OPINION —
We are one week away from Opelika playing Thompson in the 2023 AHSAA Kickoff Classic hosted by the Alabama High School Athletic Directors & Coaches Association (AHSADCA).
Selma and Beauregard will officially open the 2023 Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) high school football season Thursday night, Aug. 24, at Montgomery’s Cramton Bowl. Opelika (5-5 in 2022) and Thompson (11-3 in 2022) will play Friday night, Aug. 25, in the second game of the kickoff classic. Both games kickoff at 7 p.m. and will be televised over the AHSAA TV Network and live streamed over the NFHS Network. AHSAA TV partner, WOTM TV of Sylacauga, will produce the game for the NFHS Network.
The two head coaches said they are proud to be playing in the kKickoff Classic. Thompson’s Mark Freeman, who starts his ninth season at Thompson and his 25th season as a head coach, is 71-8 in the last six seasons and has won the last four class 7A Championships. Freeman talked about the Kickoff Classic during an interview on my radio show, “On the Mark” on FOX Sports the Game.
“We are excited to be returning to the AHSAA Kickoff Classic event in Montgomery where we had a great experience in 2018 against James Clemens when the Classic was called the ‘Champions Challenge,’” Freeman said. “And we look forward to a great experience versus Opelika. Coach Speakman does a tremendous job, and Opelika has a great program. We appreciate the AHSAA for extending an invitation, and we are blessed to have an opportunity to compete against a great Opelika program within the state of Alabama.”
Opelika’s Erik Speakman also discussed the Kickoff Classic during an interview with “On the Mark” on FOX Sports the Game.
“We are excited about the opportunity to compete against Thompson in the Kickoff Classic,” he said. “When I was asked by the AHSADCA if we would accept the invitation, I had to think about it and ask our coaching staff but it did not take long for all to agree. We have always taken pride in playing a tough schedule and this game with the four-time defending 7A state champions proves that. Coach Mark Freeman and his staff have done an incredible job of building the Thompson program into a national power, and we look forward to competing against them in the season opener.”
Fans can purchase tickets online at gofan.co, or pay cash at the Cramton Bowl ticket office. The Alabama legislature passed a law saying the general public can purchase tickets with cash at all high school athletic events in the AHSAA. The past several years fans had to purchase tickets in advance online at gofan.co which is the best way to secure a ticket in advance.
Opelika fans can listen to all OHS football games beginning with the pre-game show at 6:30 p.m. on WKKR 97.7 KICKER FM, online at kickerfm.com and on the free iHeartRadio app.
OHS TIDBITS
Speakman has made a major change with his team’s schedule. In the past, all football players took “athletics” during the last block of the day, fourth block. Players started fourth black around 1:50 p.m. every afternoon, allowing the players to start on football. This year, Speakman chose to follow the lead of some other coaches and moved “athletics” for the varsity football players to first block. Players arrive by 7:30 a.m. for breakfast and a workout until second black starts around 9:40 a.m. Players take regular classes during fourth block and start football practice at 4 p.m. every day. Another positive with the change: players have off every Wednesday afternoon when the season starts.
LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL NEWS
Lee-Scott Acedemy Head of School, Dr. Stan Cox, confirmed to me last week that Lee-Scott has applied to join the Alabama High School Athletic Association for the 2025-26 school year. Lee-Scott acedemy is coming off an undefeated football season and won the AISA class 3A State Championship. The move is not a surprise to me because of the number of teams that have left the AISA and those that plan to leave. I reported last week that up to four AISA high schools have applied for membership to the AHSAA.
Fort Dale was the first AISA school to announce its plan to apply for membership to the AHSAA. I have learned Glenwood and Autauga Academy are the other two class 3A schools that are seeking to join the AHSAA. The AISA will be forced to look at redoing its current model of three classifications, because only four class 3A teams would remain if the four schools join the AHSAA.
D. Mark Mitchell is the sports director at iHeartMedia, host of “On the Mark” Fox Sports the Game 910-1319, co-chair of the Auburn-Opelika Sports Council, chairman of the Super 7 and Dixie Boys Baseball state director.