SZVETITZ COLUMN: Great night to see a game

Gene Chizik’s Auburn isn’t the only game in town.

The other Auburn University (as Valley High head coach Mike McCombs likes to call them) will play perhaps the biggest football game of the week. Period.

Yes, Auburn High’s game against Central tonight at Duck Samford Stadium is bigger than the one Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

It’s true. No, really, it is.

Auburn High and Central will battle for the Class 6A-Region 3 title in the biggest prep football game of the season to date in our area.

Both are undefeated. Perfect. Seven-and-0. And on a collision course for some of the finest football you’ll see. Period.

Expect standing room only for tonight’s game. Maybe even two or three rows deep. It’s going to be that big.

Heck, they should play this game in Jordan-Hare to accommodate all the fans. And media.

Again, it’s going to be that big.

Ah, Friday night under the lights.

Is there anything better?

And it’s not just AHS vs. Central that will put on a show this evening.

How about Valley at Beauregard?

The Rams, whose only loss came to Auburn High in the first game of the season, are the team to beat in Class 5A-Region 2. And that’s exactly what the Hornets (5-2) are looking to do.

Talk about sellouts. Valley travels as well as any high school team in the state, and Beauregard is a great venue to host such a huge game. The visitors’ side stands are almost as big as the home team’s.

The atmosphere promises to be perfect.

And the action on the field will be just as good.

No Friday night would be complete without a sausage dog after a drive down Hwy. 14.

Loachapoka hosts Wadley in a Class 1A-Region 4 revenge game. Wadley beat the Indians last year, handing Jerome Tate’s team its only region loss of the season.

Now, if you ask Tate, the past doesn’t matter. Neither does the future. It’s all about the present. Tonight. One quarter at a time against one of the traditionally better 1A programs in the state.

And no team handles business like Tate and Loachapoka. Same goes for its concession stand. Seriously, get a sausage dog. You’ll thank me later. Promise.

Want some more advice?

Grab the family, jump in the car and head out to a game tonight.

It doesn’t have to be one of the three we just mentioned. There are many more big games going on: Opelika at Smiths Station, Lee-Scott at Glenwood, Beulah at LaFayette, BTW at Tallassee, Reeltown at St. Jude and many more.

The choices are plentiful. And you can’t go wrong at any of them.

Come on, it’s Friday night. High school football in Alabama.

It doesn’t get any better. Really, it doesn’t.

So go check out a game.

You’ll thank me later.

Promise.

MIKE SZVETITZ is sports editor of the Opelika-Auburn News. He may be reached at or 737-2513.