More experienced Opelika off to hot start

A year ago, Opelika brought a young squad to Ozark and left with a first-round exit, falling to Wicksburg in overtime.
That team finished 9-13 and struggled throughout the year.

This year, though, Opelika coach John Wadsworth has a more experienced team he will bring to the Dothan Progress/Dothan Eagle/Southern Star Holiday Prep Classic presented by The Cochran Firm.

“We’re excited about coming back down there,” Wadsworth said. “Last year we had a bunch of ninth and 10th-graders.
“This year, we have two seniors, eight juniors and three 10th-graders. We’re a year older, we’ve started off 9-1, and all of them are playing better.”

The Bulldogs are off to a strong start, including a tournament win over rival Auburn earlier this month. Opelika started off 7-0 before a home loss to area foe Central Phenix City, and the team has rebounded with two straight wins.

Opelika plays a fast-paced, up-tempo style of basketball, one that should entertain the crowd.

But the extra length of the Civic Center floor may cause the Bulldogs some trouble.

“The court is a little bigger,” Wadsworth said. “It’s only 10 feet longer, but it seems like half a mile. We’ve got a lot of speed, we’re small, we press and trap.

“Subconsciously, they may think it’s way bigger than it is.”

Wadsworth said the added dimensions mean the Bulldogs have to adjust the gameplan a little bit to avoid becoming fatigued.
“One thing it does, it wears you down quicker,” Wadsworth said. “You’ve got to sub a little more, a little more often. If they feel like they’re running more, they may get winded quicker.”

Opelika runs a system with four guards and a center. All the players can handle the ball and bring it up the court.
“We try to (push the ball),” Wadsworth said. “We’re kind of small. We don’t like to get into a halfcourt game, just because of our size.”

Size may be an issue when the Bulldogs face Barbour County in the first round of the tournament. Wadsworth said Devondrick Richardson gives him plenty of reason to be concerned.

“The one thing that bothers me is the big Richardson kid inside. We’ll have our work cut out for us,” Wadsworth said. “But we’ll see what happens.”

Opelika’s leaders include senior guard David Thomas and junior guard Devante Calloway. Both average better than 14 points per game.

“They’re what I call, ‘stat sheet filler-uppers’ ” Wadsworth said. “They get steals, loose balls, assists, and both of them are scoring 14 a game.”

Ladecker Johnson, a junior guard, is also averaging around 12 points per game.

Wadsworth said he and his team gained from last year’s experience and are excited about coming down to the tournament this year. However, they are hoping for a different result.

“It did help us (last year), Wadsworth said. “Just traveling and being together over the break, it’s a time to come together, before the meat of the season comes here in January. You get in these tournaments, you hope to play two, three, four games.
“I think a lot of these young kids got some experience last year. Now that they got year older, they’re playing with more confidence.”