D. Mark Mitchell
Columnist
D. Mark Mitchell is a writer for The Observer
D. Mark Mitchell's Latest
CORRECTIONWe would like to offer our sincere apologies to Katie Harrelson for printing her first name wrong last week and also for failing to give her credit for two home runs that she scored during one of the games that was written about. BY D....
BY D. MARK MITCHELL OPINION — SOCCEROHS Bulldog boys soccer opened area play with a 3-1 win over Central. David Cruz, Tristan Tatum and Nolen Wilson each scored a goal. Cruz also had two assists, and Wilson had one assist.Dothan beat the Bulldogs...
BY D. MARK MITCHELL OPINION — Opelika's varsity soccer team fell to Prattville 6-1 last week. Head coach Derek Hovell said, "Mental mistakes plagued us throughout majority of the game. Our young team is still looking to find an identity and will...
BY D. MARK MITCHELL OPINION — Opelika's Brady Campbell won the AHSAA State Wrestling Championship in the 157-pound weight class last weekend at the Vaughn Braun Civic Center in Huntsville. This is Campbell’s second-straight AHSAA wrestling State...
BY D. MARK MITCHELL WRESTLINGThe Opelika wrestling team finished runner-up in the AHSAA 7A Super Sectionals in Mobile. Ten of Twelve Bulldog wrestlers advanced to the AHSAA State Wrestling Championship at Von Braun Civic Center in Huntsville,...
BY D. MARK MITCHELL OPINION — The Opelika High varsity girls and boys basketball teams’ seasons ended in the first round of the Area tournament, last weekend at the Auburn High School gymnasium.The Lady Bulldogs lost their opening round to AHS,...
BY D MARK MITCHELL BY D. MARK MITCHELL OPINION — Auburn High basketball teams swept the Bulldogs at the Mainstreet gym inside OHS. The Tigers girls beat Opelika 71-24 and the Auburn boys won 60-43 in front of a jammed packed crowd.The OHS girls and...
BY D MARK MITCHELL BY D. MARK MITCHELL OPINION — WRESTLINGTwo Opelika High student-athletes, Heidi Peralta-Fernandez and Gabrielle Reese, earned a trip to the AHSAA Girls State Wrestling Championship. Neither won their weight class, but both...
BY D. MARK MITCHELL OPINION — OHS WRESTLINGOpelika High has four student-athletes on the girls wrestling team: Gabrielle Reese, Heidi Peralta-Fernandez, Georgia Andriate and Joselynn Sadler.Following are results from Wrestling matches prior to this...
BY D. MARK MITCHELL OPINION — OPELIKA BASKETBALLOpelika's girls and boys basketball teams opened region play against Smiths Station, last Friday night in the Main Street Gym at Opelika High School.The Lady Bulldogs (R 0-1) lost a close game 44-40...
BY D MARK MITCHELL BY D. MARK MITCHELL OPINION —Opelika Schools Superintendent Dr Farrell Seymore introduced Bryan Moore as the new OHS head football coach.The process began after Seymore fired head football coach Erik Speakman on Nov. 2.Seymore...
BY D. MARK MITCHELL BY D. MARK MITCHELL OPINION —The Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) Central Board of Control held its board meeting to approve the seven-classisification system for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years. The...
BY D. MARK MITCHELL OPINION — WRESTLINGOpelika's wrestling team participated in the Swede Umbach Wrestling Tournament at Auburn High School last weekend. OHS finished third, behind Hewett-Trussville and Tallassee.The following are the weight...
Swimming, basketball and coaching search AHSAA SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPThe Alabama High School Athletic Association held the 64th Swimming and Diving Championships at Auburn University's Martin Aquatics Center last weekend in...
BY D. MARK MITCHELLFOR THE OBSERVER OPINION —BASKETBALLThe OHS varsity Lady Bulldog basketball team dropped to 2-4 overall after losing to Park Crossing, Arab and Grissom over the break.Park Crossing pulled away in fourth quarter to beat OHS 61-42....
OHS winter sports take center stage BY D. MARK MITCHELL OPINION —Football season is officially over in Lee County and winter sports move into spotlight. BOWLINGOpelika High Athletics Department added the sport of bowling for the 2023-24 school...
OHS Cross Country travels to Oakville BY D MARK MITCHELL OPINION — The Alabama High School Athletic Association hosted the 7A State Cross Country Meet at Oakville Indian Mounds Park. AHSAA CROSS COUNTRY STATE MEETOpelika's top finishers in the...
Details pending on search for a new coach BY D. MARK MITCHELL OPINION — Opelika High football coach Erik Speakman was fired last Thursday morning by Opelika City Schools Superintendent Dr. Farrell Seymore.According to Speakman (in a phone...
BY D. MARK MITCHELL OPINION —The Opelika High Football team (4-6) ended the season with a 38-34 homecoming loss to Dothan at Bulldog Stadium last Friday night. The loss prevented the Dogs from making the 7A State playoffs for the second year in a...
BY D. MARK MITCHELL OPINION — The OHS Volleyball season ended with a 3-0 loss to Central in the Area Tournament last week at Auburn High. The Lady Tigers beat Smiths Station and Central to win the Area and earn a trip to the South Super Regional at...