BY NOAH GRIFFITH
FOR THE OBSERVER
OPELIKA — On Thursday, Feb. 12, No. 2-seed Auburn High and No. 3-seed Opelika capped off the opening night of the 7A, Region 4 tournament with an overtime thriller, ending in a 74-71 Opelika victory.
With the win, the Bulldogs booked their spot in the area championship game against the top-seeded Central-Phenix City Red Devils two days later. Along with a chance to win the area tournament, Opelika and head coach Wesley Button secured a spot in the regional playoffs for the first time since 2018.
“[Our players] fought for each other tonight with a fire I have never seen out of the Opelika basketball program, and I’ve been here for five years,” Button said. “I knew this group was going to be special, and I knew if they came together it was going to be even more special. They definitely proved it tonight.”
Auburn and Opelika split two regular-season matchups, and both schools won 20 or more games with a 3-3 record in area play. At a neutral site, an evenly-matched game was expected, but the contest was even more heated than anticipated.
Although Opelika led by multiple scores throughout most the game, it was tied at 64 with 6.6 seconds on the clock. The Bulldogs had possession, and they fought Auburn’s full-court press coverage looking for a go-ahead score.
Opelika’s in-bounder lobbed it to Kaleb Baker down the floor, and he drove for the potential winning layup. It was a little too strong off the backboard, giving Auburn possession with 0.8 seconds. The fourth quarter then ended in a tie, forcing overtime.
Both sides traded three-pointers to start overtime, but Opelika took the early advantage by hitting two threes in a row. It remained a back-and-forth affair until Auburn missed a pair of consecutive free throws while trailing by two with 47 seconds in the game.
The Opelika defense prevailed in the final 40 seconds, forcing back-to-back Auburn turnovers. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs hit three more free throws to go up 73-69 with two seconds on the clock. One last bucket from Auburn senior standout Antwane Daniels was only enough to limit the deficit, and Opelika escaped with a three-point victory.
Although Opelika benefited from strong offensive performances, including 20 points by junior Jadarian Holloway, 16 from junior Brady McNally and 14 from senior Caurdae Wright, it was the defense that Button pointed to as the determining factor in getting the win.
“We always told the guys, ‘We will be able to score points this year. Defense is going to be where we’re going to win ball games,’” Button said. “That’s exactly what won us the game tonight.”
For the Tigers, Daniels notched 27 points, while senior Trindon Manior scored 19. A lack of production in the paint on both offense and defense plagued Auburn, even with its star-studded guard duo leading an explosive outside threat.
The win put Opelika at 23-6 going into the area title game, while Auburn’s season ended at 20-11. The win also testifies to significant growth in the Bulldogs’ sports programs, as Opelika also beat Auburn to advance to the state championship in football.
Button stated his respect for Auburn head coach Chris Brandt and the Tigers, but he couldn’t hide his excitement.
“[Auburn] has been kicking my tail for a while… This is huge not only for this program, but for this community,” Button said. “We put them out of the playoffs in football, and we got to do the same in basketball. It feels good.”
Opelika rallies past Central to claim first 7A area title
BY NOAH GRIFFITH
OPELIKA — Less than a month ago, Opelika head coach Wesley Button delivered a blunt message to his team after a loss at Smiths Station dropped the Bulldogs to 1-3 in area play.
Since then, they haven’t lost.
On Saturday night, that turning point became a championship moment as Opelika defeated Central-Phenix City, 67-46, to claim the program’s first-ever Class 7A, Area 4 tournament title.
“The message (after losing at Smiths Station on Jan. 23) was very simple: ‘If you do not want to be here, go home. Either everybody come aboard, or it’s going to be a very short season,’” Button said. “Ever since that night, they have flipped the switch on and have not turned it back off.”
The Bulldogs (24-6) are now 5-0 since that defeat, including two wins over both Auburn and Central. Entering the four-team area tournament as the No. 3 seed, Opelika first outlasted No. 2 Auburn, 74-71, in overtime before knocking off the top-seeded Red Devils on their home floor.
The victory clinches Opelika’s first trip to the Class 7A regional playoffs since 2018.
“This was a long time coming,” Button said. “Two years ago, we were struggling to be 0.500. Now we’re area champs and going to play at Alabama State. I knew this team could do it. I just couldn’t be more proud of them.”
Saturday’s championship was tightly contested for three quarters. Central carried a one-point lead into halftime and extended its advantage late in the third quarter.
Each time Central swiped the advantage, Opelika stayed composed and waited for a swing of momentum.
With Central leading by two in the final seconds of the third quarter, junior Brady McNally delivered the spark the Bulldogs needed. After being held to just three points at that time, McNally buried a three-pointer with eight seconds remaining to give Opelika a 43-42 lead entering the fourth.
The Bulldogs dominated from there, outscoring Central 24-7 in the final period.
McNally stayed hot, scoring nine more points in the fourth — including two additional three-pointers — to finish with 15 in the championship game after scoring 16 in the semifinal win over Auburn.
“At times in that game, I was getting frustrated with my own play or some calls that were made, and they just kept telling me I had to stay in the game. Once I saw that one go in, it just lit up for me,” McNally said. “It means the world to me to have a team that believes in me. There’s no other group of guys I’d rather do this with.”
Button was emphatic in his praise of his junior sharpshooter, labeling McNally a future Division 1 basketball player and “the best shooter in the state.”
But as big as the offensive rally was, Opelika’s defense proved just as decisive.
After losing the turnover battle 13-8 in the first half, the Bulldogs forced 12 Central turnovers in the second half. They also limited Central star junior center Jatori Williams to 12 points and allowed the Red Devils just two free-throw attempts after halftime.
Tournament MVP Jadarian Holloway anchored Opelika’s defensive pressure while adding 15 points in the championship. The junior guard scored 35 combined points in the two tournament games.
“[Holloway] has done a great job commanding our offense and an excellent job on the top part of our press,” Button said. “That’s the one thing I challenged him on going into the season — his defense. He has answered that call, and tonight it really showed.”
Joining Holloway on the all-tournament team for Opelika were McNally, seniors Kaleb Baker and Caurdae Wright, and junior Kairi Johnson. Johnson led the Bulldogs with 16 points in the championship after scoring 10 against Auburn. Baker totaled 22 points in the tournament, and Wright added 19.
“I’m just feeling all kinds of happiness and pride for us to get a win like that,” McNally said. “We’ve worked since last March trying to get to this spot. We believed before the season we could do it, and now it’s come full circle.”
For Central (15-11), senior Deshawn Harris led the Red Devils with 15 points in the championship and 23 in the tournament. Jatori Williams scored 31 combined points, and senior Solomon Williams added 19.
The season marks Opelika’s first 20-win campaign since 2014-2015. After winning 19 games last season and 11 two years ago, the Bulldogs now head to the Class 7A Regional Semi-Finals with momentum and confidence.
Both teams will continue their seasons Friday, Feb. 20 in the Sweet 16 at Alabama State University in Montgomery. Opelika will face Dothan (28-3), while Central opens against Enterprise (17-7).
