OPELIKA —
Prattville kicked a 12-yard field goal in overtime Friday night to give Opelika its first loss of the season, 24-21.
The Bulldogs jumped out to an early 14-0 lead on a 39-yard TD pass from junior quarterback Roman Gagliano to senior Caden Cooper, and a 15-yard run by Ja’Kori Thornton. Kicker Will Carroll added both PAT’s.
Prattville came right back with two scores prior to halftime, returning the second kickoff 93 yards and throwing a 30-yard pass-and-run to make 14-14.
The Lions took a 21-14 lead after an 87-yard TD pass in the third quarter. Late in the game, Opelika scored its third TD on an 8-yard pass from Gagliano to receiver Bryce Speakman. Carroll made his third PAT to tie the game.
In overtime, Opelika could not convert a fourth down and one from the 1-yard line. Prattville kicked a 12-yard field goal on their possession to win the game.
Game stats: Opelika (4-1, R3-1) gained 246 total yards, 126 rushing yards and 120 passing yards. Prattville gained 221 total yards, 188 yards passing and 33 rushing.
Individual stats: Gagliano threw for 126 yards, Thornton rushed for 77 yards and Cooper recorded 49 receiving yards.
The Dogs return home to play undefeated Theodore (5-0) in a non-region game Friday night at 7 p.m. Theodore dropped to Class 6A this year after playing in Class 7A since 2014, and has never played Opelika.
Theodore head coach Eric Collier is in his 10th season, with a 63-40 overall record including back-to-back 10-win seasons in 2020 and 2021.
The Bobcats (5-0) opened the season with a 32-3 win over Baker, beat Robertsdale 34-0, beat Baldwin County 49-0 and Spanish Fort 29-21.
This will be a good test for both teams as they prepare for the playoffs. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Bulldog Stadium. Fans can purchase tickets online at gofan.co or at Bubba’s Medicine Shop and Victory Design until 12 p.m. Friday. The Bulldog Stadium ticket office opens at 7 p.m. You can listen to the game on WKKR 97.7 Kicker FM, online at kickerfm.com or you can watch the live stream of the game at NFHSnetwork.com
FRESHMAN TEAM
Opelika’s freshman team lost a tough game at Prattville, 6-14. Bennett Young caught a 12-yard pass from Luis Merly for the only Bulldog TD.
OHS FLAG FOOTBALL
The OHS Flag football team last week beat Eufaula and Booker T. Washington, and lost to Central Phenix City.
Opelika beat Eufaula 20-14 in an overtime thriller Thursday, Sept. 15. Quarterback Cherdi Daniels threw for two touchdowns in regulation and ran for the game-winning score in overtime. Ashley Hilyer and Z Fanning made several big plays to help win the game.
The gairls beat Booker T. Washington 11-0 in the second game of the week. OHS scored 11 defensive points against the Golden Eagles from a safety, pick-six by Fanning and a two-point conversion from Hilyer. The Bulldog defense held BTWHS out of the end zone to preserve the shutout, 11-0 win.
Central gave OHS its first loss of the season, defeating the Bulldogs 7-6. Daniels caught a 30-yard TD pass for Opelika’s only score of the game. The Lady Red Devils intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown, making the extra point to lead 7-6. Neither team scored in the second half. Central dominated time of possession in the second half by using ball control offense.
CROSS COUNTRY
Opelika’s Cross Country Team ran in the Oak Mountain High School XC Meet last Saturday at Oak Mountain’s Heardmount Park. The following are results of Opelika’s girls and boys team.
5000 METER RUN – GRILS
21:57.97 – Paola Torres – 16th – Girls A
23:05.63 – Margaret Bice – 28th – Girls A
23:49.87 – Violett Alcorn – 35th – Girls A
24:30.30 – Joanne Smith T – 44th – Girls A
26:51.00 – Susan Gaston – 63rd – Girls A
28:15.75 – Ellie Kendrick – 73rd – Girls A
31:47.70 – Kaitlyn Brown – 83rd – Girls A
31:48.23 – Frida Cruz Valdez – 84th – Girls A
32:05.72 – Kiley Brooks – 85th – Girls A
32:05.84 – Carlie Moates – 86th – Girls A
5000 METER RUN – BOYS
17:57.95 – Brantley Turnham – 16th – Boys A
18:32.28 – Chas Brewer – 31st – Boys A
19:32.87 – Michael Hart – 52nd – Boys A
19:37.64 – Zalen Shaw – 54th – Boys A
20:09.89 – Zane Sexton – 58th – Boys A
20:30.55 – Trey White – 68th – Boys A
21:30.11 – Amari Bynum – 87th – Boys A
22:14.61 – Burch Harris – 100th – Boys A
23:10.43 – Ben Bell – 116th – Boys A
23:17.52 – Alexander Burgess – 118th – Boys A
23:29.56 – Tripp Campbell – 124th – Boys A
25:16.92 – Benjamin Owens – 138th – Boys A
30:25.27 – Daylan Sanders – 109th – Boys B
35:03.93 – Ja’veon Sanders – 119th – Boys B
D. Mark Mitchell is the sports director at iHeartMedia, host of “On the Mark” Fox Sports the Game 910-1310, co-chair of the Auburn-Opelika Sports Council, chairman of the Super 7 and Dixie Boys Baseball state director.
