Airedales set for Saints
By Kevin Taylor
Alma Schools
The Alma Airedales are going to the state playoffs. It’s the first earned playoff berth for the school since 2019.
Back in 2020, during the height of the COVID pandemic, the Arkansas Activities Association allowed everyone to participate in the state playoffs, if they so chose to.
Alma lost to Texarkana that season, 28-24.
“Really, for the first time since I’ve been here, this is the first (playoff game),” Bush said. “We went during COVID, but I don’t really count that one. These kids earned this one. We still have a lot of football, and hopefully, we’ll be playing for some bigger and better things as we keep moving up.”
During the course of the 2023 campaign, the high-powered offense has produced 39.1 points per game, with quarterback Jackson Daily enjoying a banner season.
Daily has passed for 1,150 yards and nine touchdowns, and he’s rushed for 805 yards and 20 touchdowns. It’ll take a big effort if the Airedales are to clinch their first outright 5A-West title since 2013.
“The first thing Jackson has done is to put himself in a position to be successful,” Alma quarterback coach Peyton Morris said. “He meets with us on Sunday afternoon, he meets with me extra, and he’s taken the time to learn what we’ve asked him to do. He understands not just concepts, (but) he understands why we’re calling things against defenses. It’s helping him play faster, too.
“I kind of expected it to be like that,” he said. “We have awesome players, too. We have a good offensive line and great receivers, so it’s helped me out a lot.”
Basketball
Alma will hold its ‘Green and Gold’ basketball games this Tuesday night at Charles B. Dyer Arena.
Coach Eddie Corder’s ninth-grade boys team will open the season on Thursday (Nov. 9) against Bentonville.
Coach Dominic Lincoln’s senior high Airedales open the 2023-24 campaign on Nov. 14 against Shiloh Christian. The team’s first home game is Nov. 20 against Clarksville.
In addition to the Charles B. Dyer Classic, Alma will compete in tournaments in Tahlequah, Okla., Sheridan, and Bryant. The Airedales will also face Fort Smith Southside.
The Airedales will field a strong roster that will eventually include current football players Camden Curd, Israel Towns-Robinson, and Matthew Rogers. Carmani Smith, Eddie Tate, Tyree McGill, Christ Salazar, Hutson Boggs, and Easton Boggs, among others, have looked sharp, Lincoln said.
Coach Chanlee Bottoms and Co. begin the 2023-23 campaign with a Nov. 9 benefit game against Northside. The Lady Airedales travel to Hot Springs Lakeside on Nov. 14 and 17, respectively.
Alma will host Clarksville in its season opener as part of a four-game homestand that also includes Mammoth Springs, Bergman, and Greenland.
The Lady Airedales host Fort Smith Southside on Dec. 12. Alma opens up at Harrison on Jan. 5.
Cross Country
Alma’s Nevaeh Kangas placed 16th overall at Thursday’s 5A state cross-country meet in Hot Springs...
Kangas finished with a time of 21:10.08 at Oaklawn Park.
Including Kangas, 11 of the top 19 runners hailed from the strong 5A-West, with Russellville’s Brooklyn Nicholson placing second (19:46.43).
Valley View’s Aubrey Minton won the 5A girls title with a first-place finish of 19:14.89.
Teammates Elena Frantzen (30:15.62) and Aleeze Williams (31:48.90) finished 62nd and 65th, respectively, for the Lady Airedales.
Greenwood 35, Alma 7
The Alma Airedales’ freshman dropped a 35-7 decision to Greenwood in the season finale Thursday night.
Chase Parker ran for 53 yards on 17 carries and a touchdown to pace the Airedales. Izaac Plourde added 48 yards on 12 carries.
Defensively, Plourde had seven tackles, including a tackle for loss. Andrew Bush and Colton Nutt finished with six and five tackles, respectively.
Greenwood 28, Alma 22
The Alma Airedales’ seventh-grade team dropped a 28-22 decision to Greenwood.
Titus Benson led the Airedales with 72 yards rushing on 12 attempts and one touchdown. He also completed 4-of-7 passes for 141 yards and two touchdowns. Benson also led the defense with nine tackles.
Wide receiver David Atherton caught two touchdowns on two catches for 132 yards for the Airedales (6-2-1). Atherton also had two tackles.
This Week In Airedale History
Back on Nov. 3, 1994, the Airedales blanked Greenwood 21-0 and held the Bulldogs to just three first downs in the season finale behind the stellar play of Eric Capp, Michael Orrick, Lee Daily, and Gordon Sasser. The victory was part of a nine-game winning streak that saw the Airedales yield just 39 points during that span.
Alma finished 10-3 in 1994
Did You Know?
Alma football coach Rusty Bush was a GA (graduate assistant) when former Airedale standout Lee Daily (Adam’s older brother) was playing football at Henderson State in the early 1990s.
“I was with Keith (Fimple) and heard all the stories,” Bush said. “I actually helped coach Lee; I was a graduate assistant working with the linebackers. We go way back when Lee was starting for us as a freshman. Hearing about Adam and the Dailys, and having (former Airedale) Keith Fimple, you heard all the stories. I saw Lee probably the day after I got the job. I tell all these college (recruiters), it’s in his (Jackson) DNA. Football is important to his family, and that’s what small-town high school football is all about.”