SILOAM SPRINGS -- The football team camp hosted by Siloam Springs on Thursday night proved to be a big hit.
The 6A West Panthers hosted Benton County neighbor Gravette (4A-1) and Washington County's Farmington (5A West) for a two-hour evening workout session at Panther Stadium on Thursday.
The teams had to deal with warm temperatures at the start of the team camp, but by the time it was over the sun had dipped behind the press box and shade enveloped a good bit of the field.
"It was pretty hot at 6 (p.m.) when we started, but it's a pretty good deal," said Siloam Springs head coach Bryan Ross. "We've got most of our kids here. A few people could show up and watch and it's a good deal."
Gravette head coach Bill Harrelson was particularly impressed with the football facility in Siloam Springs, which will be entering its third season of operation.
"We've got great weather and an unbelievable facility," Harrelson said. "This is the first time I've been in this stadium. I think it's my favorite stadium. It's really nice, and we really appreciate (Siloam Springs) Coach (Bryan) Ross having us over here, and we're getting a lot of reps and it's a lot of fun for our kids."
Farmington head coach Mike Adams also enjoyed the setup at Panther Stadium.
"I like it too, particularly when you get the sun behind the press box," Adams said with a laugh. "Days are awful hot right now, so it's good to get out there and get a lot of reps. This is a lot better for us than just 7-on-7. You get to actually put some pads on and play real football."
The team camp began at 6 p.m. and the teams worked on several situations against one another. By the middle of the session, the teams were running plays against one another at the 40-yard line with the ball returning to the 40 for each play.
The end of the camp featured a mini-scrimmage with offenses going against defenses from the 25-yard line.
Gravette's offense went against Farmington's defense in the first scrimmage with the Cardinals' defense coming away with an interception.
Siloam Springs' offense then went head-to-head against Gravette's defense. The Panthers nearly scored a touchdown on the first play, but Siloam Springs wide receiver Luke Gumm was unable to hang on to a Taylor Pool pass in the end zone. Pool, a sophomore quarterback, lost a fumble on the very next play.
Farmington's offense turned the ball over on downs against Siloam Springs' defense, highlighted by a quarterback sack by Panthers defensive lineman Isaac Knudson.
Gravette's offense then got a rematch against Farmington's defense. Lions quarterback Tajae White threw a 16-yard completion to Brady Moorman to the 2-yard line. Austin O'Brien punched in the touchdown for the score.
Siloam Springs' Dalton Ferguson took a handoff 25 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the Panthers' second offense possession against Gravette for a score.
Siloam Springs' defense then forced a second turnover on downs of the Farmington defense to end the team camp. Kamron Greenlee had a sack on first down and Nolan Wallis nearly had an interception but had to settle for a pass breakup.
"Everybody's working on their basic stuff that they've carried over from spring," Ross said. "We're just trying to get reps in so that you've got some carryover when you start (in August). You want to keep kids up. Don't get anybody hurt. That's what it's all about."
All three teams are scheduled to attend another team camp at Rogers Heritage on Thursday.
"It's good to see different people," Adams said. "You go all summer working against yourself, so it's good to get out there and go against different guys and see some different schemes. ... We've had a good summer in the weight room. This is our first team camp. We've got another one next week at Heritage on Thursday."
Said Harrelson: "We competed in the 7-on-7 (tournament) down in Atkins and got third down there out of 12 teams. That's really the only competition we've had until tonight. We're ready for some competition and to put the shoulder pads on. The kids have done a great job. We've had great attendance. We're kind of low on numbers this year, a little lower than we have been, but the kids that are there are working hard, and they're going to be ready to go."
Sports on 07/19/2017