Newcomb-led Airedales shock Sylvan Hills, 67-64

By Kevin Taylor

Alma Schools

The first thing Alma boys basketball coach Cody Vaught did when meeting his players for the first time was to tell them the 5A-West coaches didn’t expect much from them this year.

Alma is picked to finish seventh.

But after one game, at least, the Airedales look like anything but a No. 7 seed.

Paced by Shep Newcomb’s 27 points, six assists, four rebounds, and two steals, Alma erased a 12-point second-half deficit with a 67-64 win over the Bears - Alma’s first win over Sylvan Hills since beating them in the 2011 5A state championship game.

“Playing here in a hostile environment, it can be intimidating,” Vaught said. “That’s why this school has so much great history, and they’re coached so well. For us to come in here and battle the whole first half, and basically trail and cut it to one at the half was really big.”

Alma had cut the deficit to three (57-54) late in the third quarter when Luke Stogsdill was whistled for his fourth foul, resulting in a three-point play.

But Alma didn’t waver.

“We could have given up,” Vaught said. “We got down eight, and they had the ball. But we fought back and played every possession as well as we could. Even though we might have been mismatched athletically, hopefully this speaks volumes to the culture we’re trying to build here.”

The Airedales held Sylvan Hills, which had toasted El Dorado two days earlier, 89-67, to just seven fourth-quarter points. Stogsdill’s go-ahead bucket with 11.1 left proved to be the game-winner.

Newcomb added two free throws with 3.4. Newcomb finished 11-of-19 from the field and now has 2,004 career points.

The Lady Airedales dropped a 45-35 decision to Sylvan Hills Thursday night, dropping the team to 0-3.

The Lady Bears (2-0) took control with a 16-3 burst to close the third quarter. It was Alma’s third game in four days.

Brooklyn Holt led the Lady Airedales with nine points. Alma finished just 3-for-21 from the 3-point line and 6-of-11 from the foul line.

Sylvan Hills was only 4-of-20 from deep, but made all four of its treys in the third quarter, helping them erase an 18-15 deficit.

Football

Alma football coach Rusty Bush announced his resignation last week following a six-year run with the school.

Alma finished 4-6 this past season. Bush was 27-33 overall.

“Rusty Bush is a great man and I appreciate all he has done for the Alma Airedales in his time as our head football coach,” Alma athletics director Jerrod Burns said.