Lemieux, defense spark Alma past Vilonia, 38-12
By Kevin Taylor
Alma Schools
Jay Lemieux piled into his parents' car for the hour-plus drive to Alma. He'd made this trip more than once. But now it somehow felt different.
This time, he wouldn't be driving back to Faulkner County any time soon. Less than 12 hours later, on a relatively cool June morning, Lemieux was standing amongst a group of Alma football players. He didn't know their names, much less their positions.
The day was June 12, 2025. So long, Wampus Cats, hello Airedales.
"My first day here, officially, was three days before dead week," Lemieux said. "I met some of the guys, and they were very friendly to me. D.J. (Dylan Jackson) is a nice guy, and some others, too."
This week, the boy in the No. 12 jersey lined up behind senior center Locklan Flanagan, not too many miles from his old house, while leading the Airedales to a 38-12 victory over his one-time Conway classmate Coulson and the Vilonia Eagles.
“He came in late in the summer and now we’re into week six, and starting to pick up the offense, and he’s done a good job on some JV (junior varsity) nights,” Alma coach Rusty Bush said. “The kids around him have a lot of trust in him. He’s a real competitor and student of the game.
“He loves playing it and being out there with his teammates.”
"He takes it upon himself to learn and grow," Alma offensive coordinator Payton Morris said. "Coming from Conway, he came in and learned a new system. He was meeting with me all summer and got it down pretty quickly. It's as quick as I've seen a young kid pick up the things we've asked him to do."
Lemieux didn’t rewrite the school record books in Friday’s win, but he was efficient, throwing for 189 yards and completing 15-of-23 passes. He also added a nine-yard TD run.
"It's a great opportunity to show what I've got," Lemieux said. "I want this team to have a winning record; that's the No. 1 goal. It's a pleasure to be here."
Defensively, the Airedales held Vilonia to just 23 total yards in the first half and nine rushing yards for the game, while forcing five turnovers. Izzac Plourde, Tim Plourde, and Brayden Peppas came away with interceptions. Izzac Plourde also returned a fumble 31 yards for another score.
Lemieux played sparingly in Alma's first five games, though he did compile some modest numbers in the team's loss to Harrison three weeks ago, throwing for 39 yards and completing 3-of-5 passes.
"The good thing is Jay is such a good kid," Morris said. "He really cares about the position and his teammates. I think that's such a good start for him."
Two weeks ago, the Airedales ran for a season-high 168 yards in last week's 35-28 loss to Morrilton. Against Vilonia, Alma compiled 305 yards of total offense while running for 116.
Fellow sophomore Dallas Perkins ran for 73 yards against Vilonia, and his 3-yard TD burst with 13 seconds left in the half put Alma ahead by three scores (17-0).. The offensive line, anchored by Flanagan and flanked by tackles Easton Daily and Dallas Stallings, gave Lemieux time to settle in.
“Football is still football; you’ve got to be able to establish the run,” Bush said. “We’ve been able to do that with our (guys up front). Dallas Perkins did a good job, and mixing Sam (Schlegel) in there, too. He’s (Lemieux) a fast kid, so that we can do a little bit more zone read with him.”
"For us, offensively, it really starts up front with the big guys," Morris said. "We've got to be able to run the ball. Last week was the best we've run the ball all season, and Jay was a big part of that. We asked him to do quite a bit in the package against Morrilton, and he ran the ball well and operated it. I think going into this game, he's got a nice head start as far as the comfort zone and the operation of the offense."
Lemieux's dad, Jim, played for the Airedales in the early 1990s. Thirty-plus years later, it's Jay's turn.
"There's definitely pressure (playing quarterback), but I like pressure and expectations," Lemieux said. "I love the competition and playing with the best of the best. That's the best part about it."