Beulah, LaFayette, Notasulga Face Off in 7-on-7

ON THE MARK >>

FROM B1

Speakman said the Bulldogs will play a bunch of juniors and sophomores because of a small senior class. Speakman said the senior class is small due to Covid. These students were in the eighth grade and missed normal opportunities afforded to eighth graders on a normal year. The eighth graders did not meet with the coaching staff one on one, instead in a zoom meeting, etc.

Special teams are led by Will Carroll and Johnny Cescena. Both are dependable based on last season’s efforts. Carroll will handle extra points and Cescena will have the remaining kicks. Zion Henderson and Reese Beasley will compete for the punting duties along with Gagliano. Speakman made a comment about the problems for opposing teams when Gagliono lines up at punter.

The team returns after the July 4 break to run, condition and start to work on special teams, and the students will have the last week of July off before starting practice Aug. 7. Opelika opens the season Aug. 25 in the Kickoff Classic at Montgomery's Cramton Bowl.

Opelika Athletics emailed parents of student-athletes last week with a copy of the Athletic Handbook for athletes, parents and coaches, approved by OCS Board

June 27. The first Athletic Code of Conduct, which addressed many items including personal hygiene, drug testing policies, a grooming policy, academics, etc. was implemented under coach Spence McCracken and then principal Stan Cox.

I will expand on the new athletic handbook in next week's column.

DBB STATE TOURNAMENT (13- AND 14-YEAR OLDS)

WEST RIDGE PARK JULY 7 THROUGH 9

The Alabama DBB (Dixie Boys Baseball) State Tournament will be held at West Ridge Park, July 7 through 9.

The three-day double elimination tournament features 10 teams, including two Junior DBB (13U) all-star teams, both of whom are playing for a birth in the DBB World Series in Virginia (14U) and Opelika (13U).

Opelika plays Montgomery American in its first game, Friday (July 7) at 8 p.m. on Harrelson Field.

Greenville and Bellingrath will square off in game one at 3:30 p.m. A brief Opening Ceremony will be at 5:30 p.m., followed by the 6 p.m. games — Dothan versus Montgomery Southern and the 13U teams Beulah and Dothan. The two 8 p.m. games are Geneva versus Troy and Opelika against American.

The following players will represent Opelika DBB all-star team in the state tournament: Ethan Phipps, Toby Miller, Kason Kalla, Jackson Cummings, Jacob Patter- son, Troy Toungett, Tripp O'Donnel, Isiah Grey, Brayden Bunn, Tyson Prince and Austin Barber. The manager is Jeff Miller, along with other coaches Phillip Phipps and Jeff Gann.

PERSONAL son to the Basketball Rules Committee. “Additionally, resetting the fouls each quarter will improve game flow and allow teams to adjust their play by not carrying foul totals to quarters two and four.”

On June 1, I had a medical issue arise causing me to have surgery within four days of discovering. The surgery was successful despite being extensive and required the use of the most modern technological equipment available. I returned home five days after surgery to continue to recover. Thank you for the prayers, well wishes and encouragement.

Thanks to The Observer for understanding my situation, allowing me time to concentrate on healing and rest.

Special thanks to my brother Lance, mother and my family, Terri Poe (CNA-UAB Hospital), all my doctors in Opelika and Birmingham — Dr. Mcgehee, Dr. Patton, Dr. Gray, Dr. Corey, Dr. Purvis and Dr. Wood — and to the staff and members of my church, First Baptist Opelika, including Dr. Jeff Meyers. Also, a special thanks is due to Jeff Sasser.

Thank you and God bless!

D. Mark Mitchell is the sports director at iHeartMedia, host of “On the Mark” Fox Sports the Game 910-1319, co-chair of the Auburn-Opelika Sports Council, chairman of the Super 7 and Dixie Boys Baseball state director.

Locally and across the state, the doing-away with the one-and-one rule, which, according to orangehoops. com was instituted at the collegiate level in 1954-55, means teams will have to adjust to a major change in how the game has been played for decades.

“There's a lot of strategy in the game, especially for coaches,” said Glenwood girls and boys varsity head basketball coach Dusty Purdue. “I mean, coaching becomes a big a big deal, especially later on in the game. It really could be a lot of fun. How deep can you bench be? I mean, you need to go deeper in your bench; just occasionally those guys and/or girls that come in early in the game and get some fouls out of the way, how do you how do you play it from that standpoint?”

While Purdue has already been thinking about how the rule change will affect in-game scenario’s, Opelika High School head girls basketball coach Blake Smalley believes the game will change how teams practice, too.

“I actually like it,” Smalley said. “It's definitely different and will take a little time to get used to but I think, you know, it will reward you know those teams that can hit free throws, those who play discipline defense and don't foul as much. We will have to [practice more free throws], but the good thing about that is you know, obviously, you definitely get a second shot now so you still get more and more opportunity to shoot and it also can have a bigger impact on the game if you're making.”

For both Purdue and Smalley, the rule change comes as little surprise, they said. Purdue and Glenwood have regularly competed with Georgia teams over the years and have gotten a taste of how the game changes without the one-and-one since Georgia did away with the two rule years ago.

“It’s going to change the way coaches coach the game,” Purdue said. “I don't think that has as big an effect in the first half as it will in the second half. If a team loves to press, is [the team] going to take away from the pressing a little bit more? Because you know, the more you press, the more you foul. Is it going to make you play zone more than you would like?”

Now that many state high school basketball associa- tions have done away with the one-and-one rule, and the fact that women’s collegiate and American professional basketball leagues do not employ it, the last remaining pillar upholding the one-and-one rule is the men’s college game. One figures that to encourage congruence across all levels of basketball, from the grassroots and up, that men’s college basketball would follow suit.

Regardless, the rule change is one of the biggest in high school basketball Alabama has seen in recent memory. And watching how the game evolves, for better or for worse, will be something to watch during the upcoming 2023 basketball season.

“It's obviously still pretty early with the summer and I'm sure it'll be a little bit of a learning curve for everybody — players, officials and even everybody watching,” Smalley said. “I don't think it's going be too different. You got to just, you know, be thinking about it and making sure it's addressed and making sure the kids understand it.”

CONTRIBUTED BY AU ATHLETICS

AUBURN — Auburn soccer and head coach Karen Hoppa announced the team’s schedule for the 2023 season Thursday, June 22.

The fall will mark the 25th season under Hoppa’s leadership.

“I am excited to start