BOBCATS REIGN SUPREME: Opp takes down Straughn for area championship

Published 12:05 am Tuesday, October 23, 2018

The Opp Lady Bobcats clinched the Class 3A, Area 2 championship with a 3-0 sweep over the Straughn Lady Tigers on Monday in Opp.

GAME ONE

STRAUGHN 25,

PIKE COUNTY 11

In the opening game of the day, the Straughn Lady Tigers picked up a 25-11 victory.

GAME TWO

STRAUGHN 25,

PIKE COUNTY 19

The Lady Tigers kept things rolling with a 25-19 victory in the second game of the day.

Allie and Kelsey Kelley picked up big kills in the match to help push the Lady Tigers to victory.

GAME THREE

STRAUGHN 25,

PIKE COUNTY 19

The Lady Tigers finished off the sweep with a 25-19 victory in game three to advance to the area championship game against Opp.

An ace from A. Kelley helped lift the Lady Tigers to the win.

GAME ONE

OPP 25,

STRAUGHN 12

In the first game of the championship series, the Lady Bobcats used a strong surge to pick up a 25-12 win.

Opp got the first point of the match, but the Lady Tigers evened it up with a tip from Cambry Scott.

Allie Kelley goes up for a block on Madi Henley.
Josh Dutton/Star-News

Opp then took a 3-2 lead with an ace from Sara Kate Horn.

The Lady Bobcats stretched their lead up to 10-6 with a kill from Addie Jacobs.

Straughn came fighting back with a tip from Scott and a kill from A. Kelley to knot the game up 12-12.

It was all Lady Bobcats from that point on as they went on a 13-0 run to come away with a 25-12 victory.

GAME TWO

OPP 25,

STRAUGHN 11

The Lady Bobcats picked up right where they left off in game one as they surged out front early and held on for a 25-11 victory.

Madi Henley had a big kill to help stake the Lady Bobcats to a 5-0 lead.

The Lady Tigers followed with their first point of the match, but the Lady Bobcats had the momentum as they pulled away with a 13-1 advantage.

Opp was able to hold off the Lady Tigers for a 25-11 victory.

GAME THREE

OPP 25,

STRAUGHN 16

The Lady Tigers knew they had their backs against the wall and came out fighting, but Opp was able to clinch the championship with a 25-16 victory.

Straughn came out strong and built a 4-0 lead before the Lady Bobcats surged back for the victory.

With the win, Opp will face the runner-up from region four on Thursday in Montgomery in the regional tournament.

Straughn will play the winner of region four on Thursday in Montgomery.

“They came in strong today,” Opp head coach Bridgett Brantley said with tears of joy in her eyes. “I’m just super proud of them and how far they have come. This was supposed to be rebuilding year for us and they have really taken that as a challege to not be the rebuilding season. They said they weren’t OK with that. They said they wanted to be the record breaker and that’s our goal is to make it out of regionals for the first time in Opp history. The bracket that we have looked at looks good and this team is excited. We have 5:30 a.m., practices today, tomorrow and Wednesday and that was totally their idea.”

Straughn coach Daniel Rodgers said his team has some things to work on before Thursday’s regional appearance.

“We didn’t quit,” Rodgers said. “I’m just proud that we get to advance because half of the teams in the start are going home. At the same time, I was dissappointed in the way we showed up today. Our minds just seemed like they weren’t there. All the credit goes to Opp. They brought it and they are a heck of a team and they deserve to be champions.”