Friday, 10 May 2013 12:30

Written by D. Mark Mitchell - Sports Editor

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OHS Track Team

The Opelika girls’ and boys’ track teams participated in the 6A State Track Meet in Mobile last weekend. The girls finished 10th overall and the boys finished 20th.

Top performers on the girls’ side: Emma Garner finished fourth in both the 1600 and the 3200 meter events and fifth in the 800 meter run. The girls’ 4x100 finished third overall. The team included Brittney Johnson, Jakayla Hand, Breonna Lockhart and Kala Spinks. Jakayla Hand finished eighth in the triple jump and sixth in the long jump.

Top performers on the boys’ side was the 4X800 meter relay team which included James Ray Thrash, Ben Bryant, Shakiel Parker and Daniel Tolbert. That team finished eighth overall and Ben Bryant finished seventh overall in the 3200-meter-run.

OHS Football

The Opelika football team continues to hold spring training. Coach Blackmon and his staff are working with 97 players. The Bulldogs are coming off a record year, playing in the 6A Championship game at the Super 6 at Jordan-Hare stadium last year.

Coach Blackmon talked about the team yesterday on my radio show, “On The Mark.” “I am pleased with the effort and attitude of the players. They are all working hard and understand what it takes to be a great team. The defense has a chance to be good. We are fast and flying to the football, our returning players are helping the new players learn and both are complimenting each other. As always the defense is ahead of the offense at this point. We are trying to create depth at every position. It helps to have six D-linemen because they can rotate and stay fresh. The secondary is the most experienced group of players, led by Stephen Roberts, Malcom Buggs and Aldrecus Wilson. The offensive line is big, but we need depth there, too. Sophomore Drew Kyser, 6-feet-5-inches, 270 pounds (center) is our leader after starting this past season. Drew is getting attention from college scouts and has two more years to keep improving and growing.

“Quarterback Mathew Christian (sophomore) is way ahead of this time last year and showing great leadership. We have to get the ball to our skill players which include JaKell Mitchell and Marquise Fulton. These guys will be seniors and know how our offense works.

“The special teams are the same. Quindesky Whitlow will kick off, Chazden Blackman, a freshman last season, continues to improve his place-kicking, punter Winston Smith T has two more years and gets better everyday,” said Blackmon

The Dawgs will scrimmage tomorrow on the practice field at 10 a.m. The stadium has not been cleared to hold practice or scrimmage because of safety issues.

OHS will travel to Eufaula on May 14 for a practice game at 7 p.m. You can listen to the spring game on your home for Opelika athletics, WKKR 97.7 kicker FM, and on the web at www.kickerfm.com  Airtime will be 6:45 p.m.

The ninth grade will scrimmage Eufaula at 6 p.m.

OHS Alums Win State Honors

Jasmine Sydnor (2012 Opelika High School Alumna) just completed her freshman college softball season with Southern Union State Community College, which finished third in the State Junior College tournament.  Jasmine was selected as the 2013 State Junior College Player of the Year, made first team All-Region, first team All Central, and has also been nominated as a first team All-American. Jasmine hit 21 home runs on the year and played first base for the Bisons. After her senior season in high school, Jasmine was named the Opelika-Auburn News Softball Player of the Year, hitting 17 home runs with a .406 batting average.

Maria Mitchell (2012 Opelika Alumna) is a member of the Wallace State softball team that just won the 2013 Junior College State Tournament this past weekend.  Maria and the members of the Wallace State softball team will compete in the 2013 Community College Softball National Championship, May 15-18 in St. George, Utah.  Maria hit six home runs on the year with a batting average of .344 and played DP and catcher.

Congratulations to Jasmine and Maria!

Opelika All-Sports Booster Club

The Opelika All-Sports Booster Club has sent letters to current corporate sponsors about renewing for the next school year.

The Corporate Sponsor plans cost the same. In addition, we are offering two new plans that will allow you to advertise on the new scoreboard.

Plans start at $500 and top out at $5,000.

If you are interested or would like to see our plans, call me (D.Mark Mitchell) (334) 319-0467 or e-mail me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Friday, 10 May 2013 12:29

Written by Opelika Observer

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Special to the Opelika Observer

Forty-six children and volunteers from Project Uplift gathered together recently and enjoyed “It’s a Movie Night,” sponsored by the professional women track and field athletes training in Auburn. The feature film was “Wreck-It Ralph” and the kids loved watching Ralph fight to break his video game villain stereotype and learn to appreciate and love the hero within himself. The professional athletes provided the popcorn, nachos, juice and water so essential to kids’ enjoyment of the movie. Their enjoyment was evident in their facial expressions, excitement and stuffed tummies

These amazing athletes and others like them help Project Uplift achieve its goal of reducing and preventing juvenile delinquency by providing safe positive activities for area children to participate in. Project Uplift personnel are extremely grateful for efforts such as this one. The program could not have continued to function for the past 40 years without the continued support of community groups, organizations and influential leaders.

The Professional Track and Field Athletes of Auburn include:

Kerron Stewart (Jamaica) - Silver medalist at the 2008 Olympics in the 100 meters and bronze medalist at the 2008 Olympics in 200 meters.

Nivea Smith (Bahamas) - First Bahamian to medal at the 2007 World Youth Games.

Sheniqua Ferguson (Bahamas) - World Junior Champion in 2008 in the 200 meters.

Anthonique Strachan (Bahamas) - Professional athlete at 17 years of age, Puma Rising Star Award; 2012 Best Junior in the World Award; and 2011 CARIFTA gold medalist 100 and 200 meters.

Kimberley Laing (Jamaica) - 2010 SEC champion in 100 meter hurdles.

Bianca Stuart (Bahamas) - Bahamas national record holder in the long jump, 22 feet 4.25 inches.

Project Uplift is a program of the Lee County Youth Development Center. Its main goal is helping children develop constructive, happy lives so that juvenile delinquency in the county will decrease. Project Uplift is similar to the big brother/big sister program in that children and volunteers establish a one-to-one relationship. These relationships help the children build self-esteem, so that they are better equipped to make good choices and grow into happy, productive adults.

The children in the program are between the ages of 5 and 12 and share common problems and characteristics such as single parent homes, low incomes, unmet basic needs, school problems, no organized after-school activities, family problems, personality dysfunction, trauma or may be at serious risk for delinquency, pregnancy, drugs and gangs.

For more information contact Judeka J. Adams, Project Uplift Support Services Manager, 191 Cary Hall, Auburn University, AL 36849. Call (334) 844-6667 or (708) 714-4675 (cell) or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .