1/27/23
By Kevin Taylor
Alma Schools
Halena Dugger is a walking billboard for everything Alma High School stands for.
From its students to the quant little Mexican restaurants (whose servers don’t just know you by name but take your order without asking), to the weekend teenage hangout in the parking lot between the local Sonic and CVS, to the basketball locker room, Halena Dugger rarely has a bad day.
"I've been in Alma (basketball) since the third grade," Dugger said. "the Alma program is great; all the coaches are great. I just love living in Alma, making connections, and having a family to go to and talking about my problems. I feel safe doing that around here.
"I've never moved and I never want to."
Dugger was looking forward to finishing her freshman year of high school on a strong note. Then, on March 13, 2020, the world stopped.
The COVID-19 pandemic ultimately ended the 2019-20 school year.
“It is hard because I just don’t do well on the computer,” Dugger said. Her struggles in the early weeks of spring 2020 were a prelude to her junior year.
After a bit of normalcy returned at the start of Dugger’s sophomore year, she rolled her ankle which led to another shutdown - most of her first year of high school basketball.
But that was just the beginning.
Early in her junior year, a bout of COVID sent Dugger home as a remote student.
“Teenagers, by and far, are not self-motivated,” Alma High School counselor Tawnya Shelton said. “Without having someone in front of them reminding them, ‘This is what needs to be done,’ and helping them figure out how to process the assignment has been very difficult.
“Plus, teenagers are at a developmental stage in their lives where peer relationships are very important.”
Ultimately, COVID-19 took a chunk of Dugger’s junior season of basketball.
“I’m not good with online school,” she said. “I have to be face-to-face with a teacher to help me understand it.
There are no high school redshirts.
“It’s a different feeling when you don’t even get to sit on the bench watching your other teammates play,” Dugger said. “It’s mentally hard when you can’t go out there and play with your teammates.”
Senior rebound
Dugger is not the team’s top scorer or rebounder. But she’s certainly having more fun every time she laces up her sneakers and dons her No. 34 Lady Airedale jersey.
Through 19 games, Dugger is third overall in 3-pointers behind Presli Taylor and Jordan Gramlich. She’s a pretty steady free throw shooter, too (17-for-25), and is averaging 4.3 points per game.
Dugger had a career-high 12 points during a Nov. 20 win over Hot Springs. During Alma’s six victories, Dugger is averaging 6.0 points, and that includes the team’s Dec. 16 win over County Line where Dugger played only 13 minutes of a 55-12 Alma win.
“I couldn’t be happier for Halena,” Alma coach Codey Mann said. “She’s a kid that’s going to work hard and always do what you ask of her. To see her have some success here, and the way we’ve carried on as a team, it’s really gratifying, just because I know how much it means to her, especially her senior year.”
"Not being about to play a whole lot my sophomore year or my junior year, it means a lot to be out here. One of those years I hurt my ankle. Starting has been great, but not starting doesn't matter; you just have to play as a team and be strong for each other."
Nothing for granted
Dugger returned to the scene of the crime, so to speak, this season at Siloam Springs. It was on that court where she had rolled her ankle two years ago.
“I wrap it every game because I’m scared I’m going to roll it again,” Dugger said.
“I think it meant a lot for her to come back, and I think that’s why she has a lot of the energy that she brings,” Gramlich said. “It means something to us, too.”
With eight games left to play, starting with Friday’s game at Mountain Home, the Lady Airedales still control their playoff identity.
"We just have to compete and make good plays," Dugger said. "We have to take our time; we don't do well in transition. We have to pass the ball a lot more than we usually do."
Dugger has actually put up better numbers in the fourth quarter this season, where she’s averaged more points (1.3) and has made more free throws (6-for-8) and 3-pointers (5-for-13) than any other quarter.
Her favorite 3-pointer from the top of the circle brings a smile to her family’s face, too.
"My parents also point out that's where I usually shoot," she said.
Senior leaders
Alma defeated Greenbrier last week for its second conference win. Mann said he’s proud of the senior leadership.
“They’ve (seniors) done a lot of really good things for these younger kids, kind of showing them the way,” Mann said. “Halena is definitely a kid you’ll never forget.”
“Her leadership brings a huge contribution to the team because she says positive things and she’s always there to bring you up,” added Gramlich. “Practice without her sometimes gets dull.”
"Just having a team and a family behind your back is really great," Dugger said. "It feels amazing having a team that will help you."