Bryan Ross corrected me just moments after the Panthers let one get away Friday night at Van Buren.
During our post-game interview, I suggested that you could make the argument that Siloam Springs football could easily be 2-1 right now instead of 0-3.
"No," Ross fired back. "It's not could be. We should be 2-1."
There's no debate that the Panthers got whipped by Class 7A Rogers in their season opener, 45-9, but the last two weeks have been tough to swallow if you're a Siloam Springs fan.
The Panthers -- seemingly in control of contests against Harrison and Van Buren -- have let two games slip away in the second half.
Against Harrison on Sept. 9, the Panthers went from nearly slamming the door on the Goblins' chances to letting them back in the game and getting outscored 30-0 in the second half in a 39-19 loss.
Then last Friday night -- after a near-two-hour rain delay -- the Panthers had an 18-10 lead in the fourth quarter at Van Buren only to give up two scores and lose 25-18.
"We should be 2-1," Ross said. "That's what I told the kids in there. If it doesn't hurt a little bit then you're not a competitor. We've got to find a way. When the game is on the line and we put ourselves in position to win, we've got to find a way to win, and we haven't done that the last three weeks."
The Panthers will get an opportunity to get things turned around Friday night when they open 6A-West Conference play at Panther Stadium against Sheridan (1-2).
As best I can tell, the Panthers have never played the Yellowjackets, who are 1-2 to start the year.
Sheridan, over the years, has not been much of a football power, but the Yellowjackets did win five games last year and advanced to the Class 6A playoffs.
Sheridan was picked to finish last in the 6A-West by the league coaches behind Siloam Springs, which was picked seventh.
I know it'll be a long bus ride up from the central Arkansas town, located south of Little Rock and west of Pine Bluff.
The Class 6A baseball tournament was held in Sheridan last May, and just from my experience it's not the easiest place to trek to on a game day. Siloam Springs must seem like it's at the end of the world to folks from there.
Friday night's game is also homecoming for Siloam Springs, and that in itself comes with its own set of challenges.
Sheridan is a team the Panthers can and should beat on Friday, but the question is will they?
I agree with Bryan Ross in that the Panthers should be 2-1 heading into this one. They let two get away for sure.
But with the start of conference play, it's almost like there's a clean slate for everyone.
The Panthers have shown flashes in their first three games. They've hit some big plays, they've had some nice drives. They've caused some turnovers on defense. But nothing has been consistent as of yet.
"I thought we looked better," Ross said Friday night. "I thought we showed improvement in places. We've still got a long way to go. You sure would like to show improvement by winning those games than not."
The good news is they can start heading in the right direction Friday night.
-- Graham Thomas is the managing editor for the Herald-Leader. He can be reached at [email protected]. The opinions expressed are those of the author.
Sports on 09/21/2016