FAYETTEVILLE -- The Siloam Springs ninth-grade football team came out and hit Fayetteville White in the mouth, but the Bulldogs withstood the blow and defeated the Panthers 35-21 on Thursday in junior high football action.
Siloam Springs recovered an onside kick on the opening kickoff and Camden Collins capped a five-play drive with a touchdown run to give the Panthers a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.
But the lead would be short-lived.
The Bulldogs scored the next 21 points to go up 21-7, but the Panthers were able to cut the lead to 21-14 at halftime on a Colin Evers run.
White re-established control in the second half, pulling ahead 35-14 in the fourth quarter.
The Panthers (1-2) pulled within 35-21 in the fourth quarter when Evers scored on his second touchdown run of the game.
Eighth-grade
The eighth-grade Panthers suffered their first loss of the season Thursday as Fayetteville Woodland ran away with a 41-6 victory.
Woodland led 41-0 when the Panthers (1-1-1) got on the scoreboard on a quarterback keeper run by Josh Stewart.
Seventh-grade football
ROGERS -- The Siloam Springs seventh-grade football team picked up a 28-14 win Tuesday against Rogers Kirksey's eighth-grade B team.
The Panthers got on the scoreboard first with a quarterback run from Andrew Pilcher, and Gabe Cruz ran in the two-point conversion for an 8-0 lead.
Kirksey scored on a long touchdown run to make it 8-6, but the Panthers answered with a 20-yard TD run from Pilcher to take a 14-6 halftime lead.
Siloam Springs scored two more times in the third quarter as Cruz had an 18-yard touchdown run with a two-point conversion by Reese Pinkerton. Tyson Seyer had a 24-yard touchdown run to make it 28-6. Kirksey scored its final touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Seventh-grade coach Chuck Jones said tight end Stone Stevens played well, along with Pilcher, Pinkerton, Cruz, Seyer and Marcus Molina on offense. Defensively, Dallion Miller, Stevens and Alejandro Castaneda stood out, while linebackers Pilcher, Seyer, Christopher King and Kevin Pettit also made several plays. Cornerback Blayne Arnold had an interception.
"I was really proud of how the boys responded after being challenged in practice the last couple of days," Jones said.
Kirksey won the extra quarter 14-0, though Siloam Springs had several nice runs from Dylan Kleckner and Zeke Price.
"We were so thankful to be able to get everyone in the game," Jones said. "For many of these boys it is their first time to play football. These young men are working hard and improving each day. That is our expectation. I am proud of these guys."
Sports on 09/17/2017