BY D. MARK MITCHELL
OPINION —
The Opelika Bulldogs (2-0) opened their home schedule, thumping Calloway [Georgia} (0-2) 48-13 at Bulldog Stadium last Friday night. Bulldog head coach Bryan Moore wanted his team to start fast, score early and often while playing good defense. That’s exactly what his team did against CHS, scoring 28 points while holding Calloway scoreless in the first quarter.
Jamari Hughley led the Bulldogs in rushing with 101-yards on five rushes and scored a TD, quarterback Colby Key was 11 of 12 for 143-yards and three TD passes and Jamari Miller rushed for 47-yards and scored two TDs.
The Dogs were four of four on third down and scored all four times they were in the redzone.
First quarter stats
OHS – Calvin Hughley Jr. four run (PAT good), 9:49
OHS – Jamari Miller 18 pass from Colby Key (PAT good), 9:08
OHS – Javari Johnson one run (PAT good), 6:11
The score at the end of the first quarter was 21 -0 (OHS)
Second quarter stats
OHS – Brodie Jones 17 pass from Key (PAT good), 10:01
CHS – Blake Harrington nine runs (PAT good), 4:28
The score at the end of the second quarter 28-7 (OHS)
Third quarter stats
OHS – Miller 83 kick return (PAT failed), 11:50
OHS – Miller 26 pass from Key (PAT good), 5:48
The score at the end of the third quarter was 41-7 (OHS)
Fourth quarter stats
OHS – Kaden Pierce 27 pass from Fuller Young (PAT good), 9:46
The score at the end of the fourth quarter was 48-13.
UP NEXT – OPELIKA at AUBURN
Opelika travels to Auburn’s Duck Samford Stadium to play rival AHS in a huge Area 2 Region game. Both teams enter the game with 2-0 records after beating two non-region teams.
Auburn beat North Miami (49-0) and Vestavia Hills (52-17) in easy wins at Duck Samford Stadium.
This is the 99th meeting between Opelika and Auburn in football, the Tigers lead 48-47-3 including winning four in a row and six out of the last seven games. Auburn head coach Keith Etheredge is 4-0 against Opelika while Bryan Moore will be coaching his first Auburn/Opelika game.
Note: Opelika coach Sam Mason is the only coach in the history of Opelika football to win his first game against rival Auburn. Former coaches Larry Gore, Kyle Gantt, Joe Wilson, Doug Barfield, Spence McCracken, Brian Blackmon, Caleb Ross and Erik Speakman lost their first game against AHS. Hopefully history will change Friday night at Duck Samford Stadium.
Although the series is only separated by one win, both schools have had win streaks. From 1960 to 1982 Auburn only lost five times to OHS: from 1983 to 2007 Auburn beat OHS only four times: Since 2008, Opelika has won only five games including the last win in 2019.
Auburn has gained the upper hand over the past 8-10 years. Auburn City School Superintendent Dr. Cristen Herrin puts value in having one of the best athletics departments in the state of Alabama and hiring the best people and coaches possible.
Opelika’s Bryan Moore is no stranger to the Auburn/Opelika rivalry, spending many years at OHS as an assistant and as offensive coordinator under Brian Blackmon.
The team that is able to handle the intensity and pressure of playing in front of several thousand people against its rival is likely to end up on top at the end of the game. In most of these games the score changes hands as the game progresses, each play is important, and teams will have good and bad things happen. The team that responds the best will win.
Auburn has a senior QB, top notch running back and a solid offensive line and they play strong defense. Opelika can win the game by playing its best and not turning the ball over.
This is the first region game for both teams
Fans can listen to the Opelika vs Auburn football game on WKKR 97.7 Kicker fm, kickerfm.com and on the iHeartRadio app. Pre-game coverage begins at 6 p.m. with the Bulldog Tailgate show presented by Opelika Environmental Services with kickoff set for 7 p.m. Van Riggs, the Voice of the Bulldogs, and his crew will bring you all of the action.
JUNIOR VARSITY
Opelika JV Football team will play Auburn at Duck Samford Monday Sept. 9 at 5 p.m.
LOACHAPOKA JONES-TATE FIELD
Loachapoka High School Principal Albert Weeden held a ceremony last Friday prior to the LHS vs Lee-Scott football game, naming the football field Jones-Tate Field after former football head coaches Terry Jones and Jerome Tate. Jones started the Poka football program, Jerome Tate won more games than any head football coach in Lee County schools history. On a personal note: I have known coach Tate more than 30 years, watching him grow as a coach from assistant to head coach while at Lanett and Loachapoka. The ceremony was attended by many supporters including Jay Jones and the families of coaches Tate and Jones.
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.
