D. Mark Mitchell
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D. Mark Mitchell is a writer for The Observer
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BY D. MARK MITCHELL OPINION — WRESTLINGOpelika's wrestling team participated in the Swede Umbach Wrestling Tournament at Auburn High School last weekend. OHS finished third, behind Hewett-Trussville and Tallassee.The following are the weight...
Swimming, basketball and coaching search AHSAA SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPThe Alabama High School Athletic Association held the 64th Swimming and Diving Championships at Auburn University's Martin Aquatics Center last weekend in...
BY D. MARK MITCHELLFOR THE OBSERVER OPINION —BASKETBALLThe OHS varsity Lady Bulldog basketball team dropped to 2-4 overall after losing to Park Crossing, Arab and Grissom over the break.Park Crossing pulled away in fourth quarter to beat OHS 61-42....
OHS winter sports take center stage BY D. MARK MITCHELL OPINION —Football season is officially over in Lee County and winter sports move into spotlight. BOWLINGOpelika High Athletics Department added the sport of bowling for the 2023-24 school...
OHS Cross Country travels to Oakville BY D MARK MITCHELL OPINION — The Alabama High School Athletic Association hosted the 7A State Cross Country Meet at Oakville Indian Mounds Park. AHSAA CROSS COUNTRY STATE MEETOpelika's top finishers in the...
Details pending on search for a new coach BY D. MARK MITCHELL OPINION — Opelika High football coach Erik Speakman was fired last Thursday morning by Opelika City Schools Superintendent Dr. Farrell Seymore.According to Speakman (in a phone...
BY D. MARK MITCHELL OPINION —The Opelika High Football team (4-6) ended the season with a 38-34 homecoming loss to Dothan at Bulldog Stadium last Friday night. The loss prevented the Dogs from making the 7A State playoffs for the second year in a...
BY D. MARK MITCHELL OPINION — The OHS Volleyball season ended with a 3-0 loss to Central in the Area Tournament last week at Auburn High. The Lady Tigers beat Smiths Station and Central to win the Area and earn a trip to the South Super Regional at...
BY D MARK MITCHELL OPINION —OPELIKA DOMINATES SMITHS STATIONThe OHS football team (4-3, R 4-2) beat Smiths Station 42-14 last Friday night at T.C. Britton Field in Smiths.The Panthers took an early 7-0 lead after returning the opening kickoff...
OPINION —AHS BEAT OHS 31-30 ON LATE TDAuburn High (5-1, R 4-1) beat Opelika (3-4, R 3-2) 31-30 in front of a standing room only crowd inside Bulldog Stadium last Friday night. Facing fourth and goal from the Bulldog 5-yard line, Auburn QB Henry...
BY D MARK MITCHELL OPINION —Opelika High school and Opelika Middle School Cross County Teams participated in the Smiths Station XC Invitational last weekend. Opelika's Brantley Turnham won the meet by running the 5000 Meters in 17:44.32.Congrats...
OPINION —Opelika (3-2, R 3-1) beat Prattville (2-3, R 1-2) 38-13 on Senior night at Bulldog Stadium last Friday night. The Bulldogs piled up 459 yards of total offense, 209 rushing yards and 259 passing yards while holding the Lions to 220 total...
BY D. MARK MITCHELL OPINION —Opelika (2-2, R 2-1) lost to Central (4-0, R, 3-0) 28-18 in Phenix City last Friday night. The Dogs scored first, on a 22-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead. Central scored two TD's to take a 14-3 late in the second...
OPINION —The Opelika High School Cross Country teams traveled to the capital city last Saturday to compete in the "Montgomery Trailblazer Meet" hosted by Montgomery Academy.The following is a breakdown of each individuals final place and time.OHS...
BY D. MARK MITCHELL / FOR THE OBSERVER OPINION —The OHS football team (1-1, R 1-0) returned to Cramton Bowl last Thursday for the second week in a row to play a football game. The trip was happier than week one; Opelika beat region foe JAG (Jeff...
OPINION — Thompson (1-0) defeated Opelika (0-1) 44-13 last Friday in the AHSAA “Kickoff Classic” at Montgomery's Cramton Bowl. The Warriors defense held the Dogs to 13 points, 86 rushing yards and 162 passing yards, while their offense rushed for...
OPINION — The Opelika High School varsity football team opens the 2023 season Thursday night against Thompson in the AHSAA annual “Kickoff Classic” in Montgomery's Cramton Bowl. Thompson, winner of the last four 7A State Football...
OPINION — We are one week away from Opelika playing Thompson in the 2023 AHSAA Kickoff Classic hosted by the Alabama High School Athletic Directors & Coaches Association (AHSADCA). Selma and Beauregard will officially open the 2023 Alabama High...
OPINION — We are less than two weeks from the start of high school football in Alabama. Locally, Lee-Scott and Chambers Academy will play the first football game in our area on Thursday, Aug. 17, at Jud-Scott Field on the Lee-Scott campus. Opelika...
OPINION — The Alabama High School Athletic Department held its quarterly Central Board of Control Meeting last week in Montgomery. There were several significant decisions approved by the board, including that the AHSAA will return a record $2.25...