Alma Sports Wrap
Airedales set for scrimmage
By Kevin Taylor
Alma Sports
Alma football coach Rusty Bush won’t be adjusting practice schedules amid the hot August afternoons anymore. Not when it comes to the school’s new indoor facility.
But Bush will be monitoring his player rotation as the Airedales move closer to the Aug. 29 season opener with Van Buren. Like all teams, depth is a concern for the Airedales.
The Airedales scrimmage Southside on Monday.
“I think Monday will be a big test,” Bush said. “No. 1, I want to see where we’re at, and No. 2, we’ve got a lot of two-way guys, so we’ve got to find the right combination from guys who can come in and contribute on the varsity level. We’re going to put those guys in there and give them a chance to compete, and hopefully, we have some guys step up and can give our more frequent guys some rest.”
Alma opened the 2023 preseason knowing Jackson Daily would likely take most of the snaps. And he didn’t disappoint.
But this summer, it’s been a battle between senior Michael Taylor and sophomore Chase Parker. Explosive play-makers Israel Towns-Robinson and Sam Schlegel may get their opportunities as well.
“We’ve got two guys, Michael Taylor, who’s a senior, and Chase Parker, who's an up-and-comer, and it's his first time on the varsity, and both are playing very well,” Bush said. “They both do some very good things. I think you’ll see both of them play. (But) we’ve got two pretty good athletes in Israel Towns-Robinson and Sam Schlegel, and don’t be surprised if they’re taking some snaps from the quarterback position.
“I think Michael and Chase are both winners, but at the end of the day we’ve got to put the ball in the best person’s hands, and how we can do that best is what we’re going to do.”
Volleyball
Alma volleyball coach Kim Weaver is excited about her young group of sophomores.
But she’s not short on a strong senior class, either.
The Lady Airedales scrimmage Rogers Heritage on Thursday and open the season on Aug. 26 at Ozark.
“Our senior class as a whole is really strong,” Weaver said. “We have six (seniors), and Allee Little (manager) makes seven. To be in a program for six years, and to finish the journey, that’s a huge accomplishment. This group has been that banner group to show what it means to put in extra practice outside of practice.”
Alma’s seven seniors include Ashtyn Carmack, Ava Sharp, Vivian Beneux, Zoye Wofford, Mabrey Birchfield, and Grace Peters.
Golf
The Alma boys and girls golf teams competed at River Valley Golf last week with Greenwood and Clarksville in a tri-match.
Sophomore Chase Wood led the charge for the Airedales with a 74, followed by sophomore Grady Farmer’s 77 and freshman Jack Taylor’s 78. Senior Miles Kendrick shot 80.
The Airedales’ Barron Daily had an 86, and Cade Moore and Bryson Goins shot 88 and 89, respectively.
Senior Marlee Cedillo shot a 112 and sophomore Ellie Reeves carded a 115.