By D. Mark Mitchell

sports coulmnist

The Opelika High School Boys indoor track team won the AHSAA 6A State Championship last weekend in Birmingham.  The Dawgs earned 138.50 points, 77 points ahead of the second place team. Let me repeat: 77 points ahead of the second place team!
The Opelika girls team finished in fifth place with 48.5 points.
Top scorers from both the boys and the girls teams are listed below:
2016 Indoors State Champions
Nate Huggins:  Indoor State Champion, 60-meter dash (6.85 sec., a new state record).
Nate Huggins:  Indoor State Champion, 400-meter dash  (48.16 sec.)
Jada Moss: Indoor State Champion, shot put (36 feet 2.5 inches)
Boys’ 4×400 meter relay:Indoor State Champions, (3:23.74), (Nate Huggins, Jalin Marshall, Kacey Spinks and Tanner Blatt).
Will Boler: Indoor State Champion, triple jump (44 feet 7 inches)
Devin Guice: Indoor State Champion, high jump (6 feet 4 inches)
Boys’ 4X200 relay team: Indoor State champions, ( 1:28.40, a new meet and class record). (Jalin Marshall, Tanner Blatt, Kacey Spinks and Nate Huggins)
2016 Indoor State runners-up
CJ Jordan: second in the triple jump (44 feet 3.5 inches).
Tytiana Lockhart: second in the shot put (34 feet 4 inches).
Boys’ 4×800 meter relay team: (8:27.25). (Ben Garner, Hayden Washburn, Ladarious Washburn and Braden Holloway).
Kacey Spinks: second in the 400-meter dash (49.66 sec.)
2016 Indoor State third place
Girls 4X200 team: third (1:47.56)  (Akishi Williams, Diondra
Larkin, Ghania Warren and Aaliyah Boulware).
Ben Garner: third in the 3200 meter (9:53.11).
Franklin Vickerstaff: third in the shot put (44 feet 11 inches).
Ghania Warren:third in the 60 meter hurdles (9.27, a personal record (PR)).
Ben Garner: third in the mile (4:29.93).
2016 Indoor state point scorers
Imani Debrow: sixth in the triple jump (34 feet 9.5 inches).
Hayden Washburn: seventh in the 800 meter (2:04.71).
Zo Bridges: fifth in high jump ( 5 feet, 10 inches).
Tanner Blatt: fourth in long jump (20 feet 6 inches).
Will Boler: fifth in the long jump (20 feet 4.5 inches).
Johnston Jordan: eighth in the shot put (40 feet 4 inches).
Diondra Larkin: fourth in the 60-meter dash (7.86 sec.).
Girls 4×400 meter relay team: fifth (4:23.21)  (Imani Debrow, Akishi Williams, Zykeria Jackson and Nikera Durr).
Ghania Warren: seventh in the high jump (5 feet).
Diondra Larkin: fourth in the long jump (17 feet 4 inches)
Imani Debrow: sixth in the triple jump (34 feet 9.5 inches)
Tanner Blatt: sixth in the 60-meter dash (7.17 sec.)
Hayden Washburn: sixth in the mile.
BASKETBALL
The Opelika High girls and boys basketball teams ended the regular season with wins over Beauregard last Thursday.
GIRLS
The Lady Bulldogs eased to a 59-41 win over the Hornets in Beauregard.
Yulanda Marbury scored 10 points, Tadesja Veasely and  Anita Payne added nine points apiece.
Coach Booth’s team ended the regular season 16-12 overall,  6-0 in the area.
The OHS girls are the hosts for the area tournament after winning the area regular season championship.They played Valley in the first round. The game started late and was not completed at press time.
Opelika must beat the Lady Rams to advance to the championship game and AHSAA playoffs. If they advance to the state playoffs, their first game will be Monday.
BOYS
Coach John Wadsworth’s boys basketball team defeated Beauregard 66-38 last Thursday night in the last regular season game.
Jalen Kellum led the Dawgs with 12 points. Every player on the team played and scored in the win.
The Dawgs played Russell County in the first round of the area tournament in Seale last night. OHS must win the game to advance to the state playoffs.
BASKETBALL ON RADIO
Both girls and boys basketball playoff games will be aired on WKKR and WTLM Monday and Tuesday nights.
Stay tuned for details.
SPRING SPORTS
The Opelika baseball team opens the season Feb. 15. The Dawgs and the Beauregard Hornets will play a double-header at Bulldog Park. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.
Coach Tina Deese will debut the 2016 Lady Bulldog softball team Feb. 16, on the road at Central of Clay County. The home opener will be Feb. 18 at 4 p.m. at West Ridge Park.
D.Mark Mitchell is sports director for iHeart Media, Alabama Dixie Boys State director and vice president of the  A-O Sports Council.