2015-2016 Alma Airedale Basketball (12-13) (5-9)

[zebrafan]

Appreciate it! Will be a good test for the Z's this year, best of luck to Alma this year!

[P.F.G.]

Lake Hamilton almost beat a much more experienced team last year at Alma. Took overtime for the Airedales to beat the Wolves. Not surprised by the result here, more by the margin.

I went to bed and it was close midway through the 3rd.

Have to shake that one off, though. The Airedales and Airedalettes travel to Bentonville next Tuesday.

Tuesday will be rough for the boys. Bentonville will be looking to avenge that loss

[Go Postal]

Trackster, you have inspired me to start a Goblin basketball scoreboard thread on the 5A forum.  Good Luck to the Airedales this season!  See you guys in the next cycle and hopefully we will have our new Spook House arena done by then.

[scoutteamshoota]

Alma had five key players who just got out of football a week ago. They are also very inexperienced. Alma fans will have to be patient with this group. These will be good learning experiences for this group as long as they don't get down on themselves.

Shouldnt take them too long....Same system for years and with that coach you all have up there I bet they will be running that dribble drive to perfection in about a month.  One of the best coaches in the state IMO.

[P.F.G.]

He has a great system rolling right now. He should have them firing on all cylinders when conference starts.

[Gob-Fan]

Is there a way to watch the game tonight online?

[AT]

Is there a way to watch the game tonight online?

No video that I know of. You can listen here:

http://player.radioloyalty.com/station/5534.html

[AT]

Girls:

Alma - 17
Bentonville - 6

end of 1st

[AT]

Girls:

Bentonville - 24
Alma - 22

Halftime

[AT]

Found a video:

http://www.bentonvillehssports.com/Watch_Live

[AT]

This Bentonville PBP guy has a weird charm in his voice. He's the most professional high school PBP guy I've ever listened to.

[AT]

Girls:

Bentonville - 36
Alma - 22

end of 3rd

[AT]

Girls:

Bentonville - 46
Alma - 29

FINAL

[AT]

Bentonville - 15
Alma - 9

end of 1st

[AT]

Bentonville - 44
Alma - 25

end of 2nd

Personally I think Bentonville has a better surrounding cast around Monk than they did last year.

[AT]

Bentonville - 64
Alma - 38

end of 3rd

I'm going to go out on a limb and say this will probably be the best team Alma sees in the regular season this year.

[AT]

Bentonville - 77
Alma - 49

FINAL

[AT]

Fayetteville-Bentonville matchups this year may be the best since Monk has been there.

[Razorback Red]

Bentonville - 44
Alma - 25

end of 2nd

Personally I think Bentonville has a better surrounding cast around Monk than they did last year.

I hope you are correct, but we'll see.  So far the cast seems to completely understand the team concept and everyone is accepting their role.  The downside is missing the size from last year.  Bigger teams will give Bville some problems on the boards. 

[AT]

Bentonville - 44
Alma - 25

end of 2nd

Personally I think Bentonville has a better surrounding cast around Monk than they did last year.

I hope you are correct, but we'll see.  So far the cast seems to completely understand the team concept and everyone is accepting their role.  The downside is missing the size from last year.  Bigger teams will give Bville some problems on the boards.

True about the size, but the quickness and overall basketball talent is better for sure.

[AT]

Charles B. Dyer Classic (Read Crawford County Tournament minus Van Buren)

I'll just update this post.

Girls
Day 1
Cedarville - 54
Mulberry - 21

Alma - 34
Mountainburg - 31

Day 2
Cedarville - 33
Mountainburg - 29

Alma - 60
Mulberry - 14

Day 3
Mountainburg - 36
Mulberry - 25

Alma - 41
Cedarville - 32

Boys
Day 1
Cedarville - 43
Mulberry - 39

Alma - 68
Mountainburg - 27

Day 2
Cedarville - 42
Mountainburg - 38

Alma - 81
Mulberry - 32

Day 3
Mountainburg - 43
Mulberry - 30

Alma - 72
Cedarville - 28

[AT]

Alma's boys and girls win all three games of the Charles B. Dyer Classic.

Standings - Girls
Alma (3-0)
Cedarville (2-1)
Mountainburg (1-2)
Mulberry (0-3)

Standings - Boys
Alma (3-0)
Cedarville (2-1)
Mountainburg (1-2)
Mulberry (0-3)

[P.F.G.]

What's next on the schedule?

[AT]

What's next on the schedule?

