By D. Mark Mitchell
sports columnist
OPELIKA
BASKETBALL
The girls and boys basketball teams participated in the Smiths Station Holiday Tournament last weekend. The Lady Bulldogs finished second, loosing to Smiths Station 57-66 in the championship game.
Coach Booth’s team beat Valley 57-42 and Lafayette 60-8 before losing to SSHS.
Every player on the team scored against Lafayette. Anita Payne and Ambrea Green led OHS with nine points each.
Alexis Sydnor and Jaylen Snipes scored 20 and 18 respectively, to lead the Lady Dawgs in the win over Valley.
The Lady Bulldogs are 7-8 overall and 1-0 in area. The team will take Christmas off, then play in the Ball-N Prep Tournament at Huntington in Montgomery the following week.
The OHS boys finished second also, defeating Enterprise and Lafayette before losing in the finals to Park Crossing in overtime.
The Dawgs started the tournament with a 59-45 win over Enterprise.
The Wildcats had entered the game with a 10-1 record. Kingston Frazier scored 19 while teammates Jordan Heard and Kyle Fourtenbary added 15 and 10 points respectively.
The Dawgs next defeated another kennel of Bulldogs, defending 2A state champions, Lafayette, 59-50. This was the first loss in 28 games for Lafayette, dating back to the 2014-15 season. Frazier scored 19 points to pace the Dawgs. Jaleel Heard, Kyle Fourtenbary and Jordan Heard scored nine points each.
Park Crossing hit a three-pointer at the end of regulation to tie the game and force overtime. The Thunderbirds then outscored Opelika, 12-5 in OT to win 59-52. Jalen Kellum and Kingston Frazier scored 10 points apiece to lead OHS.
The boys will travel to LaGrange next week to play In the LaGrange High School Invitational Tournament.
Both teams will host Benjamin Russell and Valley at the Sports Arena, Jan. 7 and 12.
CHRISTMAS
HOLIDAY BREAK
The Opelika High wrestling and cross country teams are on break and will return to action in January.
MERRY
CHRISTMAS
TO ALL
I want to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas!
Remember the reason we celebrate Christmas; if we do this, our world will be a better place.
Merry Christmas Mallory, Madison, Mom and Dad and (dogs) Kobe and Kujo!
TAYLOR
ROSENTHAL DAY
Opelika Mayor Gary Fuller and the City Council declared Wednesday, Dec.16, as Taylor Rosenthal Day in Opelika. The 14 year-old ninth grade student at OHS has been in the spotlight since last spring when Taylor, CEO of Rec-Med, turned a thought into a promising career.
I am friends with the Rosenthal’s. Taylor is well behaved, polite, friendly and smart. He is also a member of the ninth grade baseball team.
Congratulations, Taylor! Go Dawgs!
D.Mark Mitchell is sports director for iHeart Media, Alabama Dixie Boys State director and vice president of the A-O Sports Council.