Through the constant rain in Russellville last week, the Benton Panthers shut out the Cyclones 27-0 in the 6A West Conference opener. Benton held Russellville to just 170 total yards, while the Panthers gained 519 of their own.
“I thought we played real well last week,” Benton Coach Brad Harris said. “Defensively I was real proud of the way we played. Offensively I thought we struggled at different times getting the ball in the end zone, but still proud of that effort.”
Tonight, Benton (3-1, 1-0) will host the Siloam Springs Panthers (3-1, 1-0) for homecoming at the Benton Athletic Complex. Siloam has already surpassed last season’s win total (2-8) and are fresh off a 24-14 victory over the Sheridan Yellowjackets at home last week.
“We have a 3-1 Siloam Springs coming to town,” Harris said. “They’re going to have some confidence. They’re a little better than they were last year, so we’re going to have to play well. It’s a big night for us. We’re both 1-0 in conference play and we want to be that team that’s tied for first place at the end of the night or hopefully by ourself.
“We’ve had a good week of practice so far and we’re excited about it. It’s homecoming and a big crowd.”
Siloam has relied on its run game this season as senior Kaiden Thrailkill leads the team with 656 yards on the ground with eight touchdowns. Thrailkill has run for over 100 yards each game this year.
“He’s a real solid running back,” Harris said of Thrailkill. “He’s not an explosive guy as far as speed goes, but he’s a solid, tough runner, gets downhill well. They have a pretty good offensive line. The’ve got some some big kids up there and he’s (Thrailkill) a bigger-bodied kid, 200-, 210-pound running back. We’re going to have our work cut out for us.”
Homecoming festivities begin at 6:30 p.m. and kick off is at 7. For those who can’t make it for homecoming, listen on 106.7 FM The Ride.