After a pop-up rain shower passed through Opelika Friday night, the lights at Bulldog Stadium turned on and fans filled the stands as Opelika High School faced off against Auburn High School. Friday's close game, with Auburn winning with a slim two-point margin, showed why Auburn vs. Opelika is one the state's top rivalries.
Things in the first quarter were slow for both teams. Both defenses made their presence known early. With 48 seconds left in the first quarter, Auburn’s senior tight end Camden Etheredge scored on a seven-yard pass from quarterback Clyde Pittman. The point after was good, and the Tigers led early.
Kicker Josh Owsley kicked a 51-yard field goal with 2:01 remaining in the second quarter to put Auburn ahead 10-0. Opelika turned things around quickly, and with 0:24 remaining in the second quarter, Opelika quarterback J.T. McArdle threw a 57-yard touchdown pass to Grady Bynum, and the PAT was good.
Auburn attempted a 37-yard field goal before heading to the locker room, but it was blocked by Opelika. Auburn led 10-7 at the half.
The Auburn and Opelika defenses were both keeping offenses at bay after halftime. The third quarter was scoreless until Auburn’s Davaioun Williams ran five yards for a touchdown with 1:31 to go in the third. The Tigers failed to convert the extra point, and the Tigers led the Bulldogs 16-7.
In the fourth quarter, Opelika’s Jarell Stinson scored on a three yard run with 3:51 left in the game. The PAT was good, shrinking Auburn's lead to 16-14.
The Tigers had the ball with under four minutes to play, and Opelika called their final timeouts to stall Auburn's drive before Opelika's Jayden Stinson made an interception that gave the Bulldogs the ball.
Opelika had the ball as the final two minutes of the game ticked away. With fourth and long for the Bulldogs, both crowds were on their feet cheering. It was their chance to win the game. Auburn's defense made one last stand to keep McArdle from completing a pass that would have given the Bulldogs a first down.
Following the turnover on downs, Auburn made small run plays to melt the clock before time expired, and Auburn defeated Opelika 16-14 to stay unbeaten.
“Oh, it feels good,” said Auburn head coach Keith Etheredge. “Anytime you get a win in a rival game, it is great. We made some mistakes, but we found a way to win at the end.”
Next week the Tigers start region play, and Etheredge said his message to his team is to take it one game at a time.
“I am super proud of our kids, and we are going to celebrate this one tonight and go back to work in the morning,” he said.
Auburn will travel to Prattville next week to face the Prattville Lions in game three of the regular season and begin region play. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. in Stanley-Jensen Stadium in Prattville, Alabama.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
Michael Floyd, junior in journalism, has been with The Plainsman since Spring 2021. He is a native of Brewton, Ala., an can be followed on Twitter here.
