OHS basketball in middle of area regular season
OPINION — Opelika High played two Area basketball games since my last column: Central-Phenix City and Auburn at OHS.
The Red Devils dominated the Bulldogs, sweeping the varsity girls and boys games in the Mainstreet gym at OHS last week. The Lady Devils beat OHS 46-21, and the boys won 75-49 in a blowout. Basketball is a unique game — one night a team can hit every shot, then other nights you can’t hit a layup. Central’s girls and boys basketball played extremely well and made a bunch of shots, Opelika hustled, played hard but could not hit shots which is a recipe for a loss.
Opelika girls and boys host Smiths Station Friday night (Jan. 17) in the OHS Sports Arena. Varsity girls tip off at 6 p.m., followed by varsity boys. Fans can listen to all Opelika Area games on iHeartRadio’s FOX Sports the Game 910-1310 am presented by the Orthopaedic Clinic, online at www.foxsportsthegame.com/lisyenlive and on the free iHeartRadiop app on your smart phone.
OPELIKA WRESTLING
The Opelika varsity grapplers beat Dothan 42-39 and lost to Prattville 44-29 in a dual meet last week at OHS.
144 lbs. – Denarvious Anderson (Opelika) over Daniel George (Dothan) (Fall 1:36)
165 lbs. – Tommie Johnson (Opelika) over Zach Walker (Dothan) (Fall 1:22)
175 lbs. – Brady Campbell (Opelika) over Nyshon Hart (Dothan) (Fall 1:17)
190 lbs. – Brandon Denson (Opelika) over Jordan Bighems (Dothan) (Fall 3:43)
144 lbs. – Denarvious Anderson (Opelika) over John Baxley (Prattville)
185 lbs. – Colt Dickson (Opelika) over Brian Mitchell (Dothan)
165 lbs. – Tommie Johnson (Opelika) over Devon Wilson (Prattville)
175 lbs. – Brady Campbell (Opelika) over Garrett Harley (Prattville) (Fall)
215 lbs. – Colt Dickson (Opelika) over Noa Rawlinson (Prattville)
OHS will participate in the “Hornet Slam” at Beauregard High on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 17-18.
REGISTRATION FOR OPELIKA YOUTH BASEBALL OPEN
(DIAMOND YOUTH BASEBALL)
Registration for Youth Baseball in Opelika is now open for the 2025 Opelika Diamond Youth Baseball season at www.opelikadixieyouth.com through midnight Feb. 7.
Register now to receive an early-bird discount of $15, making the fee $85. (Note: the cost will show as $100 until the automatic discount is applied in your cart. This discount expires at midnight on Jan. 31.)
Opelika Diamond Youth is for ages 6-12, based on the player’s age on April 30, 2025.
If your child is age 6 and has never played any type of baseball, we recommend them playing in the Opelika Parks & Rec T-ball/Coach Pitch league. Registration will be held at the Sportsplex in the Spring.
Please use a valid email address when registering, as all tryout information will be sent via email. You can also keep up with news and dates at facebook.com/opelikadiamondyouth.
Opelika DBBaseball for ages 13 through 15 will register in late March through middle of April at the Opelika Sportsplex. Anyone interested in coaching in the Opelika DBBaseball league should email D.Mark Mitchell: dmitchell2@iheartmedia.com
LOCAL BASKETBALL ROUND-UP
The AHS Lady Tigers (18-5, A 2-1) are ranked ranked fifth in Class 7A despite losing to 10th ranked Central 18-4.
Lanett (12-5, A2-0) ranked sixth in Class 2A after beating Lafayette 42-36. The Springwood girls (12-0) continue to hold on to the No. 1 spot in AISA. The Chambers Academy Lady Rebels (8-5) are ranked ninth.
Auburn’s boys (18-6, A 2-1) are ranked eighth in Class 7A. Central (18-4, A 2-0) is ranked third in the 7A poll.
The Lee-Scott Warriors boys varsity team (19-4) is ranked third in Class 3A, the highest any LSA team has been since joining the AHSAA. Head coach William Johnson relies on a run and gun style of offense, spreading the floor and playing man defense. Junior guard Haiden “Shooter” Harper is hitting 55% from the field, averaging 19 points a game, Parks Myers leads in shooting percentage at 64%, followed by Parker P. Wright, with 58% field goal shooting and an average of seven rebounds per game.
All the teams must finish in the top two at the Area tournament to advance to the AHSAA basketball Playoffs.
The Springwood boys team is ranked No. 9 at 8-5.
The Chambers Academy girls also moved up one spot to No. 9 at 8-7.
D. Mark Mitchell is the sports director at iHeartMedia and host of “On the Mark” on Fox Sports the Game 910-1319.
