OPINION — he Opelika boy’s basketball team (20–6, Area 3–3) put together its best week of hoops since the John Wadsworth era in 2015, knocking off both Central and Auburn in front of electric, sold-out crowds at the OHS Sports Arena. The back-to-back wins catapulted the Bulldogs into the No. 2 seed for the upcoming Area Tournament on February 12 at Central High School in Phenix City.
Opelika opened the week with a thrilling 59–57 win over Central, then followed it with a dominant 75–67 victory over rival Auburn. Friday night’s atmosphere was nothing short of postseason intensity, and the home crowd played a major role as the Bulldogs fed off the energy from tip-off to the final buzzer.
Junior Brady McNalley delivered one of his best performances of the season, scoring 22 points—20 of them coming in a scorching first half. Opelika’s full-court defensive pressure kept Auburn uncomfortable all night, while the Bulldogs controlled the glass and limited the Tigers to one shot per possession.
The win, however, sets up a challenging situation for head coach Wesley Button. Opelika must now face Auburn for a third time this season in the opening round of the Area Tournament. The stakes could not be higher:
• Winner advances to the Area championship and is guaranteed a berth in the Sub-Regional round of the AHSAA 7A playoffs.
• Loser sees its season end abruptly.
The other semifinal will feature Central vs. Smiths Station, with the top two teams earning spots in the Regional Tournament.
Lady Bulldogs Battle Through Area Play
The Opelika girls (8–19, Area 1–3) faced a tough slate last week, falling to Central 71–45 and Auburn 72–32 at the OHS Sports Arena.
Against Central, Kamora Johnson led the way with 9 points, followed by Nykynlee Covington’s 7. Johnson again paced the Lady Bulldogs versus Auburn, scoring 13, while Covington added 9.
The Lady Bulldogs will meet Auburn again in the first round of their Area Tournament, this time on the road, as the Lady Tigers earned hosting rights by winning the Area regular season.
Ahsaa Indoor Track: Bulldogs Shine At Crossplex
Opelika’s Indoor Track team turned in strong performances at the AHSAA Indoor Meet in Birmingham.
Girls Results
60 Meter Dash
• 7.80 — Alieah Nelms (7th)
• 7.86 — Serenity Rufus (10th)
• 7.87 — Alieah Nelms (7th)
400 Meter Dash
• 56.84 — Alieah Nelms (3rd)
• 59.54 — Ava Thomas (11th)
800 Meter Run
• 2:15.96 — Caroline Couey (2nd)
1600 Meter Run
• 5:08.36 — Caroline Couey (4th)
Shot Put
• 34-3.25 — Legend Fitzpatrick (6th)
Boys Results
60 Meter Dash
• 6.85 — Jamel Griffin (2nd)
• 6.89 — Jamel Griffin (3rd)
• 7.14 — Jalen Thomas
400 Meter Dash
• 49.67 — Jalen Thomas (10th)
800 Meter Run
• 2:01.12 — Nicholas Brock (11th)
4×200 Meter Relay
• 1:29.97 — Opelika Relay Team (5th)
High Jump
• 5-8 — Braeden Dowdell (11th)
Long Jump
• 19-9 — Jamel Griffin (11th)
Triple Jump
• 45-5.25 — Braeden Dowdell (5th)
Area Hoops: Lee-Scott To Host Tournament
Local basketball also heats up this week as the Lee-Scott boys and girls each captured their Area titles and will host the Area Tournament at Samford Gym.
The LSA boys (23–3) swept their Area schedule (6–0) and enter as the top seed.
Friday, February 6 — Samford Gymnasium
• 3 p.m. — Girls: Beulah vs. Glenwood
• 4:30 p.m. — Boys: Beulah vs. Glenwood
• 6 p.m. — Girls: Lee-Scott vs. Dadeville
• 7:30 p.m. — Boys: Lee-Scott vs. Dadeville
Monday, February 9 — Championships
• 5 p.m. — Girls Final
• 7 p.m. — Boys Final
All games will be played at Lee-Scott Academy’s Samford Gymnasium.
D. Mark Mitchell is sports director for iHeart Media, Alabama Dixie Boys State Director and vice president of the A-O Sports Council.
