OPELIKA —
Opelika’s varsity boys basketball team (6-6) split games in the “LaGrange Holiday Tournament” last week at LaGrange High School gymnasium.
OHS beat Harris County 64-33 in game one, and lost to McIntosh 77-65 in the second game.
The Opelika girls and boys varsity basketball teams start playing area competition next week by hosting Central on Tuesday (Jan. 10), Auburn on Friday (Jan. 13) and Smiths Station on Tuesday, Jan. 17.
OHS this season returns to the area with longtime rivals Auburn, Central and Smiths Station after moving up to 7A.
The varsity girls begin around 5:45 p.m. with boys following around 7 p.m. All three area games will be played in the OHS Mainstreet Gym. Tickets can be purchased online at www.gofan.co or purchased at the gate. To ensure you have a ticket, gofan.co is the best way to purchase tickets.
You can listen to the girls and boys varsity basketball games on iHeartRadio’s FOX Sports the Game 910-1310, presented by iHeartRadio and the Orthopaedic Clinic. The games are also online at foxsportsthegame.com and on the iHeartRadio app. Van Riggs begins the broadcast of the girls game at 5:45 p.m.
2022
As we start 2023, I wanted to give you a quick summary of 2022.
The year started with OHS girls and boys basketball teams trying to make the AHSAA State playoffs. The girls, under first-year head coach Blake Smalley, finished 15-15, earning a berth in the state playoffs.
Wesley Button, in his second year as the boys’ head coach after one year as interim coach, helped the Bulldogs finish 6-16.
Opelika’s baseball, softball and girls and boys soccer teams enjoyed successful seasons.
BASEBALL
Head coach Zach Blatt rode a bunch of seniors to 26 wins while only losing eight games. OHS finished 8-0 in the area but lost a tough opening-round playoff series in the state playoffs.
SOFTBALL
The Lady Dogs started slow under first-year head coach Jessica Thornton but started playing hot at the end of the season. The girls finished 20-19-1, winning the area tournament and advancing to the South Regionals. OHS finished 5-2 in the regionals.
GIRLS/BOYS SOCCER
The Lady Bulldogs soccer team finished with a 13-4 overall record, going 6-0 in region and advancing to the third round of the 6A Playoffs. OHS lost to McGill-Toolen, 3-2, in the quarterfinals.
Opelika’s boys won the area with an undefeated 6-0 area record, despite finishing 12-8 overall. The Dogs lost to McGill-Toolen in the quarterfinals as well.
ADMINISTRATION CHANGES
Opelika City Schools made numerous personnel moves in 2022. Superintendent Mark Neighbors retired in May. Assistant Superintendent Ken Burton announced his retirement around the same time.
The Opelika Board of Education named Dr. Farrell Seymore superintendent during its first meeting after Neighbors’ retirement. Seymore named Katherine Fischer principal at OHS, Russ Hardwick attendance and community affairs coordinator after spending several years as Seymore’s top assistant at OHS, Jamie Williams as full-time system athletic director, Allison Gregory as OHS assistant principal and Tiffany Yelder as assistant superintendent.
“ON THE MARK ” RADIO TURNS 16
I’ve had the pleasure of writing “On the Mark” in The Observer since day one. The same can be said for “On the Mark” radio show on iHeartRadio’s FOX Sports the Game 910-13190.
This week, “On the Mark” radio turns 16 years old! My co-host Jeff Sasser and I will celebrate 16 years of hosting the local morning sports show from 6 to 9 a.m. There are many people, sponsors and guests to thank. The main partner for “On the Mark” is our presenting sponsor, the Orthopaedic Clinic. In the past 16 years, the following businesses continued to sponsor “On the Mark” on the radio: Bubba’s Medicine Shop, Western Sizzlin, Opelika Parks and Recreation, Jeffcoat Trant Funeral Home, Reynolds Outdoors, Goree’s, Gentry & Ware, the Opelika Sportsplex, Auburn Bank, AO Tourism, Hamilton’s on Magnolia, Great Southern Wood, Frederick Dean, FH, Four Seasons FCU, Hyundai of Auburn, Kenny Knox Tires, Opelika Animal Hospital and many more.
Sixteen years ago, Sasser and I made a decision to talk local sports, including high school, recreation and other important news items affecting our listening audience.
The following are co-hosts that helped make our show interesting: coach Dan Washburn, coach Joe Wilson, coach Doug Barfield, Terry Rosenthal, coach Gene Stallings, Derek Lee, pastor Jeff Meyers, Chris Wood, Anthony Terling and Sen. Tommy Tuberville.
“On the Mark” airs on weekdays from 6 to 9 a.m. on FOX Sports the Game 910AM-1310AM, online at foxsportsthegame.com and on the iHeartRadio app.
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.