SILOAM SPRINGS -- From the very beginning of the 2014 football season in August, Bryan Ross said this year was going to be different for Siloam Springs.
The Panthers -- who played as the only Class 6A football team in the 7A/6A-West for the 2012 and 2013 seasons and won only four games combined -- were moving into the 7A/6A-Central Conference in 2014. With that move came an opportunity for Siloam Springs to face competition of their own size rather than playing schools twice and three times larger.
All-NWA Media Football Coach of the Year
Bryan Ross
School: Siloam Springs
Notable: Just completed his 23rd year of coaching, including 12 years as assistant football/head baseball coach at Charleston and 11 years as Siloam Springs. … Is 23-41-1 in six seasons as head football coach at Siloam Springs. Led the Panthers to a 5-7 2014 season after winning just four games combined in 2012 and 2013.
Playing against schools of their own size certainly made a difference.
Siloam Springs won five games in 2014, including a home playoff win, after being picked by the conference coaches to miss the playoffs altogether.
In recognition of the Panthers' 2014 season, Ross, who just completed his sixth season at Siloam Springs, has been named the All-NWA Media Coach of the Year.
Ross, who is 23-41-1 in six years at Siloam Springs, deferred credit to his players and assistant coaches for the Panthers' success in 2014.
"I think that just goes back to the type of kids we have and the type of coaches we have," he said. "In the three years since we've been bumped up, I've not heard any of our kids complain about it. They know what it is, and they have continued to do what we ask them to do, which is work hard every day, be coachable and give it your best. I couldn't be more pleased with the kids that we have here."
The Panthers were coming off seasons of 5-5 in 2010 and 6-4 in 2011 when they moved up from Class 5A to 6A in 2012 and had to compete in the 7A/6A-West. Siloam Springs went 1-10 in 2012 . In 2013, the Panthers competed significantly better but still finished 3-8-1 overall. Both seasons the Panthers received automatic playoff berths as did all teams in Class 6A.
There were no playoff guarantees for the Panthers in 2014, because only the top three 6A teams out of the 7A/6A-Central would reach the postseason. The Panthers were picked by the league coaches to finish last out of the four 6A teams in their league. The other schools are Greenwood, Alma and Russellville.
Instead of finishing last, Siloam Springs went 2-1 against Class 6A competition and earned a home playoff game -- only the school's second home playoff game since 1987, with the other coming in 2008.
Siloam Springs, which picked up nonconference wins against Harrison (47-35) and Claremore, Okla. (44-7), defeated Alma 30-27 at Airedale Stadium in Week 5 for its first 6A win. The Panthers also mercy-ruled Russellville 42-21 at Cyclone Stadium in Week 10 to clinch a playoff spot and the opening-round home playoff game.
Siloam Springs defeated Texarkana 26-13 in the opening round of the Class 6A playoffs before losing to eventual state champion Pine Bluff 41-7 in the second round to end its season.
Ross was an assistant football coach and head baseball coach at Charleston for 12 years before joining Billy Dawson's staff as offensive coordinator at Siloam Springs in 2004. He was promoted to head coach in 2009, when Clint Ashcraft left for Conway, and accepted the job knowing that the Siloam Springs School District was growing and could possibly move up in classification.
"It's perseverance on his behalf," said Siloam Springs defensive coordinator Marc Jones. "I knew him before I came to coach here. He comes from a great coaching background with his dad being a coach. He's kept his nose to the grindstone. A lot of people would have shipped on out of here. I'm sure he had opportunities to go on, and he didn't do it. He persevered, and I think people of Siloam ought to be proud of him."
Assistant coach Dwain Pippin, who is the football coach on staff with the longest tenure at Siloam Springs and has worked under seven head coaches, said Ross let his coaches and players know he wasn't going anywhere.
"He's not a quitter," Pippin said. "He told us early on when he got here that he doesn't believe in packing up and moving every couple of years. He's going to be a sit-down-and-do-it type of guy. He has persevered. You've got to give him credit for that."
Sports on 12/21/2014