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Siloam Springs Eager To Reach Class 5A Semifinals
Last updated Thursday, November 20, 2008 11:26 PM CST in Prep Sports
By Kurt Voigt
THE MORNING NEWS
SILOAM SPRINGS -- Siloam Springs won its first playoff game since 1987 a year ago, an achievement equaled last week with a win over Little Rock Christian.
Now Panthers coach Clint Ashcraft wants to take that next step and advance to the state semifinals. It's a goal that won't be an easy one to reach when the Panthers travel to face Class 5A's top-ranked team, Helena-West Helena, tonight in the second round of the playoffs.
"The biggest thing I'm guarding against is I feel like last year when we won that playoff game, the kids took a big sigh of relief and said, 'Well, we finally won a playoff game,'" Ashcraft said. "I think that's kind of been a problem.
"Now we've won nine games for the first time since 1950, and I don't want them to think it's OK if we don't get this one just because we crossed another hurdle and had another great season."
Luckily for the Panthers (9-2), taking to the road for the playoffs is nothing new. Last season, Siloam traveled to and defeated Batesville in the first round of the playoffs before falling at Camden Fairview in the second round.
"Hopefully we learned something (from the road trips)," Ashcraft said.
Siloam, in the playoffs for the fifth straight season, entered this season with few expectations -- picked to finish fifth in the 5A-West Conference. The Panthers quickly exceeded those, winning their first seven games on their way to a second-place finish in the conference.
Surprisingly, the Cougars (10-0-1) also entered the season without great expectations. Helena-West Helena was picked fourth in the 5A-East Conference after finishing 6-6 last season.
"People said we didn't have a winning tradition," Helena-West Helena coach Russell Smith said. "We knew what we had, and that was a great team."
The Cougars have proven their coach correct this season, with their only blemish coming in a 14-14 tie against Class 6A No. 1 West Memphis. Helena-West Helena has outscored its opponents by an average of 42-10.
"They know (how good the Cougars are)," Ashcraft said of Siloam's players. "You can't hide it, and as much film as our kids have watched, you can't snowball them.
"They are who they are, and they're just as good as advertised."
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