BY SAMUEL JONES
FOR THE OBSERVER
OPELIKA — Opelika High School started the Class 6A playoffs on the right foot, putting together a dominant, complete performance to beat Alma Bryant High School 41-7 at Bulldog Stadium on Nov. 6.
Jordan Jackson led the Bulldogs (5-5), rushing 17 times for 186 yards and four touchdowns and adding a 14-yard catch for 200 total yards. Austan Christiaan completed 13 of 18 passes for 203 yards, and six players caught passes as Opelika ran for 303 yards on 35 carries and finished with 506 yards of offense.
Following the first-round win, Opelika head coach Jonathan Chandler praised Jackson’s development throughout the season, pointing to his versatility and ability to contribute on both sides of the ball.
“Jordan Jackson is a football player,” Chandler said. “He’s been playing both ways for us, played both ways last week against Prattville. And he loves football, it means a lot to him.”
Chandler also praised Jackson’s football intelligence and the work he puts in throughout the week, saying his continued improvement has been no surprise.
Jackson’s breakout had been building for weeks. Since moving from wide receiver to running back earlier this season, he ran for 91 yards against Dothan, 94 against Smiths Station and 105 against top-ranked Prattville.
The Bulldogs wasted little time getting on the scoreboard. After receiving the opening kickoff, Opelika needed just five plays to find the end zone, as D.J. Hodge hauled in a 41-yard TD catch to put the Bulldogs up 7-0.
Opelika’s defense followed with a strong first stand against the Hurricanes (3-8), forcing a fumble that the Bulldogs recovered. Although Opelika gave the ball right back with a fumble of its own, the defense responded by forcing a quick three-and-out.
The Bulldogs took advantage with a seven-play scoring drive, capped by Keelan Banks’ 15-yard TD catch in the front corner of the end zone. With 5:51 remaining in the first quarter, Opelika led 14-0.
The defense continued to make things difficult for Alma Bryant, forcing another three-and-out before the offense put together a 10-play drive. Jackson finished it with a 16-yard TD run up the middle, giving the Bulldogs a 21-0 lead with eight seconds left in the first quarter.
After another Opelika possession ended with an interception, Alma Bryant had a chance to get on the scoreboard, but the Hurricanes were forced to punt.
Opelika needed just two plays to reach the end zone again. Matthew Pritchett’s 30-yard catch moved the Bulldogs inside the 5 yard line, and Jackson punched it in from 1 yard out to make it 28-0 with 7:39 left in the first half.
Alma Bryant finally got on the scoreboard with a kickoff return for a TD, but Jackson quickly answered. He broke loose for a 48-yard run, then scored on a 32-yard TD run on the next play to extend the lead to 35-7.
The Hurricanes put together an 11-play drive late in the first half, reaching the Opelika 7 yard line, but the Bulldogs’ defense held.
Alma Bryant opened the second half with the ball but was forced to punt after seven plays. Opelika responded with a 15-play drive, with Jackson carrying on four straight plays to finish it. His 1-yard TD run, his fourth of the night, made it 41-7.
Neither team scored again.
The Bulldogs could have another option in the backfield next week. Chandler hopes to get Jalen Nelson back from a nagging ankle injury, and if Nelson is healthy enough to return, Chandler said the staff could find ways to have both players on the field at the same time.
Friday’s win was also an important step for an Opelika team that has had its share of ups and downs. The Bulldogs entered the playoffs at 5-5, but Chandler believes the team has made significant progress since the start of the year.
“We’ve come a long way, and we ain’t even close to where we need to be,” Chandler said. “We’re 5-5, but as you said, we’re 1-0 in the playoffs.”
Chandler has continued to preach perseverance and the importance of putting in the work each day, using a message about repeatedly swinging at a stone until it finally breaks.
“If you swing at it 99 times and that stone still doesn’t crack, we want to be the type of people [who] pick that hammer up and swing it again,” Chandler said.
He also credited the defense’s improved physicality, pointing to the previous week’s performance against Prattville as a turning point after some struggles earlier in the season.
“We saw it last week and we saw it again tonight,” Chandler said.
The Bulldogs travel to Fairhope High School on Friday, Nov. 13, to face the Pirates (8-2) in the second round. That game will be played at W.C. Majors Field at 7 p.m.
