RUSSELLVILLE -- Siloam Springs' boys soccer team is headed back to Razorback Field in search of another state championship.
Danny Daugherty scored a first-half goal and Franklin Cortez added a second goal late as Siloam Springs shut out Benton 2-0 in the Class 6A semifinals at Cyclone Stadium.
Siloam Springs advances to this week's Class 6A state championship match against conference rival Russellville, which beat Jonesboro 4-3 in the other semifinal.
It's the ninth state title match appearance overall for Siloam Springs as the Panthers are chasing their fifth title (2011, 2012, 2016, 2017).
"We've come along way the last couple of weeks in boys," said Siloam Springs soccer coach Brent Crenshaw. "It's been kind of a challenge. I knew defensively we've always been really, really good. We just had to find the back of the net."
Siloam Springs had its hands full with the Benton Panthers early on Saturday, but the Panthers cashed in for a goal with 20 minutes, 46 seconds left before half.
Christian Marroquin played into the box and passed to his left where Daugherty scored for a 1-0 lead.
Siloam Springs (16-7-3) made it 2-0 with 11:02 left in the game.
Brian Andrade lined up a corner kick and found the foot of Cortez who scored for the insurance goal.
Benton's season ended at 16-3-1.
"We didn't connect the way we needed to," said Benton coach Bobby Winn. "We had opportunities. ... Hat's off to them. They're an extremely well coached team. I'll take playing them all year long versus playing somebody I can beat 8-0."
Girls
Siloam Springs 5, Searcy 1
Laura Morales scored four goals and Megan Hutto had four assists as the four-time defending champion Lady Panthers clinched their sixth straight state title match appearance.
"She was on fire," Hutto said of Morales. "One touch, two touch goals. ... She was not nervous. She just played her game."
Siloam Springs (21-3-2) will be looking for its fifth straight state title -- something no other girls soccer team in Arkansas has never done. The Lady Panthers will take on Benton, which beat Mountain Home 1-0 in the other semifinal. Benton (16-4) will be making its first title match appearance.
Morales scored two quick goals off assists from Hutto and Shelby Johnson.
A header by Hailey Dorsey off a Hutto cornerkick gave Siloam Springs a 3-0 lead it carried into halftime.
Searcy (13-5-1) got on the board early in the second half when a cornerkick resulted in an own goal on Siloam Springs.
Morales responded with two more goals afterward as the Lady Panthers increased their lead to 5-1.
Sports on 05/13/2018