Opp beats Southside, improves to 3-3

Published 1:57 am Saturday, October 5, 2013

Opp jumped ahead big in the first half over Southside Selma and was able to play some younger kids late in the game as the Bobcats defeated the Panthers 33-14 Friday night at Channell-Lee Stadium.

Leading 27-0 at halftime, the Bobcats had the game in hand, which gave them the opportunity to get some other players some reps in the game.

Southside ended up scoring two late touchdowns in the fourth quarter after OHS took a 33-0 lead with 7:18 to go.

“We still haven’t played a complete game since our first game against Elba,” Bobcats head football coach Jack Whigham said. “We did some good things. We’re still a little inconsistent at things. We threw and ran the ball well at times.”

With this victory, the Bobcats improve to 3-3 overall, and 2-2 in Class 3A, Region 1. OHS needs to win its next three region games over Cottage Hill, W.S. Neal and Straughn to have a chance to get a berth to the state playoffs.

In the first quarter, Opp’s Ethan Davis found Greg House for an 18-yard touchdown pass at the 6:20 mark, and the extra point attempt was blocked to put the Bobcats’s lead at 6-0.

Ty White then scorched the field 39 yards for a score with 4:23 left in the first, and Tavise Stoudemire added a 51-yard TD rush to push the Bobcats’ lead to 21-0 with 11:42 left in the second half.

Later on, Davis added a 21-yard TD rush with 9:26 left in the first half to give Opp its 27-0 lead at halftime.

Raheem Bonam scored Opp’s final TD of the night on a 5-yard rush, and with the no good PAT, the Bobcats led 33-0.

Southside Selma answered with a 24-yard touchdown pass on a fourth-down play, and with the 2-point conversion, trailed 33-8.

The Panthers threw another TD pass, this time for 64 yards, on the final play of the game.

Opp’s game next week against CHCA will be its fourth game in a row at home.

“Our job is to win the homecoming game,” Whigham said.

“Hopefully we’ll do our part.”