norberg broke his collarbone and wound up having to start a game late in the 2014 season against Bryant.
Last season, he was a contributor at linebacker on defense along with being the backup quarterback and came in on some short-yardage situations. He wound up rushing 25 times for 134 yards and six touchdowns.
“He puts pressure on a defense because he does have capability of ripping off a long run,” Ross said. “We like to have him on the move and give him options and certainly the defense is aware of that. I’m sure they’ll have some schemes in place to keep him in the pocket and force us to throw the ball downfield. We feel like we’re improving in that area. We missed a few the other night. We have plenty of work to do, but certainly we’re improving and heading in the right direction.”
Siloam Springs travels to Benton
It’ll be a battle of maroon Panthers on Friday night in central Arkansas as Siloam Springs travels to Benton for a 6A-West Conference showdown.
Siloam Springs will have its work cut out for it against Benton (2-2, 0-1), which lost to Russellville 45-24 last week.
Benton lost to Class 7A Bryant 10-7 in the season opener but defeated Little Rock Parkview 61-0 in Week 2 and then beat Greenbrier 58-21 in Week 3.
Benton, which won 21 games the last two years, reached the Class 6A State Finals in 2014 before falling to Pine Bluff. Prior to 2014, Benton had won 21 games combined in the previous seven years.
“There’s no doubt they’re a talented football team,” Ross said. “They’re pretty physical up front and got some skill kids to go with it. It will definitely be a challenge.”
Benton is coached by first-year coach Brad Harris, who was the defensive coordinator the last couple of years and was promoted to head coach when Scott Neathery took the athletic director’s job in June. Harris was the head coach at Lincoln in 2013 leading the Wolves to 11 wins.
Junior varsity canceled
Siloam Springs’ junior varsity game at Springdale on Monday was canceled in the wake of the tragic death of Springdale star wide receiver Kyler Williams on Saturday night.
Williams died in a single car accident between Springdale and Huntsville just one day after recording 10 catches for 265 yards and three touchdowns in the Red’ Dogs win against Rogers Heritage.
Ross said Springdale requested to cancel the junior varsity game and Siloam Springs was more than understanding.
“That’s a really difficult situation,” Ross said. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to them. It puts football in a different perspective. Having dealt with that ourselves it’s not something you want to wish on anyone. There are some difficult days ahead of them I’m sure.
“There are a lot of good guys on that staff. That’s one of the toughest things in coaching when you see a tragedy like that strike your kids. Nothing can be done to make the situation any better. It just takes time.”