ALMA – There’s not much on the football field that Alma senior Ashton Chanhnouvong can’t do.

You’re an elite defender? He returns as a defensive back after leading the team in tackles and earning All-State honors.

Is he a dangerous pass catcher? He will improve that this season.

Touchdown celebration? As a member of the Alma dance team, he has that under control, too.

“It’s been special to watch him grow from 10th grade to now,” said Alma coach Rusty Bush. “He can do anything on the field and he’s very coachable. He dances too, which he’s blessed to do and he does a lot. But he loves playing football, learning and competing. I’ve watched him grow from a young man into a mature football player and I’m excited to see him play in his senior year.”

Alma begins its regular season Thursday at home in the Battle of the Bone, hosting rival Van Buren in one of the biggest games of the year. Kickoff is currently scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Airedale Stadium.

There’s no doubt that Chanhnouvong will play a key role in this game and beyond. He’s already off to a good start this year, showing in a scrimmage against Fort Smith Southside on Tuesday that he can make an impact in both directions. On offense, he nearly scored a touchdown after a catch, and on defense, he also had an interception.

“I feel like I set the tone for the Van Buren game,” Chanhnouvong said with a smile. “They had some people in the student section at Southside. I wanted to make sure they got to see something. I’m just there for my team. I always have them and they always have me. That’s the way it is. I trust my teammates. Why not us?”

Chanhnouvong was a tackling machine in an all-state breakout season last year. He finished with a team-high 86 tackles, including 67 solo tackles. He also had 6 pass breakups, 4 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a 51-yard interception returned for a touchdown.

There’s a saying in the football coaching world that you don’t want to lead a defensive back, usually the last line of a unit, on tackles. However, Chanhnouvong is an exception to that notion because he has a feel for the football.

“If you look at the stats of his defense and a cornerback has the most tackles, you’d think it wasn’t a very good season,” Bush said. “That wasn’t the case for us when we won seven games and played for the conference championship. He just reads the game so well. But he knows when to step in. He’s a great example of a kid who just plays damn hard. That alone will make him play 10 or 12 more games every year. He’s got a strong motor.”

Alma will have plenty of talent on defense alongside Chanhnouvong. Cash Farris (64 tackles), Michael Taylor (59 tackles and is expected to play quarterback this year), Israel Towns-Robinson (46 tackles), Jackson Mitchell (44 tackles) and Byron Standridge (38 tackles), among others, all return to lead the unit.

“I think our defense could be really good this year,” Chanhnouvong said. “I know if I don’t score, the others around me will. We all grew up together and trust each other. We’ve just continued to grow as a unit and the seniors want to finish strong. We’ve got a lot of talent out there.”

Chanhnouvong didn’t catch a single pass for the Airedales last year, but he’s already impressed the team this year. He’s expected to play a major role in the offense and return kicks on special teams.

If it seems like he plays with a lot of rhythm on the football field, he has even more off of it. This will be his third year on the Alma Varsity Dance Team after being on the first-ever Alma Freshman Dance Team.

“He has developed into one of the best male dancers I have had the privilege of working with,” said Alma dance coach Sara Murray Sellers. “He is a great leader and role model for the other boys on the team and provides entertainment for the entire team practically on a daily basis. In the four years he has been with us, he and his team have been undefeated in hip hop and won the 5A state dance championship in 2022 and 2023. This year, he and fellow senior Cash Farris are featured in both our competitive hip hop and jazz routines. I am so proud of Ashton and how far he has come in his dance talent as well as his work ethic, time management and leadership skills. We will certainly miss him on the team next year.”

The regular season hasn’t even started yet, but Chanhnouvong is already doing something on and off the football field for the school and the community he cares about so much.

“Alma means everything to me,” Chanhnouvong said. “More than anything, it’s special to see us grow as a family outside of football. I just love everyone on my team. We want to do big things this year after last season. We’re so hungry.”

Alma’s Ashton Chanhnouvong is pictured during River Valley Football Media Day in Fort Smith on Tuesday, July 23, 2024. Visit rivervalleydemocratgazette.com/photo for today’s photo gallery. (River Valley Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton)