By D. Mark Mitchell
GIRLS TENNIS
The Opelika girls tennis team went 1-2 last week, beating Sylacauga 8-1 and falling to Northside 7-2 and Dothan 5-4.
Against Sylacauga, Opelika won five singles matches and three doubles. Singles winners included: Sara Hollis Smith T 8-3; Mary Bentley Barfield 8-0; Martlynn Grouby 8-2 and Raeden Gagliano 9-8.
Doubles winners included: Smith T/Barfield 8-2; Grouby/Gagliano 8-3 and Bell/Victoria Tufts 8-4.
Against Northside, Opelika won two singles matches: Blake Bell 10-1 and Laney McTier 10-0.
Against Dothan, Opelika won three singles matches: Readen Gagliano, who won 8-1; Blake Bell 8-2 and McTier 9-7. The doubles team of Grouby/Gagliano won 8-6.
BOYS TENNIS
The Opelika boys tennis team won three matches last week against Sylacauga 6-3, Northside 8-1 and Dothan 7-2.
Against Sylacauga, singles winners included: Wilson Hudson 8-4; Grayson Crowley 8-4; Austin Crowley 8-1 and Parker McKay 8-5. Hudson and Conner Pruitt won the lone doubles match.
Against Northside, Opelika won five singles and three doubles matches. Singles winners included: Pruitt 10-4, Hudson 10-4, Grayson Crowley 10-3, Austin Crowley 9-8 and Jack Whatley 10-1. Doubles winners were: Pruitt/Hudson 10-3, Crowley/Crowley 10-4 and McKay/ Ben Estes 10-1.
Against Dothan, singles winners included Grayson Crowley 8-5, Parker McKay 8-5 and Jack Whatley 8-5. Doubles winners, Pruitt/Hudson 9-8, Crowley/Crowley 8-4 and McKay/Ben Estes 8-4.
BASEBALL
The Opelika baseball team went 1-2 last weekend in Tuscaloosa.
The Bulldogs started the trip on a positive note by beating Brookwood 11-3 Friday night. Opelika scored 11 runs on 12 hits. Andrew Parr led the team at the plate, going 3-for-4. Latrelle Gullate, Micah Christian, Kory McCoy, Andrew Parr, Jackson Craft and Jared Willis each added hits. Parr earned the win, pitching 5 and 1/3 innings, allowing six hits and three runs and striking out seven.
Opelika lost two games Saturday, 5-4 to Northridge and 11-2 to Hewitt-Trussville. The Bulldogs led Northridge 4-0 heading into the seventh inning, but the Rams scored five runs in the seventh to win. T.J. Jones led Opelika at the plate with two hits.
Hewitt-Trussville scored seven runs in the first inning to coast to the 11-2 win.
Opelika is currently 7-7.
SOCCER
The Opelika boys and girls soccer teams played sectional opponent Benjamin Russell last week. The girls beat the Lady Wildcats 4-2. Amiya Brown scored two goals to lead the team, and Madi Rush and Megan Noon each added goals.
The Opelika boys lost 1-0 in overtime. The two teams battled to a 0-0 tie in regulation to force overtime.
OPELIKA
ATHLETICS
Prior to being named head football coach, Erik Speakman held the athletic director position. Opelika City Schools Superintendent Dr. Mark Neighbors has said that a new AD would not be named immediately, but could be after the 2017-18 school year.
Neighbors decided to split the head football coach and athletic director positions after Brian Blackmon resigned to pursue an offensive analyst position with Auburn University.
This is the first time the football coach was not the AD at Opelika High School. Neighbors explained his decision to OCS board members in 2017, explaining the strenuous nature of the jobs as reasons why to keep them separate.
New updates will be provided when they become available.
D. Mark Mitchell is sports director for iHeart Media, Alabama Dixie Boys State Director and vice president of the A-O Sports Council.