The Siloam Springs football team is ready to go up against someone else.
After more than two weeks of practice, the Panthers will get their chance on Friday when they participate in an Arkansas Activities Association benefit game against Pea Ridge and Rogers at Pea Ridge's Blackhawk Stadium.
"It's definitely time," SSHS coach Brandon Craig said before Monday's practice. We've had two weeks of practices. We had a pretty physical week last week against each other. You definitely need to put yourself in a competitive environment against other teams, get some things on tape, correct some things and get ready for (the season opener) next week. We're excited about the opportunity and looking forward to Friday."
The scrimmage will begin at 6 p.m. Friday at Blackhawk Stadium with a team camp format where teams run consecutive plays against a defense and then rotate.
At 6:20 p.m. all three teams will get to work on an overtime format, with the ball being placed at the 10-yard line like in a high school overtime.
At 6:30 p.m., the three teams will allow their junior varsity squads some action.
At 7 p.m., it will be a scrimmage format, with each team playing the other for one quarter. Rogers will play Siloam Springs first and then the Panthers will take on Pea Ridge. Rogers and Pea Ridge will go head-to-head in the final quarter. All game rules will be enforced with the exception of special teams, which will be dead with no rush.
It's the third straight year the Panthers have participated in a preseason scrimmage with Pea Ridge, having played at Pea Ridge in 2017 and hosting the Blackhawks at Panther Stadium in 2018.
"Their community is growing rapidly," Craig said of Pea Ridge. "They've got a large number of kids out for football. They've been very successful the past few years. It's a great measuring stick for us to get started with."
Siloam Springs and Rogers played each other every year from 2012 to 2017 with the Mounties winning every meeting except in 2015. The Mounties feature one of the top quarterbacks in the area in senior Hunter Loyd (6-4, 200), who rallied the Mounties to a 34-33 win against Siloam Springs as a sophomore at Panther Stadium in 2017 after trailing 27-7.
"Really good quarterback, no doubt," Craig said. "When you get to see multiple teams, it gives you more opportunity to see more diversity, you're not stuck looking at one team. You get more options more looks and going into the season you want as many as you can get."
The Blackhawks and Mounties will also get a look at what Craig hopes is a physical Panthers team.
"It's one of those things where we're physical up front," Craig said. "I'm really excited about our how offensive and defensive lines are coming together. We're still working out the kinks as far as passing game and timing issues. Defensively I feel like the kids on the back end are getting better each day. The defensive line has been really really good for us up front. We're just constantly working every day to get better. Kids have done a good job at that."
Craig singled out a pair of senior linemen for having really shined in fall camp so far in defensive lineman Mariano Dominguez and center Marco Salcedo.
"Mariano has had an outstanding camp," Craig said. "He's taken that senior leadership role and values every time he steps on the field.
"Offensively Marco Salcedo has gotten himself into great shape and is so much more of a player this year than last year and working hard to get every rep at center."
The Panthers haven't been immune to injuries this fall. Junior linebacker Camden Collins, senior tight end Jordan Stewart and sophomore running back Zach Hull have all recently missed practice time with injuries.
It's possible all three may miss some time, including Friday's scrimmages or the early season nonconference games. Craig said the goal is to be healthy heading into conference play at Sheridan on Sept. 27.
"We want our guys 100 percent healthy when they're on the field," Craig said. "We're not going to accept 70 percent. We want them to be in the best position to play so they can have their best performance. Week 4 (against Sheridan) is the goal, getting to that first conference game is the spot where we need them."
Craig said several players have stepped up in their absence, including sophomore Brendan Lashley at tight end, and senior Jose Valencia and sophomore Caden McHaney at linebacker.
"We've definitely worked a lot of kids and gotten some kids with some valuable experience," Craig said. "We're just trying to create competition at each position. When one guy goes down another guy steps in and does the job."
Sports on 08/21/2019