Defensive rotation among linemen is key to Airedales preserving strength, staying fit
By Kevin Taylor
Alma Schools
There have been plenty of dramatic Alma football victories throughout the years.
Braden Peters’ double-overtime field goal to beat Searcy (16-13) in 1994.
Josh Lowman’s 6-yard TD snag with 51 seconds left to cap a 32-27 win over Morrilton back in 2011.
And, who can forget foreign exchange student Olaf Olsson’s go-ahead 38-yard field goal with 18 seconds left during a dramatic 29-28 victory over the Devil Dogs in 2019?
Jacob Dollard added his name to the lore with last week’s 6-yard TD run at the 3:38 mark of the fourth quarter, helping secure a 35-32 win over Hot Springs.
But that was only made possible with the clutch play in the trenches.
Hot Springs snapped the football 85 times in last week’s game, and Jackson Mitchell was on the field for more than half of them. He was in the game for all 69 of the Airedales’ offensive snaps, too.
“I had about 45 defensive snaps and I got all of the offensive (plays),” Mitchell said. “We condition ourselves throughout the week. I mean, it is hard, but I think we condition ourselves to get through it.”’
Mitchell was in on two tackles and helped clear space for Dollard, Landon Morris, Sam Schlegel, and Michael Taylor. The foursome combined for 184 yards rushing and three touchdowns.
“It’s not that big of a deal as long as we know the game plan,” junior Easton Daily said. He was in on 23 defensive snaps, and like Mitchell never left the field when the Airedales had the football.
Daily had only two tackles but his TFL (tackle for loss) on fourth-and-one essentially won the game as the Airedales, needing just one first down after the change of possession, were able to run out the clock.
Managing playing time for the defensive line falls on the shoulders of first-year line coach Josh Salsbury.
In all, Salisbury spends his Friday nights rotating as many as eight players on and off the field when opposing teams have the ball. Mitchell, Noah Ingle, and Daily rotate on and off the field for defensive snaps while never leaving the field on offense.
“It’s really about the flow of the game,” Salisbury said. “You really try to keep them fresh for offense as much as we can, because if you can’t score points you can’t win the football game, and it’s visa-versa as well on defense, too. You just try and do what’s best for the players.”
Senior ball-hawk Ashton Chanhnouvong led Alma with 11 tackles in last week’s victory, with Schlegel adding nine tackles and a key interception.
Several underclassmen have made an impact, too, including sophomores Tristan and Colton Nutt.
“Mitchell had about 40-plus reps on defense, and then the Nutts had 36 reps,” Salsbury said. “At Siloam, the Nutts had about 50 reps on defense, and (Demetrius) Humphrey is the same way. Humphrey and Cash Wilson have stepped up big for us, and Easton’s mixed in there as well.”
After Hot Springs, which began moving the ball at will on the ground, took a late lead with 5:02 left, the Airedales drove 72 yards in less than 90 seconds to go ahead for good.
“When we went out there, we knew we had to score to win, and that’s what went and did,” Parker said. “We’ve got to do our jobs and then let the guy behind us do his, and it all worked out.”