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FOOTBALL: SILOAM READIES FOR VAN BURENE

Football: Siloam Readies for Van Burene

LELAND BARCLAY

Times Record | 9/16/2016

The Siloam Springs Panthers know they’ll have to play assignment football tonight against Van Buren’s triple-option offense.

“We have to play assignment football,” Siloam Springs head coach Bryan Ross said. “You don’t see it as much. Our kids didn’t grow up going against it. They grew up in the age of the Spread offense so it’s foreign to them.”


Van Buren switched whole-heartedly over to the run-oriented offense over the off-season.

“We can’t replicate it in practice,” Ross said. “We have to go in low, fast and tough. Their offensive line is coming off low and hard. We can’t let them get us on skates.”

Van Buren has rushed 106 times in the first two games, combined, against Alma and Northside and have thrown just 15 passes.

Van Buren’s offensive line of tackles Russell Davis and Ethan Rogers, guards Derek King and Zach Southern, and center Heath Wagnon have cleared the way for the Pointers to rush for 486 yards.

“We stressed to our kids this week that it’s the time we need to start putting some things together,” Van Buren head coach Greg Werner said. “We’ve played really good here and really good there, but we haven’t really put it all together. Now is the time for us to do that.”

After losing five fumbles in the season-opening loss to Alma, Van Buren cut that back to just one last week against Northside but also threw an interception.

“We need some momentum,” Werner said. “This is our chance to get it this week.”


Siloam Springs is off to a winless start after losing to Rogers and Harrison, and also wants some momentum heading into the new 6A-West.

“We’ve had all kinds of things happen,” Ross said. “We’ve had injuries and had kids move.”

Siloam Springs has scored four touchdowns in two games.

“We’ve struggled,” Ross said. “We haven’t played well. We need to go to Van Buren and try to make something happen.”

Quarterback Luke Lampton has been most of the Panthers’ offense in the first two games. He’s thrown for three touchdowns and ran for one, accounting for all four of his team’s scores.

“He’s a good athlete,” Werner said. “He throws the ball well, and he has some athletes out there. We’re going to have to play well to win the ball game, and not to overdo the coach speak, but we’re real worried about the Pointers and what we’re doing. We feel like if we do that and get something going, we’ll have some momentum.”

Van Buren quarterback Caleb Salisbury is questionable for Friday night’s game, which is a nonconference game.


“He’s still hobbling,” Werner said. “He’s going to have to get a lot better to play on Friday night. Especially in our offense, we’re not going to put him out there and get him hurt worse. He’s already told me 500 times that he’s going to play. It may take a sledgehammer to keep him off the field.”

Sophomores Christian Morrow and Dean Lea will play in Salisbury’s place.

“They’re both different,” Werner said. “Christian’s a great athlete who does a lot of things. Dean’s a little more of a bruiser in there. We’re going to play them both.”
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