BY D. MARK MITCHELL
OPINION —
Opelika Athletics programs continue their summer workouts as the tempatures continue to rise.
The basketball and football teams participated in camps, while softball coach Jessica Thornton opened West Ridge Softball Park so her team could workout on the turf. Summer is as tough on student-athletes as competing in the season.
Opelika High School Athletic Director mailed letters to past corporate sponsors with updated sponsor packages, asking to renew, upgrade or purchase a package.
Opelika football coach Bryan Moore is trying to strart a Quarterback Club / Football club. If interested contact Moore at 334-745-9715.
OHS LADY BULLDOGS
The Opelika Lady Bulldog Softball program is in need of a indoor facility at West Ridge Park, home of the lady Bulldog Softball team.
The softball team has a dressing room in the girls athletic building on the OHS campus but not at West Ridge Park.
OHS NEW ARENA?
I can confirm the city of Opelika is entertaining the idea of a new gymnasium on the OHS campus. “On the Mark” learned: Opelika Mayor Gary Fuller was approached by several people, including basketball supportters and coaches in an effort to build a new state of the art gymnasium suitable for 7A program.
Opelika plays basketball in the smallest gym in the area and smaller than most gyms in class 5A, 6A and 7A.
The Dogs play games in the newly renovated Main Street gym, but is to small to hold large crowds against opponents such as Central, Auburn, Smiths Station and other rival schools. Some of the options include building a new arena by the Sam Mason Track or completely tearing down the existing arena and rebuilding a new gymnasium. No official comment has been made by OCS or the city of Opelika.
There is no secret, Mayor Fuller is the main reason athletic facilties and schools were addressed. Fuller led the charge in renovating Bulldog Park, adding turf and upgrades to the indoor batting facility and more.
CAPPS NAMED BEULAH HEAD BASEBALL COACH
Beulah High School announced Kevin Capps as the new head Baseball coach for the Bobcats. Capps is no stranger to baseball in Lee county, serving as coach in the Beauregard Youth leagues and Opelika Dixie Boys Baseball league before getting his teaching certificate and becoming a teacher and coach.
Coach Capps brings over 30 years of baseball knowledge and coaching experience that will help him continue to develop the Bobcat baseball team. He helped with all aspects of the Beulah baseball program, including being assistant coach for the Middle school, JV and varsity.
I am very proud of Kevin Capps!
AHSAA SUPER 7
The AHSAA released the official statement on Super 7 Football Championship leaving Bryant-Denny Stadium and Jordan Hare Stadium due to CFP changes. Four college football teams will host playoff games on their campus in the fIrst round of the CFP, slated for Dec 20-21. This is two weeks after Super championship, leaving the two grass stadiums in bad shape for the upcoming playoff games if they host the games.
The only way to continue the existing contract if the stadiums had turf fields which is highly unlikely. The Alabama High School Athletic Association and all parties involved agreed to use the phrase “pause” when referring to the existing relationship, keeping the door option to join forces again if changes to CFP allowed.
OPELIKA DIAMOND YOUTH BASEBALL
Two Opelika Diamond Youth All-Star teams advanced to the State Tournament, Opelika’s 7U and 9U teams. The 7U Rookie All-Star team won the Diamond Youth Rookie State Tournament in Prattville last weekend. Opelika beat : Dothan National, Southeastern, Prattville and AUM to claim the title.
Team members :
Maddox Baker
Eli Chandler
KJ Chappelle
Kayson Coleman
Amir Dunn
Tucker Edwards
James Fenn
Mack Henderson
Ransom Herring
Finn Mason
Westin Ragsdale
Mark Sawyer
Jesse Edwards, Head Coach
Opelika’s 9U All-Stars finished 0-2 in their state tournamemt.
OPELIKA DBB ALL-STARS 13U- 14U-15U
Opelika’s DBB 15U all-star team finished 0-3 in the 15U State tournament last weekend in Eufaula.
The 13U and 14U all-star teams are set to play in the Alabama DBB State Tournament in Greenville June 28-30.
The 13U all-star team includes: Asher Johnson, Noah Shabo, Ruben Garza, Maury Shipper, Hudson Lee, Paul Coates, Brody Day, Maddox Minor, Parker Rogers, Kayden Parra, Ryan Hitt and Carl Schoonover; Manager David Shabo; and Coaches Greg Johnson, Lane Minor and Ryan Schoonover.
14U all-stars : Mason Bushy, Brady Capps, Cole Collier, Cory Hubbard, Bently Hussey, CJ Johnson, Tanner Oliver, Lane Rudd, Dylan Stovall, Brayden Swinford, Aiden Thelon, George Thomas and Landon Winske. Manager Bryan Johnson, Coaches George Thomas and Aaron Bushey.
IHEARTRADIO HIGH SCHOOL MEDIA DAYS JULY 23-24
The local iHeartRadio station FOX Sports the Game will hold their annual High School Media Days presented by the Orthgopaedic Clinic at the Bottling Plant Event Center July 23-24.
The two-day event features over 20 high school football teams from a 60-mile radius that will talk on stage in front of numerous media outlets from print, digital, social, radio and TV. The schools represent 8-man football teams, AISA Member schools and AHSAA member schools.
The event will be aired live on FOX Sports the Game 910-1310, live streamed on the Internet and aired live on WOTM-TV. Local iHeartRadio personalities Van Riggs, Jeff Sasser, Eddie Owen, Jere Bavaro and Jason Lee will cover the event.
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.
