Alma seventh-graders cap perfect season with sweep

By Kevin Taylor

Alma Schools 

Gavin Ball had a good feeling about his seventh-grade girls' basketball teams the first time he met with them. 

Twenty-three games later, the first-year Alma junior high girls basketball coach believes the Lady Airedales could become something special. 

Bryleigh Moore and Bristol Welch combined for 23 points to help lead Alma’s ‘Green’ team to a 38-8 win over Van Buren Northridge last week at Crabtree Gym. The talented squad, which also includes cousins Harper and Taylen Workman, along with Eden Hamilton, finished the season with a 13-0 record.  

Other members of the ‘Green’ squad include Brinley Estep, Kylynn Holt, Hallie Morris, Kallie Rodgers, Alexis Arnold, and Chloee Hatman. 

“It’s something special,” Ball said. “I told them at the beginning of the year we were capable of doing it, but at the same time, they had to come in and put in the extra work every single day at practice. 

“They didn’t goof off; they knew what they had to do to get better, and they executed that.”

Welch and Moore led the team with 10.0 and 9.3 points per game. 

“Both the ‘Green’ and ‘Gold’ teams have been putting extra work in since this summer,” Alma head girls coach Chanlee Bottoms said. “Coach Ball and Coach (Angela) Rushing have been offering more open gym sessions and more practices. I think the extra work paid off for this group, and I believe their work ethic will carry over to next season.”

A 2018 Van Buren grad, Ball coached both the seventh and eighth-grade teams, with the other seventh-grade squad (Gold) finishing a perfect 10-0. 

That ‘Gold’ team includes Conlea Van Matre, Sydnee Henson, Madison Coombes, Aubrey Aalencia, Aaliyah Richardson, Bria Jenkins, Emy Wright, Brooklyn Weinsinger, and Kylynn Holt.

“The first thing we have to do is keep them all together to get them there,” Ball said. “(But) I’ve never seen a group this deep. We have 10 to 11 girls that can go out there and go. Once they get into high school, if they keep working and getting better, that will be a really special group.”

Ball spent the first two years of his young coaching career at Morrilton before moving closer to home.

“Getting back closer to home and closer to family meant a lot,” Ball said. “And then coaching an undefeated group my first year here is really special.”

Ball has become an integral part of Bottoms’ coaching staff. 

“The work ethic is a testament to our addition of coach Ball,” Bottoms added. “He has hit the ground running since June with this group and has done a great job. We have a few years until this group gets to senior high, but they are learning the fundamentals, and winning at a high level. The future looks bright for Lady Airedale basketball.”