Opelika finishes 8-2, heads to post-season
OPINION —
In their last regular season game, the Opelika High School Bulldogs (8-2) lost to Carver 44-35 last Thursday at Crampton Bowl. The Dogs looked like a team destined to win their ninth game of the regular season, jumping out to a 28-6 lead half way through the second quarter.
But then something changed drastically — Carver reeled off 16 points in a span of six minutes to get back in the game at halftime, cutting the Bulldog lead to 28-22.
Opelika’s Blake Johnson scored a TD in the third quarter on a 34-yard run, and Beasley added his fifth PAT. Carver answered with three TDs in the fourth quarter to pull off the upset win, 44-35.
Other than a loss on the schedule, the game did not change Opelika’s playoff scenario, seeding, etc. OHS head coach Bryan Moore calls my radio show, “On the Mark” every Monday and Friday morning during the season. He called Monday to discuss the Carver loss, moving forward and playoffs. Coach Moore made one statement that stuck out to me more than anything he mentioned.
“I have got to do a better job of preparing and coaching our kids,” said Moore. “I must find a way to get this team prepared to make a playoff run.”
One might think Moore’s comments are not that important, but I think differently, and here is why: Opelika has NEVER made the AHSAA 7A State Football playoffs, let alone host a round one game.
Coach Moore knew exactly what he was saying — do not blame kids, blame me! Not many coaches take the blame after a loss. Instead, coaches tend to point out mistakes individual players made during the game.
We all know dynamic players shine and make unbelievable plays during the course of a game. Carver made some huge plays against OHS game last Thursday, enough to beat the Bulldogs by nine points, but Coach Moore took full responsibility for his team’s loss.
He knows a new season starts Nov. 1 with the AHSAA playoffs, where four wins put you in the Super 7 Championship or one loss ends the season. Nothing good will come out of a coach pointing fingers, calling out players or talking negative about them in public, although many do this after a loss.
I am no expert on coaching, but I’ve watched high school football closely for over 40 years. If I were to grade Coach Moore through 10 regular season games, it would be an “A.” Moore guided OHS to eight wins, including victories over Central and Enterprise. The Dogs finished second in Region 2 and are set to host a round one playoff game.
Opelika will host Florence (5-4) in the first round of the AHSAA 7A Playoffs on Nov. 8 at Bulldog Stadium. Florence hosted unbeaten 6A Oxford Friday in a non-region game. The Falcons won three straight to earn the third seed in Region 4, beating Grissom 38-0, Huntsville 34-7 and Sparkman 13-2. It is worth noting that Florence beat one team with a winning record, Bob Jones (6-4). The other four wins were over teams with five or fewer wins.
The Alabama High School Athletic Association governs all playoff games. Therefore, fans must purchase tickets online at gofan.co or at the ticket office at Bulldog Stadium starting at 5:30 p.m. AHSAA passes are required by everyone entering without a ticket, and you must sign in when entering game.
AREA 7A PLAYOFF PAIRINGS
The AHSAA 7A bracket appears to be set. Region 2 teams play the following:
No. 1 seed Auburn will host Bob Jones Enterprise will travel to Austin and Central will travel to James Clemmens.
Other 7A first round pairings include Thompson hosting Daphne; Baker hosting Hewitt-Trussville, Mary G. Montgomery hosting Vestavia and Hoover hosting Fairhope.
D. Mark Mitchell is the sports director at iHeartMedia and host of “On the Mark” on Fox Sports the Game 910-1319.
