The Siloam Springs High School soccer program will be well represented Friday among the state's best players.
The Panthers and Lady Panthers will have four representatives playing in the Arkansas High School Coaches Association All-Star Soccer Games, which will be played on the famous purple and gray turf of Estes Stadium at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway.
The girls game will be played at 5 p.m., followed by the boys game at 7 p.m.
A trio of Lady Panthers -- all-state players Sydney Bomstad, Brooklyn Buckminster and Megan Hutto -- will represent the girls team, while another all-state selection, Jack Bos, will represent the boys team.
"It's pretty impressive to send four kids from our program," said Siloam Springs soccer coach Brent Crenshaw. "That's an honor. One kid is impressive but to have four kids is awesome. It says a lot about our program here. It'll be a great experience for them."
Players are scheduled to report Thursday and play the next night as the All-Star Week moves into a new shorter format.
For Bomstad, Buckminster and Hutto, the game represents one more time to play together as teammates before going their separate ways.
"I'm glad I get to play with them again," said Hutto. "It's a great chance to play together one last time before me and Buck play against each other."
Hutto and Buckminster are both off to play college soccer with Hutto signing with Northeastern State (Okla.) and Buckminster with Rogers State (Okla.).
Hutto led the Lady Panthers with 29 goals and a school record 23 assists. She also was named the MVP of the state tournament and scored the only goal in the Lady Panthers' 1-0 victory over Benton in the Class 6A state finals as Siloam Springs won its fifth straight 6A title.
She finished her career with 69 goals and 62 assists.
Buckminster had six goals and four assists while playing a holding center midfield position and also center back on defense. She's excited about getting to play with her old high school teammates but also some old club teammates as well.
"I'm excited to get to play with old teammates from the past club teams I've been on," Buckminster said. "It's kind of like a reunion."
Bomstad, after playing in the field her first three seasons, moved to goalkeeper for her senior year and made 122 saves and helped Siloam Springs produce 14 shutouts.
"It'll be good to play with all the other people from different teams and get to know them," she said.
Bomstad does not have plans to continue playing soccer.
"This will be the last one," she said.
Bos, meanwhile, will keep playing college soccer close to home, having signed with John Brown back in February.
Bos helped the Panthers to a state runner-up finish in 2018. Overall the Panthers won two state titles and were runner-up twice in Bos' four years on the field.
Bos said he's excited to represent the Panthers one more time.
"Well I take it as an honor obviously, because you get selected by other coaches," Bos said. "It's an honor to be able to participate in this."
Crenshaw is excited for his former players.
"It'll be a great experience for them to interact with other players in the state," Crenshaw said. "That's the great thing about soccer. You can go anywhere, anytime, speak any language, and you all play the game the same way."
Sports on 06/20/2018