Inspiring win for Panthers
All it takes is one win to get things turned in the right direction.
That’s the message head coach Brandon Craig has been telling the Siloam Springs football team for the last several weeks as the Panthers have been decimated by injuries and caught in a fivegame losing streak.
Well, if last Friday’s 50-47 win at Russellville didn’t do the trick, then I don’t know what will.
Nearly 100 points were scored between the two teams, but after falling behind 28-7 in the first quarter, the last three-fourths of the game were dominated by Siloam Springs.
The Panthers outscored the Cyclones 43-19 over the final three quarters, and it just goes to show you in the area of spread offense football that no lead is safe, especially that early in the ballgame.
It was a really inspiring comeback for the Panthers, and I am sorry I missed it in person. My family and I were in Mississippi after the death of a family member. I plan to be back this week as the Panthers make the long trip to El Dorado for the opening round of the Class 6A playoffs. But I definitely enjoyed listening to my boys Dustin Butler and Tony Molina on the livestream.
It’s been a crazy year folks. I think in my first 10 years of covering Siloam Springs football, I had missed all of four games due to illness or dealing with tornado damage at my home. With covid-19 and other circumstances, I’ve missed three this year alone. That’s 2020 I guess.
Back to football.
Let’s see, big win at Russellville one week, long playoff trip the next. Kind of sounds like last year doesn’t it when Siloam Springs won at Russellville 3129 to advance to the Class 6A playoffs and then carried that momentum into a thrilling 23-13 win at Marion in east Arkansas the very next week.
The Panthers are in a similar scenario this week against the El Dorado Wildcats, the former 6AWest Conference member who along with Sheridan were moved to the 6A-East this season.
El Dorado started the season 0-3 with losses to Camden Fairview, Cabot and Magnolia in nonconference schedule. The Wildcats (4-4, 4-1) then missed two conference games because of covid-19 against Pine Bluff and Jonesboro but wound up winning four of the five conference games they did play.
Siloam Springs and El Dorado have played each of the last four seasons with El Dorado winning all four. The Wildcats won at Siloam Springs 24-21 in 2018 aided by a controversial call and then pulled away for a 30-6 win last season at El Dorado, a game that was closer than the final score indicates.
As I said at the top, all it takes is one win to get things turned around. We’ll see how the Panthers fare come Friday in south Arkansas.