Region 3 Football at a glance
I wanted to give you an early observation of Region 3. Auburn, region champs the last three years, looks to be in the thick of another championship run. The Tigers are 2-0 with wins over Dothan and Enterprise. Opelika, Dothan and Central are tied at 1-1. Central beat the Dawgs and Dothan has beaten Central. Northview, Enterprise and Smiths Station have not won a region game yet. There are a lot of football games left to play. Some key games are Central vs. Auburn, Opelika vs. Dothan and Opelika vs. Auburn at home; and you never know who will win when Dothan, Northview and Enterprise play each other.
Opelika needs to concentrate on themselves. If we win the rest of our region games we will finish first or second. The top four teams that look to make the playoffs after two weeks of region play are Auburn, Central, Dothan and Opelika. But remember, you have to actually play the games.
Cross Country
The OHS and OMS cross country teams will be holding the first-ever meet at the Opelika Sportsplex on Sept. 24 at 8 a.m. This is the first cross country meet that Opelika has held in years and the first meet ever at the Sportsplex. There will be a brief opening ceremony before the race. Several city and school offficials will be on hand for the meet.
OMS Football
Seventh Grade
The Opelika Middle School seventh grade football team suffered their first loss 16-6 to Long Cane last week. David Little scored the only touchdown for OMS. Their record is now 1-1. The team had the week off to prepare for next week’s game.
Eighth Grade
Coach John Wilson’s team improved to 3-0 with a 51-7 win over Long Cane. The Dawgs scored early and often. DJ Jackson scored first on a 12-yard run, Jamal Couch ran for an eight-yard TD, Hunter Adams caught a 55-yard TD pass from Rashone Efford and Jack Slay kicked a 32-yard field goal to give OMS a 23-0 lead at halftime. DJ Jackson started the second half like he started the game, returning the kickoff for 80 yards for a TD, Mike Holmes ran four yards for a TD, Deon Todd recorded a safety and Dextin Baker ran 45 yards to finish the scoring. Jack Slay added three PAT’s. The Bulldogs played great defense, led by Dewrell Smith’s interception. Zo Bridges, Antonio Goodman, Terrance Banks and Devontre Thompson all recorded multiple tackles.
OMS will travel to Smiths Station Sept. 22 for seventh and eighth grade games.
Opelika All-Sports Booster Club
The Opelika All-Sports Booster Club will hold two meetings on Oct. 4 and 18. The homecoming parade
will be Oct. 13 at 4 p.m. in downtown Opelika. The annual “Burn the tiger bonfire” will be Oct.19 at the Sportsplex at 6 p.m.