Nelson, Two Pick-Sixes Carry Opelika Past Enterprise 38-21

September 6, 2026 — Opelika, AL

Opelika beat Enterprise 38-21 on Friday night at Bulldog Stadium, opening Class 6A Region 2 play with a win over a fellow top-10 team and giving first-year head coach Jonathan Chandler his first victory with the Bulldogs.

Opelika led 13-7 at the half and controlled the line of scrimmage after the break. Running back Jalen Nelson ran for 128 yards on 17 carries and accounted for three touchdowns — runs of 8 and 33 yards and a 12-yard catch from quarterback Austan Cristiaan. The defense scored twice, on a 26-yard interception return by Braiden Howard in the second quarter and an 18-yard interception return by Xavier Thomas with 1:10 to play.

Advertisement

The Bulldogs are 1-1 after opening with a 21-7 loss to Hoover on Aug. 27. They host Central-Phenix City on Friday, Sept. 11.

Reporting: Opelika-Auburn News and AL.com.

Author: Jerry Katz

Jerry Katz is the creator of Opelika Daily News. A former broadcaster, he has been writing about Opelika for more than twenty years — first as a blogger, now as the one-person newsroom behind this site. He curates the region's local news daily, writes the Katz Ramblings column and the weekly From the Archives look-back, and maintains an archive of more than 3,200 posts reaching back to 2002. He lives in Opelika. Reach him at jerry@opelikadailynews.com. View all posts by Jerry Katz