New coach ready to get things started at Alma

Six days before Christmas, Rusty Bush was hired as Alma’s new football coach.

Never did Bush imagine that his first offseason with the Airedales would be interrupted by a global pandemic.

The coronavirus pandemic has put a halt to the state’s high school football teams’ offseason plans.

Since the Arkansas Activities Association instituted an athletic dead period

March 15, coaches have been prohibited from working with their players in person and school facilities are shut down, including stadiums and weight rooms.

But in the days leading up to the dead peri- od, Bush, who was hired

Dec. 19 and started at Alma on Jan. 16, wanted to test his players on their weight room work knowing that a closure of school was coming.

“The offseason was going well,” said Bush, who took over for Doug Loughridge, who became Alma’s athletic director after the 2019 football season.

“The kids had worked extremely hard. We did some tests, to see the jumps. They made some tremendous jumps.”

Five other schools in Class 5A will have new coaches for the 2020 season.

m Former Little Rock McClellan coach Maurice Moody was hired by Jacksonville. Moody led McClellan to Class 5A state championship games in 2015 and 2017, losing to Pulaski Academy both times.

m Jonesboro assistant coach Brad Chesshir went to De Queen in January to replace Stephen Sloan.

m Jim Withrow left Sylvan Hills after 13 seasons for Little Rock Hall in February.

m Brookland, which is moving up from Class 4A to Class 5A for the 2020 season, hired Valley View assistant coach Eric Munoz as its new head coach. m Then, on Thursday, Stephen Neal announced that he was resigning from Pea Ridge to take the defensive coordinator position at Deer Creek High School in Edmond, Okla.

Pea Ridge is joining the 5A-West Conference this fall after playing in Class 4A.

Once he was hired, Bush started to make changes on the Airedales staff.

Bush promoted Chris Smith from offensive line coach to offensive coordinator in February.

On March 13, former El Dorado and Magnolia assistant coach Ernest Pressley was hired as the Airedales’ defensive coordinator.

Pressley, however, has not met the Airedales players since he was hired right before the AAA’s dead period came into place.

Alma is using Google Classroom for its virtual meetings and workouts. The Airedales have team meetings via Google on Mondays, with senior players meeting Thursdays. The varsity staff meets twice a week, while the junior high staff meets once a week. Position meetings are from Tuesday through Friday.

“We want to stay in their lives,” Bush said. “It gives them a break from their schoolwork.

“We want to act like on June 1, we’re going to go to work. If we have to wait until July, we’ll try to make adjustments. But we have to figure out the best plan for the health and safety of our kids.”

As for the summer, it’s unknown at this point what will happen with the Airedales and the rest of the state’s teams.

Already, Bush and Alma decided to cancel its annual 7-on-7 tournament, which was scheduled for June 12 at Airedale Stadium.

Bush said it’s hard to say if the 2020 season will be delayed or not played. But he holds out hope.

“Nobody knows,” Bush said. “But I’m the optimistic guy. I think it will start on time.

“But it’s a day by day deal. I hope it all goes well.”

Bush