PREP FOOTBALL: Top-ranked Auburn High travels to rival Opelika tonight

See David Morrison's blog for the Opelika-Auburn High series history, both teams' season stats and who has the edge in this year's meeting.

And now, Auburn High coach Tim Carter, to set the mood.

“You get there on a Friday night and it’s like being a caged animal,” Carter said. “You’re sitting there and waiting for that whistle to blow, that game to start. To smell the popcorn in the air and to hear the bands, it’s just something that’s fun to be a part of, and it creates a lot of anxiety just for it to start.

“It just doesn’t last long enough, because it’s a lot of fun to be involved with.”

It must be that night.

Auburn and Opelika renew their yearly skirmish tonight at 7 p.m. at Bulldog Stadium, and just look what’s at stake.

For the Tigers, an undefeated season and a No. 1 ranking, one they just achieved this week for the first time in 42 years and the first time ever in Class 6A.

“In a playoff system, it has no implications,” Carter said. “But it is a compliment to some of our past teams, as well as this year’s team, that we have finally developed a complete football program.”

For the Bulldogs, nothing short of their playoff lives are on the line at their home stadium tonight.

The only way to assure a playoff spot would be for Opelika to beat its rival, which would wrap up the third seed in the region.

Lose, and things get complicated.

A loss combined with losses from Enterprise (at Russell County) and Dothan (at Northview) would also clinch the third seed. A loss combined with an Enterprise win and Dothan loss clinches third, and a loss combined with a Dothan win and an Enterprise loss clinches fourth.

If Opelika loses and both Enterprise and Dothan win, the three tie for the final two spots and it goes to a lengthy list of tiebreakers.

Opelika coach Brian Blackmon doesn’t want it to come to that.

“For us, this is a playoff game,” Blackmon said. “This can have a lot to do with whether our season continues or not.”

Both teams enter the game playing some of their best football on the season.

Opelika has responded from a loss to Central by beating its next two opponents, 80-20, opening up a 24-point halftime lead on Northview and going up 42-0 at the half on Smiths Station.

Blackmon said the Bulldogs will be starting the same 22 for the third week in a row — a rarity for the injury-plagued squad — and the return of sophomore Cameron Hill has opened up the offensive playbook for sets with he and star back Corey Grant.

“I’m kind of like a decoy in our offense: most teams are keying in on me,” Grant said. “It’s kind of giving him a chance to break a few or even take some of the pressure off where we can open up and do more things.”

Auburn is coming off a dominant second half against previously undefeated Central, one in which the offense and defense conspired to outscore the Red Devils, 19-0, and outgain them, 191-61, on their way to a second straight region title.

Tigers senior quarterback Calvin Jenkins said Opelika’s situation, along with his team’s No. 1 ranking, is going to make for a perfect storm.

“They’re gonna give us all we want,” Jenkins said. “They’re gonna come out and play hard just because we’re Auburn, and we’re gonna come out and play hard just because they’re Opelika.”

Tonight, the Bulldogs and Tigers let the animals out of their cages.

And everybody’s going to be there to watch.

“It’s electric. No matter what the records or anything, it’s electric,” Jenkins said. “You got the stands full, people standing out by the concession stands. Any time you turn around, you see people everywhere.

“It’s just a great thing to be a part of.”

dmorrison@oanow.com | 737-2568

No. 1 Auburn High (8-0, 6-0) at Opelika (6-2, 4-2)
Auburn Key Players: DB Pee Wee Cobb (Sr., 6-0, 175); QB Calvin Jenkins (Sr., 6-0, 185); WR Jason Webb (Jr., 6-3, 185)

Opelika Key Players: RB Corey Grant (Sr., 5-11, 190); RB Cameron Hill (So., 5-10, 195); QB Dalton Pritchett (So., 6-0, 175)

Stat Pack: Jenkins has accounted for 1546 yards and 23 touchdowns this season ... Grant and Hill have combined for 275 rushing yards over the past two weeks ... A win guarantees Opelika’s place in the playoffs.

Series Information: Auburn beat the Bulldogs, 26-22, last year. The two teams have split the past four meetings, and, according to AHSFHS.org, Opelika holds a 42-36-3 all-time edge.