OPINION —
The Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) held the 61st Swimming and Diving Championship last weekend at the Huntsville Aquatics Center.
GIRLS SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIP
Westminster Christian Academy girls team won the 1A-5A State Swimming Championship with 264 points, followed by Lamp (177 points), Arab (177 points), Randolph (148 points) and School of Cyber Technology (132 points). Locally, Beulah girls finished 16th (28 points) and Valley placed 21st (11 points).
Bob Jones girls edged Auburn by 23 points (268-245 points) to captured the Girls 6A-7A Swimming Championship title. Huntsville (243.50 points), Grissom (231 points) and James Clemens (167.50 points) rounded out the top five. The Opelika High Girls Swim team finished 10th with 93 points.
BOYS SWIMMING
Scottsboro won the Class 1A-5A Swimming Championship with 231 points, followed by Boaz (200 points), Randolph (191 points), School of Cyber Technology (132 points) and TR Miller (110 points). Locally, Tallassee placed eighth with 93 points followed by Lee-Scott Academy at 18th (27 points).
Huntsville High won the Class 6A-7A Swimming Championship with 302 points, followed by Vestavia (229 points), James Clemons (223 points), Bob Jones (174 points) and Auburn (170 points) rounded out the top five. Locally, Opelika finished 13th with 52points and Smiths Station placed 27th with 11points).
OPELIKA SWIMMERS
Girls 200-Yard Medley Relay team finished fourth: Pressley Mullins, Grace Nelson, Aniston McGhee and Mylee Bordeaux
- Boys 200 yard IM — Knox Newland placed sixth 2:00.57
- Girls 50-yard Free Style — Grace Nelson placed sixth (25.38)
- Boys 100 yard Free Style — Bryan McEntire finished fifth (52:59)
- Girls 100 Yard Breast stroke — Austin Mcghee (1:08:18)
FLAG FOOTBALL
Opelika’s flag football team lost to rival Auburn 26-6 last Wednesday in the AHSAA quarterfinal round of the Class 6A-7A Flag Football Playoffs. AHS senior Brooke Hallmon dominated the game, throwing two touchdown passes and intercepted two Opelika passes.
OHS finishes 13-7 under head coach Meg Larson.
Auburn advanced to play Central in the semifinal round in Phenix City Tuesday at 6 p.m.
BASKETBALL
Opelika girls (1-5) went 1-2 last week, beating Lafayette 62-9, losing to Northside (Georgia) 52-32 and Russell County 42-30. The Lady Dogs play in the Loachapoka Hoopsgiving Tournament on Wednesday, Nov. 27.
Individually vs Lafayette Kamora Johnson scored 15 points, Chloe Stenson added 8 points.
Northside’s Tyra Pitts scored 15 points; Russell County’s Naomi Whack scored 11 points.
The OHS Boys (4-2) split last week, beating Northside 69-44 and losing to Russell County 64-56 in Seale.
AHSAA FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS
Thompson and Central battle for the Class 7A football championship, Dec. 4 at Protective Stadium in Birmingham. The Red Devils beat Hoover 17-7 while Thompson throttled Enterprise 31-7 in Alabaster.
The following are AHSAA Football Semi-Final pairings:
Class 1A
Elba (11-2) at Maplesville (11-2)
Hackleburg (12-1) at Wadley (11-0)
CLASS 2A
Highland Home (13-0) at Reeltown (12-1)
Sulligent (9-4) at Tuscaloosa Academy (11-2)
CLASS 3A
Southside-Selma (11-2) at Houston Academy (12-1), Dothan
Piedmont (13-0) at Mars Hill Bible (12-1), Florence
CLASS 4A
St. Michael Catholic (13-1) at Jackson (12-1)
West Morgan (13-0) at Cherokee County (12-1), Centre
CLASS 5A
Vigor (12-1) at Montgomery Catholic (12-0)
Leeds (11-2) at Moody (10-2)
CLASS 6A
Saraland (12-0) at Pike Road (10-3)
Oxford (13-0) at Parker (12-1), Birmingham
LISTEN TO SUPER 7 PREVIEW AND CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES on FOX SPORTS the GAME
I am pleased to announce “On the Mark” radio show, airing on iHeartRadio’s FOX Sports the Game 910-1310, the iHeartRadio app and online at foxsportsthegame.com, will broadcast LIVE from the site of Super 7 in Birmingham , Wednesday through Friday from 6 to 9 a.m.
Dec. 4-6 Jeff Sasser and I will interview AHSAA staff members, current coaches with teams playing in Super 7 and special guests. We will preview all seven championship games and the two Flag Football Championship games. The coverage is presented by the Orthopaedic Clinic and INTEGREA Health Services.
You can also listen to the seven football championship games on FOX Sports the Game beginning with the 7A Championship game between Central-Phenix City and Thompson on Wednesday, Dec. 4, at 7 p.m.
The playoffs continue on Thursday, Dec. 5, with Class 3A-1A-5A and on Friday, Dec. 6, with 4A, 2A & 6A game times at 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
BASEBALL
Congratulations to Opelika senior baseball players: Brodie Jones, T.J. Arnold and Slade Clayton signed baseball scholarships with Lurleen B Wallace Community College.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
D. Mark Mitchell is the sports director at iHeartMedia and host of “On the Mark” on Fox Sports the Game 910-1319, Alabama Dixie Boys State Director and vice president of the A-O Sports Council.
