Airedales scrimmage Mavs

By Kevin Taylor

Special to the Democrat-Gazette

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ALMA - Fort Smith Southside quarterback Blake Forsgren and Wilson Key picked up Tuesday night where they left during team camps and 7-on-7 competition.

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Forsgren threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Key, and the Mavericks eased past the Alma Airedales, 17-7, in a two-quarter scrimmage at Citizens Bank Field at Airedale Stadium.

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Threatening weather forced both teams to cancel the second half.

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"Wilson played a lot last year," Mavericks coach Kim Dameron said. "He made big plays and is picking up where he left off. Blake gets the ball to him, even in tight windows, and Wilson makes plays."

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Forsgren passed for 1,905 yards and 23 touchdowns as a junior. On his first snap of the 2025 season, he connected with Key for 44 yards, setting up Rodrigo Hernandez's 24-yard field goal with 7:42 left in the first quarter.

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The Mavericks finished the scrimmage with 246 total yards, including 236 through the air.

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The Airedales allowed just 10 rushing yards on 15 attempts.

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"Defensively, I thought we did really well," Alma coach Rusty Bush said. "We gave up two big plays that we ended up making a stop on one and turning them over on downs on the other. That early touchdown they got off a fumble and a short field. We were really good against the run; we just need to clean up the pass (defense)."

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The Mavericks extended the lead thanks to an Alma fumble late in the first quarter, with Forsgren driving the team 37 yards in just four plays.

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Senior Malachi Warren capped the quick drive with a 5-yard touchdown run at the 8:51 mark of the second quarter.

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The Airedales, who open the 2025 season Aug. 29 at Van Buren, got their points late in the first half when sophomore quarterback Jay Lemieux hit junior Dylan Jackson with a 36-yard scoring strike. Daniel Rodriguez booted the PAT to pull the Airedales within three at the 3:51 mark of the first half.

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Alma quarterback Chase Parker was 5-for-10 for 47 yards, and Lemieux was 4-for-7 for 50 yards. Dallas Perkins led Alma with 22 yards rushing on seven carries.