BY WIL CREWS
SPORTSCREWS@
OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM
OPELIKA —
The varsity Opelika High School football team (2-0) recorded the program’s 600th win Friday night with a 35-14 home victory over region opponent Jeff Davis (1-1).
“It was a great crowd for an opening night,” said head coach Erik Speakman in his post-game interview. “Special night for the program, win number 600 overall for Opelika High School.”
The contest at Bulldog Stadium was tight for much of the first half. The momentum of the game began to flip when junior quarterback Roman Gagliano orchestrated an end-of-half touchdown drive which featured two fourth-down conversions.
“I told the kids we are going to play aggressive,” Speakman said of the decision to go for it not once, but twice on fourth down in the drive. “Depending on your team — we have a lot of seniors on the offense, and of course a great quarterback that can make some good throws and good decisions — I think a lot of it depends on who is pulling the trigger back there and whether or not you can take a chance. And right now, we are willing to do that with Roman and really put some stress on the defense.”
The five-play, 48-yard drive was capped by a 30-yard touchdown connection from Gagliano to running back Calvin Hughley, and Opelika took a 14-6 lead into halftime.
The Bulldogs then outscored JD 21-8 in the second half en-route to their history-making win.
Although the Volunteers outgained the Bulldogs slightly in total yards on the night, Opelika’s run game got going in the second half and the red-and-black never looked back. Hughley recorded another touchdown — this time a run — as the Opelika offense flexed its firepower in the final two quarters.
“We are never the biggest team, so we have to lean on people a bit early and get the ball out in space and kind of wear those defensive linemen out before we can usually effectively run the ball,” Speakman said. “At halftime we got a few things fixed to where they didn’t give us any issues until late in the game.”
The lead the Bulldogs built allowed for some underclassmen and reserve players to get quality game-action, too, Speakman said.
“It’s good to finally get a lead in some of these games to where these kids can play some meaningful snaps,” he said. “It gives us some good film to look at to teach these kids.”
Overall, Gagliano built upon his strong performance in the season opener, going 10-for-19 with 100 passing yards and three touchdowns on Friday. The junior’s first score of the game came on a fourth-down conversion in the first quarter as he found Tae Gay for a 7-yard touchdown. Gagliano found Hughley just before the half for his second score, and receiver Bryce Speakman for an 18-yard touchdown pass on his final throw of the night.
The Bulldogs have started slowly in both of their matchups to begin the season; however, Speakman is less worried about the slow starts and more encouraged by the team’s effort.
“Defensively, a lot of times — and it’s really been that way for a long time around here — people score on us early with some different stuff that you haven’t seen on film or in practice,” he said. “But the main thing goes to effort and tackling.”
To help combat the slow starts in the future, Speakman foresees putting the ball in the hands of the play-making Gagliano more often.
“Offensively, [the slow start is because] kind of the same thing, just trying to figure out the run game to give them some different looks,” he said. “With Roman, we are going to have to throw a little more just to spread some people or until we can get later in the game.”
The Bulldogs return to action this Friday, Sept. 2, at Montgomery’s Cramton Bowl to face region opponent Lee High School (0-2). The Generals dropped their opening two games by a combined score of 62-21. Opelika is 13-11 all time versus the Lee, having most recently beat the Generals, 21-20, in overtime last season.