“Happily ever after” is something joyfully scribbled straight from a sappy Hallmark Christmas movie.

Cole Altes’ happily ever after involved four walls and the essential things some of his Southside football teammates can’t live without — a phone and a football.

As Altes’ life was spiraling dangerously out of control last fall, the Mavericks’ defensive end disconnected for half a year to figure out his priorities.

When he returned in June, he hit the field running, pulling a hamstring in the process, and buried his head in classroom makeup work.

Cole Altes is a Southside Maverick.

“This is things people don’t see,” Southside coach Jeff Williams said. “Everybody sees what goes on on Friday night, or maybe in practice. We have a lot of kids that deal with off-the-field issues. When he walked across there the other night, when we played Little Rock Central (on Senior Night), it almost brought a tear to my eye, knowing where he was at at this time last year.”

Altes spent six months at Teen Challenge Adventure Ranch, an outreach for teens in northwest Arkansas.

Almost a year later, Altes walked across Rowland Stadium, hand in hand with parents, Jason and Allison.

“I started thinking back to playing Boys Club football, doing the whole thing with them walking me out,” Altes said. “It’s one of the last big things of my high school football career.”


Altes spent 6½ months at the ranch in rural Morrow, a tiny dot on the map southeast of Dutch Springs and due south of Lincoln, in northwest Arkansas.

It’s one of those places you have to be going to know it exists.

“There were a lot of questions going through my mind, especially with football,” Altes said. “Is it even an option anymore? Am I going to be able to do this dream I’ve had, to play high school football? The main motivation was to stay in shape for football.

“It was a gamble, but I was willing to take that risk.”

The reboot

Teen Challenge was founded in 1958 in Ozark, Mo., as a way of helping troubled teens. It has evolved the past 60 years, and has been endorsed by presidents, politicians and entrepreneurs.

The program encourages students to conquer their personal fears and surpass their preconceived limitations. The purpose of teen challenge was to help students to re-engage in life, build character and provide amazing experiences.


Altes dug in.

“It was rough, the disconnect,” Altes said. “But it was definitely good, because you had time to get your mind right; you had time to focus in what’s really important.”

His teammates

Altes didn’t lose complete contact with his Southside teammates, some of whom he saw during scheduled breaks.

His coaches didn’t forget the 6-foot-5, 220-pound athlete, either.

“He’s a pretty good athlete; he can run and he’s not afraid to hit,” Southside assistant coach Brooks Witherspoon said. “We tried to put him on offense, but he’d missed a lot of practice and it got to the point where he wasn’t playing. We looked at him where he could be that H-back — he could line up wide or play inside.”

The hamstring


All his dreams were shelved on Altes’ first day back.

“It was the first day of summer practice,” Altes said. “We were doing 100-yard sprints, and we were almost through. The last five yards, I heard a pop. I went down; I knew it was going to be like everything else — it was going to be a process.”

While Altes hit the books, getting his grades back up to speed, his body healed.

He was deemed 100 percent by the second week of the 2018 season —the Mavericks’ home opener with Greenwood.

‘Hey, you!’

Witherspoon looked over one day and saw this big kid in the No. 12 jersey not playing much offense.

He inserted him at defensive end.


“We came with a system to where I give him hand signals and where to go,” Witherspoon said. “It’s worked out the last three or four games.”

Altes has 11 tackles in the last five games.

He’s also become an extension of Witherspoon.

“We’re all characters in his group, and he’s (Witherspoon) definitely a character,” Altes said. “We love working for him.”

Moving on

Cole Altes will become a footnote in Southside’s storied football history, but he’s a Maverick.

“Seeing how how healthy and spiritual he is now, it’s great to have him around,” Williams said. “We all want to win, but it’s important to me what they’re (players) doing 10 or 15 years when they leave here after football.”


Next spring, when Altes graduates, he’ll pause to reminisce.

His parents will cry.

“It’s going to be an emotional experience,” Altes said. “With all that I went through, this is something we’ve all been working for.”
