BY DANIEL SCHMIDT
THE OBSERVER
OPELIKA — Inside Stanley-Jensen Stadium, a sense of deja vu clung to the crisp autumn air.
In 2011, an upstart Opelika High School football team defeated a nationally ranked Prattville High School squad 16-14, and for 39 minutes and 55 seconds, the 2026 version of the Bulldogs appeared capable of pulling off a similar upset over the Lions.
Then with 2 seconds remaining, T.J. Jackson’s 28-yard field goal ended Opelika’s (4-5) upset bid over No. 20-nationally ranked Prattville (10-0) and Class 6A’s top team according to the Alabama Sports Writers Association.
By most analytics, the Bulldogs should have claimed victory. Teams that score a defensive touchdown win roughly 75% of the time across football, and 91% of the time if they force three-plus turnovers.
Opelika did both yet still fell agonizingly short of what would have been a signature win early in head coach Jonathan Chandler’s tenure at his alma mater.
“This one meant something to us,” Chandler said. “There’s a different feel in that locker room. I hate that it’s taken us nine games to figure it out. But you know what? That’s part of it.”
Braiden Howard and the Bulldogs’ secondary were at the center of almost everything Opelika did well. The Arkansas State commit opened the scoring with a 98-yard pick-six with 5:41 left in the first quarter — with an Arkansas State coach in the stands.
“He had that pick-six, and I turned and looked [at the college coach]. Man, he’s on the phone,” Chandler said. “But I tell you what, he’s a ball player.”
Opelika doubled its lead when Jordan Jackson scored on a 26-yard run with 43 seconds left in the first quarter, sending the Bulldogs into the second quarter up 14-0.
Howard then struck again with 8:01 left before halftime. After Prattville went for it on fourth down at the goal line, Howard picked off his second pass of the night to complete the goal-line stand.
It was a marquee night for Howard, who was tasked with defending Auburn commit Deshawn Hall, a consensus 4-star wide receiver recruit listed seven inches and 10 pounds larger than Howard.
Entering last Thursday’s game, Hall averaged five catches, 92 yards and a TD per game. Against Opelika, he had [stats here when posted].
Prattville finally broke through after recovering a fumble on a botched Bulldog punt at the Opelika 8 yard line with 3:48 left in the half.
However, Opelika’s defense held again with its back against the wall, forcing the Lions to settle for a 26-yard field goal with 3:01 left that ultimately made it 14-3 at the break.
Coming out of the break, the Bulldogs’ defense took the ball away again 20 seconds into the third quarter when Jamel Griffin intercepted a pass at the Prattville 17 yard line. This time, Opelika couldn’t turn that turnover into points, and Prattville began chipping away at the deficit.
Will McKay threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Kolby King with 4:35 left in the third quarter. Opelika’s pass rush then swarmed McKay on the two-point try, forcing an incompletion and keeping it 14-9.
Prattville took its first lead early in the fourth. The Lions kept their go-ahead drive alive by converting a fourth-and-7, eventually allowing Marterrious Sankey to score on an 8-yard run on third-and-goal with 8:05 to play. King caught the two-point conversion to put Prattville up 17-14.
Howard answered immediately, breaking a 47-yard kickoff return to the Prattville 31. That set up a 25-yard field goal by Diego Miguel-Domingo that tied it at 17 with 5:06 remaining.
Prattville then had the final say. The Lions drove into range in the closing minutes, and Bryson Francis made the game-winner from 28 yards out after Opelika tried to ice him.
“We just went toe to toe with what’s the best team in the state,” Chandler said. “They battled their tails off. You’ve got to tip your hat.”
Austan Cristiaan completed 12 of 18 passes for 70 yards for Opelika. Jackson ran for 105 yards and a TD on 17 carries, and c Jakari Walton caught four passes for 36 yards. Howard finished with two interceptions, 116 interception return yards and 70 kickoff return yards. [Opelika defender] led the Bulldogs with ## tackles, and [Opelika defender] had # sacks.
For Prattville, McKay completed ## of ## passes for ### yards, one TD and three interceptions. Sankey ran for 98 yards on 28 carries, and [Prattville receiver] caught # passes for ## yards. [Prattville defender] led the Lions with ## tackles, and [Prattville defender] added # sacks.
Opelika did it short-handed on offense, with several players on the sideline in sweatpants and jerseys.
Chandler said starting running back Jalen Nelson sat out with an ankle injury but will be ready next week, and that Jacory Walton has been getting work in the backfield.
“We didn’t hold anything back,” Chandler said. “It’s kind of playing the long game a little bit.”
Howard, who has been selected to the North-South All-Star Game, drew plenty of praise from his coach beyond the stat sheet.
“He’s still growing,” Chandler said. “We’re helping him develop his daily habits. He’s understanding that he can be a leader by example.”
Opelika will host Alma Bryant High School (3-7) at Bulldog Stadium in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs on Friday, Nov. 6, at 7 p.m. Chandler said he wants a big crowd there.
“Everybody’s 0-0 now,” he said. “I encourage and challenge the Bulldog Nation to come out and support these young men. They deserve it, and they keep showing up every single Sunday, ready to go back to work.”
He said he believes the work is close to paying off as the postseason begins.
“We don’t live in a world of patience, and some things just take time,” Chandler said. “The kids in our locker room understand that. And I think we’re improving every week.”
