SILOAM SPRINGS — Huntsville Coach Ken Harriman recalls when Braden Pippin was just a little boy on the sidelines.
“I remember when he was on the sideline chucking little footballs,” said Harriman, who coached at Siloam Springs in the 1990s before returning to Huntsville. “Obviously his father [Siloam Springs assistant Dwain Pippin] and I worked together. I think a lot of him, and I think an awful lot of old Braden.”
Harriman watched Siloam Springs’ junior quarterback throw big footballs Friday night as Siloam Springs put on an offensive show in a 47-15 victory against Huntsville at Glenn W. Black Stadium.
The Panthers (5-3, 3-2 5AWest) rolled up a season-high 549 yards of offense, including 310 yards passing from Pippin, who completed 14 of 24 passes with 4 touchdowns.
The Panthers scored 27 points in the first quarter and the sportsmanship rule went into effect with 5 minutes, 11 seconds left in the third quarter when Chris Villasenor took a bubble screen 25 yards for a touchdown.
“They have great weapons,” Harriman said. “I think they just out-athleted us on the edges. We couldn’t tackle them.”
Siloam Springs opened the game with a seven-play, 64-yard drive that saw Grady Truitt rush for 39 yards and was capped by a 1-yard scoring run from Pippin with 10:02 to play.
The Panthers’ defense got the ball back quickly, and Pippin and the offense went back to work. He hit Villasenor for 22 yards, and Truitt rushed in for the touchdown from 15 yards out to go up 14-0 with 7:32 in the first period.
The Panthers stalled offensively on their next possession, but their drive extended when Huntsville (2-6, 0-5) was flagged for roughing the punter. Pippin then hit Stuart Cifuentes for 25 yards and found Cifuentes for a 13-yard score with 2:35 left.
Siloam Springs scored right before the quarter ended on a 68-yard screen pass to Villasenor to go up 27-0.
“They showed up ready to play,” Siloam Springs Coach Bryan Ross said. “I challenged them to take control of the game early and finish strong. They did.”
Huntsville cracked the scoreboard to pull within 27-8 in the second period on a 1-yard run from Cody Wages, but Siloam Springs answered with two more scoring drives to go up 37-8 at the half.
Truitt rushed for 17 yards and Pippin carried for nine more before finding Cifuentes for a 36-yard strike. Pablo Castillo kicked a 36-yard field goal.
After Villasenor’s touchdown in the third quartermade it 44-8, the Panthers added three more points on a 45-yard field goal into the wind from Castillo.
“Hitting a 45-yard field goal into the wind, that’s a pretty good deal,” Ross said.
The Panthers rushed for 239 yards led by Truitt, who had 108 yards on 15 carries. Sophomores Austin Van Poucke and Scout Alexander combined to rush for 83 yards in the second half on three carries as the Panthers substituted liberally.
Villasenor led all Siloam Springs receivers with four catches for 143 yards. Cifuentes caught six passes for 113 yards. They each had two touchdowns.
“I think this bunch, if they set their minds to it, can do a lot of things,” Ross said.
Huntsville finished with 226 yards of total offense led by a strong rushing performance from Wages, who had 15 carries for 145 yards.
HARRISON 32, MORRILTON 28
MORRILTON - Jon Collier caught a fourth-quarter touchdown pass from Tate Stokes to give Harrison (4-4, 2-3 5A-West) a come-from-behind victory.
Harrison trailed 28-17 going into the final quarter, but cut the lead to four points when Stokes threw 60 yards to Jeremy Johnson for a score.
Stokes scored on a 65-yard run in the first quarter, and linebacker Caleb Frazier added a fumble recovery for a score.
David Ford and Jamar Criswell each scored twice for Morrilton (1-7, 0-5).
Sports, Pages 23 on 10/23/2010