NORTHWEST ARKANSAS — The Siloam Springs Panthers will learn a lesson this fall that’s invaluable - life’s not always fair.

The Panthers, who moved into Class 6A this reclassification cycle, will compete in the 6A/7A-West Conference this season will schools twice as big and, in some cases, three times as big as Siloam Springs High School. Despite multiple appeals and attempts to restructure the schedule, facing 7A schools Bentonville, Rogers, Rogers Heritage, Springdale, Springdale Har-Ber, Fayetteville and Van Buren in conference play is a cold reality.

“Bottom line is, we can’t do one thing about it,” said head coach Bryan Ross. “We certainly don’t think it’s a fair setup. But you know, life’s not always fair.

A lot of things you don’t have control over. That’s one of them.

What we have to focus on ascoaches and players is doing the absolute best we can and being the best team we can be and not worrying about the people we’re playing as much.”

It’s been since 2004 since any team outside of the 7A-West has won the Class 7A State Title.

In 2005, Springdale went undefeated through the conference on its way to a state title and No.

2 national ranking. Rogers did the same in 2006 only to lose to Fort Smith Southside in the state finals. Fayetteville won the state title in 2007, followed by Bentonville in 2008, Springdale Har-Ber in 2009 and Bentonville again in 2010. Fayetteville upset Bentonville in the 2011 finals.

All of the state runners-up have also been 7A-West teams.

With the reclassification, Fort Smith Southside and Fort Smith Northside depart the 6A/7AWest and Van Buren and Siloam Springs join the league.

Siloam Springs is the only Class 6A school in the conference and will compete in theClass 6A State Football Playoffs.

“We know we’re going to be playing a schedule that no 6A team has ever played,” Ross said. “I think you can look at it one or two ways. You can feel sorry for yourself, hang your head and all that, or you can step it up and meet the challenge, and never back down andnever quit. That’s what we’re anticipating. We preach to our kids that the bottom line is those games in the middle of the year aren’t the end-all, say-all. But what’s going to be important for us is how we finish the year.

“With all the 6A schools getting the chance to go to the playoffs, I know there’s been a lot of discussion, and I know a lot of people hate that. But if you look at our situation, how can you compare us to anyone else?

You can’t. Because no one else is in the situation we are.

“We could be a very good 6A football team and have a very, very bad record. That’s a possibility.”

Sports, Pages 44 on 08/29/2012