Van Buren flips script on Panthers
Pointers stop Talley on conversion, win 34-33
VAN BUREN — This time, Van Buren’s defense stopped Hunter Talley and Siloam Springs with the game on the line.
The Pointers stuffed Talley at the one on a two-point conversion to keep a 34-33 lead over Siloam Springs with five seconds remaining in Friday’s 5A-West Conference opener.
But the game wasn’t over just yet.
A personal foul for unsportsmanlike conduct was called on Van Buren for celebrating the two-point stop, and the Panthers kicked off from the Van Buren 45-yard line with Siloam Springs recovering the onside kick at the 34.
Talley’s Hail Mary pass into the end zone was intercepted by Dylan Barlow on the last play, and Van Buren held on at Blakemore Field.
But it all started with the twopoint stop, which Van Buren (40, 1-0 6A-West) couldn’t do last season when Talley ran in a twopoint conversion in overtime to beat Van Buren 43-42 at Panther Stadium in Siloam Springs.
It was a different ending this time around for the Pointers.
“It was just a huge play for us,” said Van Buren coach Crosby Tuck. “I’m so proud of our defense. Last year they went for two to win it in overtime with Hunter running it. He got it, so we lose by one. So tonight for us to be in the exact same situation and get the stop is huge.”
The end of the game was marred by an altercation near the Van Buren sideline between both sides that brought out security and officials onto the field to break up the melee.
Tuck, who had a 15-yard penalty thrown on him for unsportsmanlike conduct earlier in the game for arguing with officials, called the incident “unfortunate” while Siloam Springs coach Brandon Craig did not comment.
“It was a frustrating night,” Tuck said. “I don’t expect (the officials) to be perfect. I don’t expect them to make every call, but I do expect big things.”
The ending overshadowed what was another classic in the 10-year rivalry with the Panthers and Pointers, which is now tied 5-5.
Craig said the loss was a difficult one on the Panthers.
“Our kids work extremely hard,” Craig said. “They’re invested. It’s a tough loss. It hurts all of us. I’m 50 years old and it still hurts me.”
Van Buren led 34-27 with a little more than a minute remaining after a missed field goal attempt, and Siloam Springs (1-3, 0-1) had to take over at the 9-yard line with 91 yards to go.
A false start penalty backed the Panthers up to the 5.
Talley completed a 35-yard pass to Jonathon Graves to the 40. Talley then hit Brendan Lashley for 15 yards and Graves for 11 more before a holding penalty gave the Panthers the ball at the 24 with 13 seconds left.
Talley found Lashley for a 24yard touchdown to give the Panthers a chance for the win with the conversion. The Panthers lined up in a tight formation but didn’t get enough push against the Van Buren defense.
“It comes down to they made one more play than us,” said Siloam Springs Coach Brandon Craig. “I knew going into this game it was going to be tight. We both gave up a blocked extra point, which is just something we
can’t do, and you know that cost us. We had to go for two. We had a play that our quarterback liked and I liked. We didn’t get it.”
Van Buren led 14-0 in the first quarter after Bryce Perkins threw a 59-yard touchdown pass to Malachi Henry and Perkins ran for a 40-yard score. The Pointers never trailed from there, but Siloam Springs wouldn’t go away.
Siloam Springs got back in it with Talley rushing for two touchdowns, throwing two touchdown passes to Lashley and another to Patrick Church, which went for 46 yards.
Talley completed 20 of 37 passes for 353 yards, but he also threw two interceptions. Talley also rushed for 136 yards on 18 carries.
Lashley caught nine passes for 151 yards and two scores, while Church had two receptions for 100 yards and Graves three catches for 65 yards, all in the second half.
“Lashley’s huge. He makes plays every game,” Craig said. “We had a kid named Patrick Church who stepped up tonight and made some big plays for us and it was really nice to see that. If we can have one more threat like that it’s going to help us down the road.”
Perkins, the sophomore quarterback for Van Buren, completed 17 of 30 passes for 314 yards and three touchdowns. He hit several big pass plays, including a 65-yard strike to Andrew Hammond to set up a scoring drive in the second half.
Henry had seven catches for 141 yards, most of which came in the first half. Hammond had three catches for 105 yards.
Dominic Galvan rushed 24 times for 93 yards and scored a touchdown in the the fourth quarter to put Van Buren in front 34-21.
“We had some guys step up and I’m just super proud of the heart I think that we played with,” Tuck said.
Siloam Springs returns to action this Friday for homecoming against Benton at Panther Stadium.