Siloam Springs' spring football game was a success for everyone.
Coach Bryan Ross was happy, the sizable crowd was treated to a game that came down to the wire and both the junior varsity and varsity got a chance to play some quality spring football as Maroon squeaked out a 14-12 win over White on Friday at Panther Stadium.
"I'm very proud," Ross said. "I couldn't have asked for a better spring game."
White came out of the gate strong, scoring on their first drive in 11 plays. Ryan Vazquez contributed to the drive, carrying the ball seven times for 33 yards. Junior quarterback Bairon Magana was behind center for the drive, and completed both of his passes for a combined 27 yards.
Magana capitalized after a 12-yard Vazquez rush that brought White just inside the 10-yard line. Magana ran the ball in the next two plays and scored on a four-yard run. The resulting two-point conversion attempt was no good.
Maroon struck back in its first possession of the game. After a pair of false start penalties, J.D. Horn completed a 33-yard pass to Chase Chandler to get past midfield. Fabian Gonzales had a big run for 36 yards that put Horn in position to punch in a six-yard touchdown run. The score remained tied 6-6 as Gonzales' bid for a two-point conversion failed.
Ross identified Gonzales as one of the younger players that really stood out to him. The junior picked up 84 yards on just two carries.
The next three drives were all only three plays long, as offenses struggled to keep rolling and both teams punted. Maroon followed up their three-and-out with a fumble on the first play of the drive as Christian Pearson gained a yard, but lost the ball. Jeremy Mote emerged from the pile with the football and possession shifted back to White at Maroon's 46-yard line.
White's drive in good field position stalled for a moment as a delay of game cost five yards on second-and-five. The next play, a handoff to Ty Trimble, led to a loss of another four yards. On third-and-14, quarterback Landon Ellis hit Chance Junkermann for 17 yards and a new set of downs. Ellis would find a wide-open Junkermann again three plays later for the score on first and goal from the eight-yard line.
With another missed conversion, White took a 12-6 lead over Maroon.
Maroon looked to even the score as Fabian Gonzales tore off on a 50-yard touchdown run from midfield. After the celebrations, Gonzales and everyone else in Maroon had to take a long walk back to midfield as the play was called back on an illegal block to a player's facemask.
Maroon kept advancing after the call, and after a 26-yard catch by Horn from Luke Lampton, who had taken over QB duties, Maroon was in scoring position on the 13-yard line. But it was not to be, as Lampton's next throw fell well short of his target in the end zone and was picked off by Montana Burke.
White would take its six-point lead into half time as they went three and out again and Maroon only had time for three plays before the half expired.
Maroon hobbled out of halftime, turning the ball over on the first play on another Lampton interception, this time to Nolan Wallis.
White failed to take advantage of the extra possession, going three and out after Chandler tipped the third down pass out of play.
Maroon's next drive failed to grab any traction, as the side only picked up a single first down before being forced to "punt" after a third down sack. Because it was a spring game, there were no special teams plays and all kicking situations were decided by the officials placing the ball.
White began its next drive at its own 45-yard line, but it would be driven backward after briefly advancing into Maroon territory. Maroon's defense came out strong, making three key tackles for loss, which combined with three flags on the offense to put White in a third down-and-27 behind where they had started the drive. The desperation third down heave by Ellis was picked off by Horn for Maroon.
Maroon started on its own 46-yard line, but the drive died on White's 40-yard line as a fourth-and-four pass from Lampton to Horn fell incomplete, short.
White's ensuing possession lasted a single play as Tristin Sullins came up with a fumble from a pitch that Ellis sent toward a teammate in a clump of players along the line of scrimmage, still on the 40-yard line. Lampton found reciever Dawson Armstrong twice to move Maroon back into scoring position, only to suffer another red zone interception, this time to Cade Miller, who returned the pick all the way back to Maroon's six-yard line before being brought down by Horn from behind.
White was prevented from capitalizing on a golden opportunity to make it a two possession game. A pair of Trimble rushes only produced a single yard, and Tallon Nation made his second tackle for loss as he sacked Ellis on third down. Ellis' passing attempt into the end zone was then batted away by a leaping Armstrong.
After three plays, Maroon was forced to punt from deep in their own territory, which gave White the ball back on Maroon's 45 yard line. White advanced a total of nine yards before Ellis threw an interception to Armstrong, who took the ball back into White's territory, on its 32-yard line.
Maroon advanced into the red zone for a fourth time as time was becoming a factor in the fourth quarter. Lampton found Zach Ramsey for 14 yards from the 28-yard line to put his team in scoring position. Lampton's next pass fell incomplete, but his next attempt was hauled in for Horn's second reception, which he turned into his second touchdown of the night as he cut to the sideline after the catch and found room to run into the right side of the end zone.
Both of Horn's touchdowns tied the game, but it was when Lampton hit Ramsey again for the two-point conversion right where Horn had run into the end zone a play before that Maroon took their first lead of the game.
White took its final possession on its own 30-yard line with time running out. The drive crossed midfield, but thanks to a clean sack by Seth Farmer, the drive and game hinged on a fourth down-and-16 from Maroon's 39 yard line. With 31 seconds remaining, Ellis' pass fell well short, and the clock bled dry.
"I'm proud of all of them," Ross said. "I think if we have a good summer, maybe sacrifice a little, we can have a real good team this fall."
Sports on 05/22/2016