Go to Farmington Tuesday and host Springdale on Friday, so back to solid competition. Hopefully the boys can at least go 1-1. Confidence should be a little more boosted and they seem to be gelling together more. Farmington isn't an easy place to play and they are a good team. Springdale is a solid team usually.

The girls will have a tough time beating Farmington @ Farmington, but I'm hoping they can stay competitive and pull it out. The Springdale girls haven't been great the past few years, so that could be winnable. But I don't know about this year.

[P.F.G.]

I haven't made a game yet. I'm hoping I'll be able to catch some of the Airedale classic. I honestly didn't want to go watch any of the Crawford county. Glad to see the girls are liking the new coach.

[AT]

I haven't made a game yet. I'm hoping I'll be able to catch some of the Airedale classic. I honestly didn't want to go watch any of the Crawford county. Glad to see the girls are liking the new coach.

I didn't attend any of the games, but have watched the Bentonville game and Crawford County tournament online.

Girls are facing an uphill climb this year. Improvement will be the goals for this year and I think once conference rolls around the goals turn into maybe pulling out a win versus your 6A opponents and sneaking into the playoffs.


I think I said it on here on last season's thread that this boys team will be the most inexperienced and have one of the slower starts for an Alma team in awhile because of your leaders being football players who have to get back into basketball shape and so many contributors having so little playing time beforehand.

Farmington and Springdale this week will show how much improvement the Airedales have made since the Lake Hamilton and Bentonville games.

I think if things work out right, the Airedales could actually grab the one seed in terms of the 6A part of their conference. It will be a battle, though. I think they will have a tougher time with the 7A teams this year though.

Goals for the boys: Make the playoffs first off and win a playoff game. Getting the 1 seed makes that easier. Everything else is gravy from there.

[Coach Venny Slocombe]

Trackster, serious question...why does Alma schedule such weak and smaller classification teams in the Dyer Classic? Alma, especially in the boys division are very good and compete well at the state level. It looks like scheduling some tougher opponents in a tourney situation would only make them better...

[P.F.G.]

They bring in he county teams and give them $1000 to play in it. Gives them a nice experience to play in the arena. I'm fine with that tournament. The Airedale classic is terrible. They could host a decent tournament with the venue but instead we get to see alma play Union Christian and gravette.

[Steve Perry 2.11]

but instead we get to see alma play Union Christian and gravette.

↑↑↑What he said.↑↑↑

[Coach Venny Slocombe]

but instead we get to see alma play Union Christian and gravette.

↑↑↑What he said.↑↑↑

lol...

[AT]

Trackster, serious question...why does Alma schedule such weak and smaller classification teams in the Dyer Classic? Alma, especially in the boys division are very good and compete well at the state level. It looks like scheduling some tougher opponents in a tourney situation would only make them better...

Weird, huh?

I was too young to remember any of this, but my dad coached in it, and the Crawford County tournament used to be a big deal. Most teams (and this included Van Buren actually being in the tournament at the time) were competitive. Different schools hosted it and from what I heard, it was a huge event. Gyms were packed out every night (not 3,000 seat gyms of course). Multiple teams won in both boys and girls. This wasn't lost on our athletic direcor Dr. McSpadden because he coached in it, too.

I'm not sure bring back the Crawford County tournament was Dr. McSpadden's idea, but I think it was something he was in big favor for. I don't blame him. Maybe reignite that buzz that used to hang around the tournament. Van Buren decided not to participate though. Plus a 3,000 seat arena almost seats the whole populations of Mulberry, Cedarville, and Mountainburg added together, so it's hard to get the same atmosphere in there.

As PFG said, it really does help the local teams and that's great. These are families and friends that play for these teams. Not to mention, the first year this tournament was put back on, it actually WAS exciting. Alma's girls didn't even win the first year, Mountainburg's girls did and they brought an excited crowd. Cedarville's boys had a good bunch that year too and they took a very good Alma team to the wire and that was a very good atmosphere.

Since then, though, it hasn't really lived up to the Crawford tournament of old. Alma's boys are absolutely dominating it. I think they have mercy ruled every team they have played since that Cedarville game. Alma's girls have been winning the tournament and they aren't even on the up and up yet. Can you imagine when Codey Mann gets the Airedalettes really rolling?

That being said, I can see why it was started and why it's been continued, but I wouldn't be shocked to see it discontinued soon. Dr. McSpadden does a lot to help the county's pride and I would like to see the same, but in boys basketball, the program that his coaches have built is just too much for these teams. Maybe once every 10 years Cedarville will have a team come along that will hang with Alma and maybe knock them off.

