So far, so good 

There are still plenty of key games  ahead for the first-place Airedales

By Kevin Taylor

Alma Schools 

Alma’s historic January run didn’t happen without some painful scheduling decisions. 

But after beating Van Buren Tuesday night, 60-58, the Airedales wrapped up their first unbeaten January since 2012. 

And, though there are no trophies or championship banners set to be unveiled next week, the Airedales have put themselves in a good position after going 7-0 in the first half of 5A-West play. The Airedales lead Van Buren and Russellville by two full games, and Harrison and Mountain Home by three.

Junior Israel Towns-Robinson had a solid 14 points and eight rebounds in Tuesday’s win over Van Buren. The Airedales host Harrison on Friday. 

Alma, 14-8, will put an eight-game winning streak on the line Friday against the surging Goblins. The Airedales rallied to beat Harrison last month, 59-48. 

“We have to keep building on the habits of what we’ve been doing to make us successful,” Alma coach Dominic Lincoln said. “I think we also need to realize that the bullseye is on our back; when you step out there people are not going to lay down - they’re going to try and beat you.” 

A win Friday would complete the first season sweep of the Goblins since 2005. The Airedales are also seeking to match their first 8-0 start to league play since 2012.

Going back to last season, the Airedales have now actually won nine consecutive conference games. 

“You’re going to get everybody’s best shot, and if you’re not ready to go, you’re going to get beat,” Lincoln said. “We just have to continue doing what we’re doing.”

One of the first things Lincoln and assistant coach Darren Stahler did last season was to bolster its young squad with an unforgiving schedule. 

Alma finished 6-21 in 2022-23, with losses to Benton, Jacksonville, Sylvan Hills, and Greene County Tech - and that was before rolling into 5A-West play. 

This season, despite some early losses to heavyweights Jacksonville, Sylvan Hills, and Bryant, Lincoln felt like he could see the tide beginning to turn. 

“A hundred percent,” he said. “It’s (schedule) the reason we’re in the position we’re in right now. That’s going back to last year, too. All those teams we played on the road, and playing in hostile environments, I think it made our kids realize how much they had to get better. They bought into it and they got better from it. 

“The process is a grind, but we’re so happy we did it.”

In Tuesday’s victory, played before the largest crowd of the year, junior point guard Carmani Smith said it was so loud he couldn’t hear his teammates. 

“It was so loud I couldn’t hear myself call plays,” Smith said. “But was so much fun.” 

“That was pretty awesome,” senior Chris Salazar said. “The crowd helped us. I could get used to that.”