OPELIKA —
Opelika’s varsity girls basetball team (8-12, A1-3) split a pair of games last week, beating LaFayette (56-21) and losing to area foe Smiths Station (53-47).
The Lady Bulldogs traveled to Wadley to play LaFayette at Southern Union State Community College on Martin Luther King Day. OHS outscored the Lady LaFayette Bulldogs, 56-21. KK Dowdell and Naomi Whack led Opelika on offense, scoring 12 and 11 points, respectively.
Last Friday night, Opelika lost a close game to area rival Smiths Station, 53-47. The loss dropped OHS to 1-3 in the area and eliminated it from winning the regular season area title and hosting the postseason area tournament.
The OHS varsity boys basketball team (8-8, A1-3) defeated the LaFayette Bulldogs last Monday, 65-55, on Martin Luther King Day. Opelika’s Mekhiron Brock led the Bulldogs with 22 points. The following players scored significant points: DJ Harris (11 points), Isaiah Knight (nine points) Roman Gagliano (nine points).
The Dogs won their second game of the week, beating the SSHS Panthers 74-32 at the Main Street Gym. This was Opelika’s first area win against two losses.
Opelika’s junior varsity basketball team beat Smiths Station 48-29 last Friday at OHS.
Opelika travels to face Auburn High School Jan. 27, starting at 4:30 p.m. with the junior varsity.
SPRING SPORTS
OHS spring sports are practicing for their opening games, meets and matches.
Soccer is the first sport to play. The boys and girls soccer teams host Alabama Christian Thursday, Feb. 2, at the W. James Samford Soccer Complex.
OHS basketball travels to Seale on Friday, Feb. 3.
AHSAA APPLAUDS AUBURN-OPELIKA SPORTS COUNCIL FOR SUCCESSFUL SUPER 7
The Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) hosted the Auburn-Opelika Sports Council and members of Auburn-Opelika Tourism in Montgomery recently to discuss Super 7. Executive Director Alvin Briggs told AO Tourism President Robyn Bridges, assistants Anthony Terling and Brooke Kastner, along with AO Sports Council Chairman Mayor Ron Anders and myself as co-chairman that the Super 7 was a success.
“The 2022 Super 7 at Jordan-Hare Stadium was a huge success,” Briggs said. “On behalf of our members’ schools, the AHSAA and myself, we want to say thanks to city of Opelika Mayor Gary Fuller, Auburn Mayor Ron Anders, Auburn University Athletics, including Jeremy Roberts and their teams, for hosting another outstanding Super 7.”
This was the seventh Super6/7 hosted at Jordan-Hare Stadium since 2010. The Super 7 will be held in Tuscaloosa’s Bryant-Denny Stadium in 2023, Birmingham in 2024, Tuscaloosa in 2025 and back to Jordan-Hare in 2026.
The 2022 Super 7 was the second most attended football championship since 2012.
The cities of Auburn and Opelika join together to host the AJHSAA Super 7, which brought in over 60,000 fans over a three-day period.
We could not host the Super 7 without our over 400 volunteers that help make it a success.
OPELIKA DIXIE YOUTH BASEBALL
Anyone interested in playing baseball between the ages of 6 and 12 can register to play in the Opelika Dixie Youth League. Online registration is open at www.opelikadixieyouth.com.
For more information, check the Opelika Dixie youth website and Facebook page
D. Mark Mitchell is the sports director at iHeartMedia, host of “On the Mark” Fox Sports the Game 910-1319, co-chair of the Auburn-Opelika Sports Council, chairman of the Super 7 and Dixie Boys Baseball state director.