[AT]

As for the Airedale Classic, I agree with PFG's and Steve Perry's sentiments.

[Coach Venny Slocombe]

VB being would help out a bunch...I didn't realize that...

[P.F.G.]

VB would have added quality games for both sides. Heck they have taken it to alma the last couple years but it would still be a solid game. With them in the same conference I'm glad that they don't play more but who knows what they will do with it. The Airedale classic has been a wash for a long time. I can't remember the last time alma didn't win the boys side. Seems like when west fork was in it they gave us a game but they weren't in the last couple years.

[Steve Perry 2.11]

I see the FF Admin is back at muting me.

I started a friendly conversation on the 5A BB board and the thread got deleted.

Unbelievable.

[P.F.G.]

Are you on the sauce again?

[Steve Perry 2.11]

Are you on the sauce again?

Yes.

But that's not the point.

[AT]

@ Farmington tonight. Would be nice for both teams to get a victory but both will have a tough go at it. The girls will have it tougher than the boys. Hoping to see a lot of improvement has been made over the past two weeks.

[AT]

Girls

Alma - 42
Farmington - 37

FINAL

Big win for the girls.

[AT]

Boys

Alma - 59
Farmington - 56

FINAL

Great night to be an Airedale.

Alma ended the first half on a 11-4 run at the half and then held off Farmington the rest of the game.

[Steve Perry 2.11]

Proud of our girls. Good win for them.

[Coach Venny Slocombe]

I see the FF Admin is back at muting me.

I started a friendly conversation on the 5A BB board and the thread got deleted.

Unbelievable.

Join the club...and don't send them PM's, and don't tell them how to moderate...

[Steve Perry 2.11]

I see the FF Admin is back at muting me.

I started a friendly conversation on the 5A BB board and the thread got deleted.

Unbelievable.

Join the club...and don't send them PM's, and don't tell them how to moderate...

So don't do what I've been doing the past 3-4 years...

That's hard for me Ven...you know that. I'm good for a while but you know at some point I'm going to go off the rails. I always do...I just can't help myself...

But..................Admitting is the first step...

[P.F.G.]

I enjoy the part when you fly off the rails. Normally good entertainment until it's taken down.

[Coach Venny Slocombe]

I see the FF Admin is back at muting me.

I started a friendly conversation on the 5A BB board and the thread got deleted.

Unbelievable.

Join the club...and don't send them PM's, and don't tell them how to moderate...

So don't do what I've been doing the past 3-4 years...

That's hard for me Ven...you know that. I'm good for a while but you know at some point I'm going to go off the rails. I always do...I just can't help myself...

But..................Admitting is the first step...

That's what I was told...because I actually wanted them to do something that was the right thing to do...for once...lol...

[AT]

Alma hosting Springdale tonight.

Will be a tough test for the boys, or so it looks like it by score watching on maxpreps. Springdale has only lost to North Little Rock and Lee's Summit West out of Missouri (I think they are a solid Missouri ball club)

The Bulldogs have beat Greenwood, Farmington, Cabot (very impressive win if Cabot is to be improved as expected), and Hillcrest out of Missouri.

Could be a dandy of a game. Springdale beat Farmington by 6 while the Airedales beat them by 3 as far as common opponents go.



On the girls' side, I think the Airedalettes could win, but it will be a tough test for a program still trying to get up and running again. The Farmington win was a great momentum boost and confidence builder for the girls. Springdale has beat Mountain Home, but lost to Central, Cabot, and Conway.



Both games could be dandies at the Palace tonight.

[AT]

Girls:

Springdale - 63
Alma - 24


Boys:

Alma - 53
Springdale - 50


Girls had a rough go at it. Two starters went out of the game with concussions.

The boys played very well until the 4th quarter, where they let an 8 point lead slip away but then regained that lead and held on. Great win for the Airedales tonight.

[Coach Venny Slocombe]

Girls game must have been physical...

[P.F.G.]

Girls will have a tough year but building something here with the new coach. Looks like the boys are finally knocking off some football rust.

[AT]

Found the Airedale classic brackets

Teams
Farmington, Fountain Lake, Greenland, Lavaca, West Fork, Scranton, Alma, Gravette


Mostly the same schools, but Fountain Lake is an interesting addition. Not sure we've ever played them in any sport?