Siloam Springs will be well represented Friday and Saturday at the Arkansas High School Coaches Association All-Star Week at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway.
A total of seven athletes and one coach in four different sports will participate beginning Friday with the girls and boys soccer games on Friday on the purple and gray turf at Estes Stadium.
The All-Star girls basketball game is at 1 p.m. at the Farris Center, followed by the boys game at 3 p.m. The All-Star Football Game is at 6 p.m. Saturday at Estes Stadium.
Girls soccer
Clara Church and Anna Wleklinski will play for the West All-Stars in the girls soccer game.
"These girls join an elite group of Lady Panthers who have been honored as all star players," said SSHS girls coach Abby Jones. "They both are very deserving and will represent Siloam well one last time on the field. The opposing coaches in our conference nominated Anna and Clara without hesitation."
Church, a midfielder, was an all-state selection in Class 5A, while Wleklinski was selected 5A-West All-Conference.
"I feel very honoured and excited to be playing," Wleklinski said.
Church echoed her teammate.
"I am so excited to be playing and very grateful for the opportunity," Church said.
The West All-Stars will be coached by Reggie Fryar of Cossatot River, Karen Sosa of Springdale, Landon Stafford of Russellville and Stephen Sloan of De Queen.
Girls basketball
Siloam Springs All-State basketball selections Brooke Ross and Brooke Smith will team up one last time on the basketball court after leading the Lady Panthers to a 20-win season and more than 50 wins in three years at Siloam Springs.
"Ross and Smith are the standard," said SSHS girls coach Beau Tillery, who will get to coach the pair one more time as an assistant coach on the West All-Stars staff.
Ross, the team's leading scorer and rebounder at 12 points and 7 rebounds per game, signed to play basketball at the University of the Ozarks. Smith offers the West a versatile player who can play all five positions on the floor. She signed with Ouachita Baptist.
"Everyone is aware of their ability on the floor," Tillery said. "The things they have brought to our team that can't be taught or charted in a stat book have been invaluable. They are coachable, they lead differently but effectively in their own ways, and are model students at Siloam Springs High School. I wish I could have coached them longer, but I can't wait to soak in one last game on the bench watching them represent our program and community."
Smith quoted Proverbs 14:23 when asked about playing in the All-Star game.
"'Hard work always pays off; mere talk puts no bread on the table,'" Smith said of the verse. "That to me means that the work we put in this year to get to where we are means more than anything we said we would do at the start of the season and this game is proof of that."
Ross said she was excited to play in the game.
"Being able to play in the All-Star game is an incredible opportunity to represent the Lady Panthers program and set the tone for my basketball career in the future," said Ross.
Lamar's Brandon Schluterman is the West head coach, while Farmington's Brad Johnson and Hector's Ben Freeman will join Tillery as assistants on the staff.
Boys basketball
The 5A-West's top scoring duo from the 2022-23 season will be on display for the West All-Stars with Dalton Newman and Nate Vachon.
Both All-State selections, Newman and Vachon were neck and neck all season for not only the team's scoring leader honors but also in the conference.
Newman and Vachon both averaged around 15 points per game for the Panthers, who won the 5A-West Conference championship for the first time since the early 1990s.
"It's such a special honor and experience for both Nathan and Dalton to be an all-star selection, then to be able to have a teammate there is really amazing," said Siloam Springs coach Tim Stewart. "I'm so proud of the long hours and hard work that these two have put in to get to this point. They're leaving an excellent legacy of growth, determination and success for all our younger players to strive towards."
Both said they're looking forward to playing in the game.
"I'm super excited to play with a bunch of very talented and hardworking guys," Vachon said. "Extremely thankful to get the opportunity to play with all of them this weekend."
Said Newman: "This is an opportunity I've dreamed of and worked hard for my whole life. I'm so thankful to be apart of something this special."
County Line's Joe Brunson is head coach for the West, while Bo Martin of Bergman, Greg White of Bentonville West and Russell Sturdivant of Dardanelle are assistant coaches.
Football
The Panthers will have one football player on the West squad in kicker Ronald Mancia.
Mancia made 14 of 14 extra points and 3 of 3 field goals for the Panthers in 2022. He also handled the kickoff duties.
"Our special teams were a bright spot last season and Ronald's kicking was a big part of that," said Siloam Springs coach Brandon Craig. "We will miss him."
Ricky May of Charleston is the West head coach. He is assisted by Paul Ernest of Dierks, Moe Henry of Van Buren, Eric Munoz of Rogers Heritage, J.D. Plumlee of Malvern, Daryl Scott of Mountain Pine and Matt Stewart of Charleston.
Mark Ross/Special to the Herald-Leader Siloam Springs girls basketball coach Beau Tillery will be an assistant coach for the West All-Stars during the Arkansas High School Coaches Association Girls All-Star basketball game on Saturday in Conway.
Mark Ross/Special to the Herald-Leader Brooke Ross (right) will represent Siloam Springs in the Arkansas High School Coaches Association All-Star Girls Basketball Game on Saturday in Conway.
Mark Ross/Special to the Herald-Leader Brooke Smith (right) will represent Siloam Springs for the West All-Stars in the Arkansas High School Coaches Association All-Star Girls Basketball Game on Saturday in Conway.
Mark Ross/Special to the Herald-Leader Clara (right) will represent Siloam Springs in the Arkansas High School Coaches Association All-Star Girls Soccer Game on Friday in Conway.
Mark Ross/Special to the Herald-Leader Dalton Newman will represent Siloam Springs in the Arkansas High School Coaches Association All-Star Boys Basketball Game on Saturday in Conway.
Mark Ross/Special to the Herald-Leader Nate Vachon will represent Siloam Springs in the Arkansas High School Coaches Association All-Star Boys Basketball Game on Saturday in Conway.
Mark Ross/Special to the Herald-Leader Ronald Mancia (left) will represent Siloam Springs at the Arkansas High School Coaches Association All-Star Football Game on Saturday in Conway.