BY D. MARK MITCHELL
OPINION —
The Opelika High Football team (4-6) ended the season with a 38-34 homecoming loss to Dothan at Bulldog Stadium last Friday night. The loss prevented the Dogs from making the 7A State playoffs for the second year in a row.
Dothan (8-2) scored with 11:17 in the first quarter after Tamarian Peterson sprinted 67 yards for a touchdown. The Wolves made it 10-0 after making a 20-yard field goal with 1:24 remaining in the opening quarter. The Dogs’ Jamari Miller returned the ensuing kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown to close the score to 10-7. Jordan Waits gave OHS the lead (14-10) after scoring a TD on a 17-yard run with 2:25 left in the first half.
Dothan took the lead after scoring 14 straight second-half points on two Peterson runs of one and 10 yards. Opelika scored its first points of the second half on a 17-yard pass from Gagliano to Brody Jones for a touchdown. The Wolves scored their last points of the game on a 1-yard run with less than three minutes to play in the game, extending the lead to 38-21. The Dogs scored 13 straight points with less than 2:32 left in the game. Bennett Young caught a 34-yard pass from Gagliano for a TD, and Gagliano bulled in from one yard out with 20 seconds left in the game. Opelika’s Carroll made four of five point-after attempts.
Dothan gained 428 rushing yards and only 11 passing yards for a total of 439 yards. Opelika gained 295 total yards, including 125 rushing yards and 170 passing yards.
OHS head coach Erik Speakman bragged on his team during his post-game radio show with Van Riggs (Voice of the OHS broadcast team) on iHeartRadio’s WKKR 97.7 Kicker FM.
“I am proud of how we fought until the end,” Speakman said. “We have 19 seniors that are hurting… if people only realized how tough this region is, and these kids keep fighting. We have a bunch of good juniors coming back. They played a bunch the last two years. This is probably the best time to get us.”
Opelika will finish fifth in Region 2, ahead of the four teams the Bulldogs beat: Prattville (3-6), Percy Julian (5-4) , Smiths Station (1-8) and J.A.G. (0-9).
This is the first time Opelika has not made the playoffs in back-to-back years since the mid 1990’s, when Spence McCrackren missed the playoffs in 1995, 1996 and 1997. The Dogs have missed the playoffs only seven times since 1983.
FLAG FOOTBALL SEASON ENDS
The Opelika Flag Football season ended last week with a 19-0 loss to Smiths Station at AHS in the regular season. Head coach Mike Murray completed his first season as head coach.
CROSS COUNTRY
Opelika’s girls and boys soccer teams will compete in the sectional meet Saturday at Kiesel Park in Auburn. The top qualifiers will advance to the state meet in Moulton next weekend.
BASKETBALL BEGINS NOV. 9
OHS girls and boys basketball teams open the season at home in the Mainstreet Gym against Sylacauga on Nov. 9. The varsity girls play at 4 p.m., and the boys play at 5:30 p.m.
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.