OPINION —
One of the most intriguing storylines surrounding Opelika football this season is the battle at quarterback, a competition that could ultimately make the Bulldogs a stronger team as they navigate another demanding Class 7A schedule.
Junior Whit Cooper entered the season as the favorite to lead Opelika’s offense after serving as the Bulldogs’ starting quarterback for much of last year.
Cooper played a pivotal role in helping Opelika reach the Class 7A state championship game and gained valuable experience during the team’s postseason run. As a sophomore, he threw for 929 yards and eight touchdowns while continuing to develop his understanding of the game.
Opelika head football coach Jonathan Chandler said Cooper has taken significant strides during the offseason, particularly in his leadership abilities.
“Over the last few weeks, Whit has really done a good job and stepped up and been the leader that we hoped he would be,” Chandler said. “You grow so much from your sophomore year to your junior year. We’re talking about a kid who led a football team full of seniors to the state championship game last season.”
While Cooper brings valuable experience, Opelika also has another talented option in junior Austan Cristiaan, a transfer from Community School of Naples (Fla.). Cristiaan arrived with an impressive résumé, including multiple Division I scholarship offers from programs such as Arkansas, Virginia Tech and South Florida.
Chandler believes Cristiaan has tremendous upside, but also understands that adjusting to high-level Alabama high school football takes time.
“Austan has come in and done a great job,” Chandler said. “He missed spring practice and most of the summer with us, but we feel like he has a very high ceiling. The next step for him is gaining experience. He’s never played in an atmosphere quite like this before. The Bulldog faithful showed up, and it was a packed crowd with all the excitement that comes with an AHSAA Game of the Week. Sometimes young players simply need game reps to understand what those moments feel like.”
The presence of two capable quarterbacks gives Opelika options, but it also reflects a broader reality facing the Bulldogs this season. Much of the offense is still developing chemistry and experience after graduating from a large senior class that helped guide last year’s championship run.
That reality was evident in Opelika’s season opener — a 21-7 loss at home to Hoover High School — and Chandler said he knows the learning curve won’t disappear overnight. However, he added he remains confident that continued game experience will accelerate the growth process.
“We’re still very inexperienced,” Chandler said. “We have juniors and seniors at receiver, but many of them haven’t played significant varsity football. The only way you gain experience is by playing football games, and when you’re playing football games, you’re going to make mistakes. The key is how you respond and what you learn from those mistakes.”
The Bulldogs won’t have much time to ease into the season. Another major challenge awaits this Friday night, when Opelika welcomes Enterprise to town. The Wildcats handed Opelika a 42-20 defeat last season, giving the Bulldogs added motivation as they look to continue their growth.
If there is a silver lining for Opelika, it’s that both Cooper and Cristiaan bring different strengths to the position. As the season progresses, competition at quarterback could become one of the team’s greatest assets. Whether it’s Cooper’s experience and leadership or Cristiaan’s immense potential, the Bulldogs appear to have options under center.
Inside the numbers
Opelika had 62 snaps and scored 7 points.
The Bulldogs had 148 rushing yards on 36 carries, which equals 3.9 yards per carry.
Opelika went 6-for-14 passing for 47 yards — Cooper went 1-for-4 for 0 yards, while Cristiaan 5-for-10 for 47 yards.
Jaylen Nelson rushed 23 times for 114 yards.
The Bulldogs missed one field goal and had one field goal blocked.
Reese Beasley finished the game with a 36-yard punting average, and Opelika’s punt team allowed no return yardage.
Jamel Griffin blocked a punt, and Braiden Howard had a return for 41 yards.
Opelika to host Enterprise
The Bulldogs host Enterprise High School on Friday, Sept. 4, at 7 p.m. at Bulldog Stadium for their first Class 6A Region 2 game of the season. The Wildcats (2-0) opened the season with a 40-38 win over Pike Road High School and beat Crestview High School (Fla.) 58-12.
Enterprise head coach Ben Blackmon is 33-16 in four years with the Wildcats and 162-68 overall in 20 years of coaching at Greenville, Gulf Shores and Spanish Fort prior to moving to Enterprise.
Opelika is 1-3 versus Enterprise under Ben Blackmon, who stopped Opelika’s 10-game win streak in 2022 during his first season in charge.
Fans can buy tickets at Bubba’s Medicine Shop and Victory Design every day through Friday at 11 a.m. The OHS ticket office opens at 5:30 p.m. outside Bulldog Stadium.
You can listen to Opelika on WKKR 97.7 Kicker FM, presented by the Orthopaedic Clinic, online at kickerfm.com or the free iHeartRadio app on your smartphone.
Area games
- Valley vs. Charles Henderson
- Southern Prep vs. Valiant Cross
- Loachapoka at Winterboro
- Reeltown vs. B.B. Comer
- LaFayette at Woodland
- Lee-Scott at Randolph School
- Russell County at Stanhope-Elmore
- Springwood vs. Evangel
•Tallassee vs. Holtville - Auburn at Carver-Montgomery (Cramton Bowl)
- Chambers Academy vs. Crenshaw Christian
- Southern Christian at Lighthouse HomeSchool
- B.T. Washington at Slocomb
- Lanett at Horseshoe Bend
- Wadley vs. Notasulga
- Smiths Station vs. Dothan
- Glenwood at Houston Academy
