Alma teams prep for 5A-West road opener
By Kevin Taylor
Alma Schools
Alma girls basketball coach Chanlee Bottoms got more than she could have bargained for when it came to her preseason schedule.
If you’re going to battle through the 5A-West gauntlet, you might as well play good people.
“We’ve played a tough schedule to get us prepared for conference,” Alma coach Chanlee Bottoms said. “I think our conference is still the toughest in the state of Arkansas. You’ve got Mountain Home, Farmington, and Greenwood, which have played in an extremely tough conference. Van Buren is really doing well, too.”
Greenwood is 2-8 after 10 games, but the Lady Bulldogs have played mostly against 6A-West and 6A-Central teams.
Say what you want about nonconference schedules, but four of the eight teams have won at least 10 games heading into Tuesday’s 5A-West openers. A fifth, Mountain Home, is 9-5, and Bottoms and the Lady Aireales are 8-8.
“Only four teams qualify for the state tournament,” Bottoms said. “I strongly believe this year that we have all the tools to make a (playoff) run.”
Sophomore Olivia Hughes is putting up solid numbers for the youthful Lady Airedales, averaging 12.4 points per game along with 5.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists.
Junior Brooklynn Holt leads the team with 15.3 points per game.
Bottoms continues to play a lot of kids, too. Her roster includes just one senior (Breella Hughes).
“I’m playing 9 or 10 kids right now, and I’m using their minutes wisely, and I think that’s only going to prep us for the future,” the coach said.
First-year Alma boys coach Cody Vaught has enjoyed a surprising start to the season. The 11-5 Airedales open the season with 8-6 Russellville on Tuesday.
“I was hopeful that we would be above .500, but didn’t know if we could be. I think we’re further along offensively, but we’re not where I wanted us to be defensively, and that’s on me,” he said. “You have to give a lot of credit to coach (Darren) Stahler, who has run our offense and made our kids understand, and the kids have done a great job of buying in.
“We’re further along in some ways, and not as far in others.”
Alma and Russellville have played five common opponents (Bentonville West, Sylvan Hills, Southside, Pottsville, and Charleston) during non-conference play, with Alma posting a 4-1 record that includes wins over Sylvan Hills, Southside, Pottsville, and Charleston.
Vaught’s Ozark Catholic team went 35-5 in 2024-25, and the Griffins didn’t just dominate their conference; they owned it.
“Last season, we didn’t have a single game that was (won or lost) in single digits,” he said. “Every game but one was over 30 (points). That never happens here (5A-West). It doesn’t matter what your record is; every single night it’s a battle. It’s nice when you can have a bad game and still win, and that doesn’t happen here.
“That’s something I have to get used to, being in Alma, and I’ll have to make sure our kids understand that every game.”
The Airedales are led offensively by Shep Newcomb’s 22.7 points per game. Luke Stogsdill and Lawson Adams have played well for the Airedales, with Adams averaging 11.4 points per game to go along with 7.5 rebounds.
Stogsdill hit five 3-pointers in last week’s win over Charleston and is averaging 9.3 points per game and 5.4 rebounds.