By D. Mark Mitchell
Sports Columnist
Opelika High girls and boys basketball teams swept AHS at the OHS Sports Arena last Friday night..
Girls
Coach Devin Booth’s Lady Bulldog basketball team defeated Auburn High, 55-46. This is the 14th straight win over the AHS Lady Tiger basketball team for Coach Booth. Jaylen Snipes scored 24 points to lead the way while teammate Jasmine Sydnor added 20 points.
Boys
The OHS boys basketball team defeated AHS 60-50 to complete the sweep. This was the 12th win in 14 games against AHS for Coach Wadsworth. Jacory Love scored a game high 18 points, grabbed nine rebounds and took two charging fouls to lead the Bulldogs. Pernell Vickerstaff and Joey Payne each had 13 point.
The girls (6-4) and boys (5-2) also swept LaGrange Tuesday night at the OHS Sports Arena. The Lady Bulldogs beat LaGrange 52-42. Jaylen Snipes scored 19 while Jasmine Sydnor added 16 points.
The boys handed LaGrange their first defeat of the season, 71-68. Vickerstaff scored a game high 18 points while Joey Payne, Kingston Frazier, Jacory Love and AJ Butler all scored in double figures. Both teams open
Area play at home next Tuesday night against Benjamin Russell. The junior varsity game starts at 4:30 p.m., and the varsity girls and boys follow.
WRESTLING
The OHS grapplers brought home third place out of 12 teams in the sixth annual Red Devil Duals at Central High School.
The Bulldogs beat Columbus High 49-21, Hardaway 49-21, Northside 69-12 and Jeff Davis 48-30. Central gave Opelika its only loss of the tournament, 39-33. Top individual performers were Zay Mitchell (152 lbs.) 5-0, Angelo Farrow (126 lbs.) 5-0, Tory Birdsong (113 lbs) 5-0, Ivan Ramos (138 lbs.) 4-1, Adam Tickel (160 lbs.) 4-1 and Chandler Lawrence (120 lbs.) 3-1.
Coach Jim Davis continues to see improvement in one of the youngest OHS wrestling teams in years.
INDOOR TRACK
The OHS girls and boys Indoor track teams started the season with a trip to Birmingham for the “Magic City Invitational.” The girls team finished second while the boys won their meet that featured 65 teams. Kala Spinks won the 400 meter dash, while the 4 x 200 relay team consisting of Kala Spinks, Diondra Larkin, Ashayla Frazier and Natalie Frazier finished first in their event.
The boys were led by several first place finishes: Nate Huggins won the 60 meter dash, Ben Bryant took home first place in the 1600 meter run and the 4 x 200 relay team ( Marquavious Swanson, Jalin Marshall, Nate Huggins and Kacey Spinks) also won.
The 4x 800 relay team of Ben Garner, Ben Bryant, Jonathan Bazilia and Kane Barrett finished second in their event. Barrett also finished second in the 1600 meter run.
If both teams continue to improve, both have a good chance of winning the indoor state championship.
ALA/MISS ALL-STAR FOOTBALL GAME
Opelika High football players Zo Bridges and Jarred Gentry were picked to play in the annual Ala./Miss. All-Star football game tomorrow at Cramton Bowl in Montgomery. Both players should start for Team Alabama. The game will kickoff at 1 p.m.
ON THE MARK ON RADIO
You can keep up with Opelika athletics on a daily basis by tuning in to WTLM 1520 AM 7-9 a.m. weekdays for “On The Mark.”
Jeff Sasser and I co-host the morning sports show. You will hear interviews from Opelika coaches along with other schools in our area.
D.Mark Mitchell is the state director of the Alabama Dixie Boys.