Under pressure

Hunter Talley embraces the pressures and expectations that come with playing the quarterback position.

More importantly, the 6-foot-4, 200-pound senior at Siloam Springs wants the ball in his hands when it matters most.

"Absolutely, that's what I've been looking forward to ever since I picked up a football," Talley said. "I used to watch guys like (former Arkansas Razorbacks) Ryan Mallet and Tyler Wilson on TV and they were that guy. You hear the announcers talk about them when you turn on the TV. That's what I've wanted to be -- the guy with the game on the line."

Never was Talley's guts and determination more evident than in Week 4 last season against Van Buren.

After squandering a 21-point lead, the Panthers found themselves down 42-41 in overtime, having just scored a touchdown and getting set up to go for the win with a two-point conversion.

The Panthers took the field with a play called for an unbalanced sweep with then-senior running back Camden Collins.

As the Panthers lined up, Van Buren called timeout and both teams returned to their sideline.

"Van Buren didn't like our formation, so they called timeout and we broughtt he kids over," said Siloam Springs coach Brandon Craig. "I said, you guys good with it? (Talley) said, 'Not really. Let me run the ball. Let me run the play and get the ball in the endzone.' I said, 'It's going to be on you.' He said, 'I got it I'm going to run it through the back of the endzone,' and he did it."

That's exactly how it played out. Talley took the shotgun snap and ran behind his big offensive line for the conversion, giving Siloam Springs a memorable 43-42 victory in overtime.

"You look around the huddle and everyone's eyes were a bit big, and he's asking for the ball," Craig said. "It's what you want to see out of that kind of kid who's a champion."

It was one highlight of many in 2020 for Talley, who was a Class 6A All-State selection as a junior after accounting for nearly 2,400 total yards and 26 touchdowns for the Panthers in 2020.

Talley showed himself a dual threat, rushing 163 times for 629 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also completed 113 of 21o passes (53.8 percent) for 1,752 yards, 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

The Panthers are expecting even more from Talley in 2021, who shined on opening night by rushing for 100 yards and three touchdowns and completing 23 of 35 passes for 263 yards and three more touchdowns in the Panthers' 51-40 loss at Rogers on Aug. 27.

Talley worked hard in the offseason, running track and getting in the best physical shape of his life to prepare for the role.

"Physically, I'm about 20 pounds lighter," Talley said. "I've gotten a lot quicker and become more of a threat on third down. Last year I was a drop back guy or a downhill runner. Losing Jeff (Phizema) and losing some of the running backs, I decided I had to become more of a running threat. Part of that meant losing some weight and getting faster."

Talley also saw some time on defense at safety in Week 1, something the Panthers weren't planning on but are going to have to do out of necessity.

"It's been a while since he's played defense," Craig said. "He did some good things. He's also got things he's going to work on and we're going to continue to do that. ... It really comes down to people. We have a certain amount of varsity players we can stick out there and still have a chance to compete. If we don't put him out there then we most likely won't have a chance to compete."

The Panthers' theme for 2021 is "Count On Me" and there's no one better than Talley that fits that mold. Talley is reliable and dependable along with being a student of the game, Craig said.

"He's a kid that always seems ready to go," Craig said. "He's ready to go all the time. He's ready to go do something football-related all the time. You don't have a lot of kids like that. He's a guy that loves football. He wants to be a coach. People probably don't know that about him. He wants to be a coach someday.

"You don't have to ask twice. You don't even have to ask in some cases. He wants to be up here throwing. He wants to be up here lifting. He wants to be up here watching film. He's a guy that I say we're going to watch film tomorrow at 6:15 a.m., he's going to show up at 6:10 ready to go. It's just one of those rarities when you have a kid like that. He knows what it takes to be a winner. He's going to put that time and effort in."

Talley also is very strong academically, with a 3.83 GPA and 35 super score on the ACT.

"He has the ability to do anything he wants in life," Craig said.

Talley's academics and athletics will give him multiple opportunities at the next level, and at multiple positions.

"He's been to a lot of camps," Craig said. "He's had a lot of colleges he's talked to. I think right now it just comes down to the fit of what he's going to do at the next level."

Talley is being looked at to play quarterback, tight end/H-Back and on defense.

"I have to decide what is is I want to be in college," Talley said. "I'm also in a unique situation because of my academics. I can get in a lot of schools for really cheap. A lot of schools are on the table that aren't for a lot of guys, so I have to decide balancing out with my future of going to a really good school and also playing football somewhere."

Said Craig, "We'll get a little more senior film, send it out and see what comes back and go from there."

As the Panthers (0-1) travel to Harrison this Friday, Craig is looking forward to seeing what Talley does on the field.

"He's a kid that you're excited to see play every week because he's going to give it everything he's got," Craig said. "He wants to win. He's one of the kids that comes out and pushes himself every day. You're excited for him to get the opportunity to play each week. Just a great kid."