‘One of the best feelings I ever felt’
By Kevin Taylor
Alma School
His teammates would soon be clamoring for a sandwich and a drink as they prepared to board one of Alma's green coaches for the 45-minute journey north back to Siloam Springs.
‘Monday Night Football’ isn't just about the NFL; these are the dog days for sophomores and juniors to leave impressions during junior varsity football games, too. Three days after leaving Siloam Springs following a 28-14 win, Alma’s underclassmen were heading back to Benton County.
But this time, as the warm Indian summer sun faded slowly to the west, Jacob Dollard was preparing for the drive home. The kid in the No. 5 jersey has done his time.
"After putting in the past three years, it's just been a great experience to get out there and play and perform for your school and play with your brothers," Dollard said. "Watching from the sideline has been great, but being out there is different."
"It means a lot to us, too," Alma quarterback Michael Taylor said of Dollard’s contributions. "He came out there and did what he did. He put his head down, ran hard, and got his first touchdown of the year."
Senior Jacob Dollard ran for a career-high 58 yards and a touchdown during last week’s victory over Siloam Springs.
Dollard ran for a career-high 58 yards on 12 carries and started the scoring in last week's win over Siloam Springs with a 9-yard touchdown to cap the Airedales' opening drive. Later, he showed off his wheels by turning a short screen pass into a 32-yard burst that led to the second of Israel Towns-Robinson’s short touchdown runs.
"I was hoping there was no flag," Dollard said of his TD run. "That's one of the best feelings I've ever felt."
Dollard's rise from an unknown seventh grader to a focal point of the senior high offense wasn't by chance.
“My sophomore and junior year, it was a lot of learning, a lot of scout team, and watching the seniors,” Dollard said. “It’s (Friday nights) a lot different than ninth grade.”
“Jacob’s one of those guys who put in the (work) in the winter,” Alma offensive coordinator Payton Morris said. “When January came around, he hit the weight room hard, and that carried over into spring practice.
“When he got his opportunity, he made the most of it.”
Dollard said he worked on his speed and strength skills during the summer and 7-on-7 play, too.
“We all did a lot more sprint work to help be fast,” Dollard said. “We work on being more physical than other teams and keep them on their toes. That helps with the tempo.”
“He proved that he could hang on to the ball, that he knew the ball, and that kids trust him to back up No. 11 (Towns-Robinson,” Morris said. “I have complete faith in Jacob to go out there and do everything we ask him to do.”
The Airedales (1-1) hit the road Friday for Hot Springs, the team’s first-ever trip to the Spa City. The two schools played once previously in 1993 (Alma won, 42-0).
Taylor believes the Airedales’ offense has its best football ahead of them.
"I do," he said. "There are some things we needed to work on, and we're getting that fixed up this week in practice and we're getting ready for Hot Springs."
“We've just got to keep our tempo up and play fast and physical,” Dollard said. “We have to eliminate mistakes and play together.”
Alma ran out to a 28-7 first-half lead at Siloam Springs last week before being shut out in the final half of play. Taylor knows the answer is for everyone to pull their weight.
"It's the linemen, the receivers ... everybody," Taylor said. "Everybody has to do their job for us to be a good football team.
“We come out, we execute, and we prepare for Friday."