FARMINGTON -- Siloam Springs (1-4) held on for a ninth-grade football win, the Panthers' first victory of the season, by edging Farmington, 17-14, on Sept. 24.
The junior Panthers captured a 7-0 first quarter lead with Mason Simmons scoring on a 12-yard carry after taking over in prime field position courtesy of a 30-yard punt return by Anthony Sandoval.
Farmington closed to within a point trailing 7-6 at halftime when its conversion attempt failed.
A Panther drive bogged down in the second half, but Siloam Springs cashed in on a 26-yard field goal by Sandoval stretching the lead to 10-6.
Siloam Springs led by as much as 17-6 in the second half when Simmons took the ball 46 yards to the house.
Farmington scored and converted a 2-point conversion to pull within 17-14 giving itself once last chance. Freshman quarterback Cameron Vanzant completed a pass in the waning seconds to the 50-yard line. Finding no receivers open, he tried to run out-of-bounds on the last play of the game but time expired and the junior Cardinals sustained a 17-14 loss to Siloam Springs in 7A West Conference junior high football action at Cardinal Stadium.