The first-ever football game will be played in Panther Stadium on Friday when the Siloam Springs football team hosts its annual Maroon-Gray Senior Bowl.
Game-time is 6 p.m.
The Panthers split up their roster of players and coaches into two teams after practice on Tuesday, with each team being selected by two senior captains. The rosters for the game were not available at presstime. The team's four senior captains are lineman Colby Brown, wide receiver/defensive back Matt Downing, wide receiver/linebacker Nick Herring, and lineman Aric Sislo.
The two teams will practice with each other on Wednesday and Thursday before playing the game on Friday.
"I think it's a lot of fun for the kids," said Siloam Springs coach Bryan Ross. "The seniors, they pick the teams and then they practice within their own team there for a couple of days. We like to have fun with it and keep it definitely competitive. At the same time, we want people to understand we're all Panthers and we're trying to develop a good team for the fall."
The Panthers have 94 players going through spring practice, an increase of numbers from the 78 players who finished the 2014 season.
"We're pretty pleased with the numbers," Ross said. "It's like I always say, the kids around here are going to do what we ask. It's always good to have too many rather than not enough. We like to have a lot of kids interested in playing football."
Both quarterbacks -- rising senior Jordan Norberg and junior Luke Lampton -- will be separated and see the majority of reps at the position in the spring game.
Ross said they've tried to give both an equal amount of reps in spring practice.
"A lot of that has to do with we've got to have both ready to play in the spring game on Friday," Ross said. "They're so different as far as their skill set. think it allows us to do some different things that will allow us to keep people on their toes."
Norberg is a left-handed pocket passer, who missed most of last season with a broken collarbone. Lampton played all of Week 9 against Bryant when his older brother Chris Lampton missed the game with an injury.
Lampton will mainly play quarterback on Friday in the spring game, but the Panthers are hoping to find ways to utilize his speed this upcoming season. Ross said Lampton finished off an intrasquad scrimmage Friday with a 70-yard run up the middle.
"I think Luke is certainly a big-play threat for us with the ball in his hands," Ross said. "We'll have him on the field a lot, even when he's not at quarterback. ... That's a weapon you've got to try and use."
Ross said the Panthers' defense is ahead of the offense at this point in spring practice.
"They've really been playing fast and getting penetration," he said. "That's a sign of good things to come."
Defensively the Panthers have been without one of their best defensive players in rising senior linebacker Gus Wright, who is playing with the soccer team.
Without Wright, Ross said Kalen Seftner, Nate Free, Carlos Gonzales and Zach Ramsey have all gotten a lot of work.
The Panthers would like to limit the amount of defensive snaps at linebacker for Ricky Hughes, who is also a starter at running back.
"I don't want to sacrifice anything defensively," Ross said. "I think we've got a little bit more depth and I think there's going to be times that we can get him off the field defensively. He's going to certainly be our No. 1 guy as far as carrying the ball right now. That's a lot of wear and tear on a guy."
Offensively the Panthers have moved around some players up front on the offensive line. Rising senior Aric Sislo has moved to right offensive tackle, "but he's such a good football player it doesn't matter where you put Aric," Ross said.
Tallon Nation and Kyler Crass are getting work at left tackle and Chase Womack at left guard. Rising seniors Parker Hall and Colby Brown are playing center and right guard respectively.
Ross said junior Connor Broyles can play just about any position on the offensive line.
"All of those guys are going to factor in," Ross said. "Bottom line is when we get ready to play Rogers on Sept. 4, we're going to have our best offensive linemen out there. There still could be a position switch here or there."
Ross said the emphasis this spring has been getting the base offense and defense installed and getting lots of reps for all the players. He said the younger players -- the rising sophomores and juniors -- have done well with the pace of practice.
"We're with these kids everyday so we kind of know what they can do and maybe not do as well," Ross said. "I've been pleased with the younger guys. I think they've caught on to the way we want to practice, the speed and tempo. That's probably the biggest thing for them is learning the speed and pace we want to practice. They've done a good job so far."
Spring football game
The Panther Stadium gate opens at 5:30 p.m. Admission is $5, which includes a pre-game meal.
A halftime game between the middle school teams will be played and there will be a Powder Puff Game directly following the spring game.
All proceeds from the spring football game directly benefit the football program.
For more information, contact Siloam Springs football booster club president Branson Hall at 479-381-7521 or visit www.ssfootballboosters.com.
Sports on 05/20/2015