Opp High School principal Aaron Hightower will be honored as the “Opp’s Own” award when the  Opp and Covington County Area Chamber of Commerce holds its annual Membership and Hall of Fame Banquet in May.

Hightower was born on April 2, 1974, Jessie Mae Hightower and Robert Hightower who provided a pillar of love and a “fist of iron” when needed. 

He knew at very young age that sports were his passion, but little did he know, the Lord would use sports in his life to “order his steps.”

Hightower graduated from Opp High School in 1992.  While at Opp High School, he broke Russ Atkins’ scoring record in basketball. 

Hightower signed to play division one football with Southern Mississippi, and he was drafted in the 1992 June Amateur draft by the Toronto Blue Jays.

He experienced early success in his life. He started as a true freshman quarterback at Southern Mississippi, and a year later he won most valuable player in baseball. In Toronto, he was afforded the opportunity to travel to another country to be recognized by a franchise and their fans. He said the neatest recognition he received was when they announced his name in front of all the “Blue Jay Nation” prior to a Yankee series and said, “This year’s Most Valuable Player is Aaron Hightower from Opp, Alabama.”

But Hightower realized while flying back from Toronto that he had a greater calling on his life than baseball and money, and pursued a career in education.

He has served Opp for 19 out of his 21 years in education.  He spent a year at Daleville High School under Superintendent Eddie Hill and one year at Enterprise High School.  These two schools had football coaches with spread offense backgrounds, and both coaches had state championships under their belts. The spread offense was a passion of his early in his coaching career.

Hightower returned home after being gone for two years. During those two years, he worked with some of the finest people in education, but he knew his heart was back home. He is excited to serve his hometown, and his desire is to continue to serve this community now and beyond his retirement.   

Hightower said he strives to live his life by this Bible verse: John 15: 16, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”.

The Chamber banquet is scheduled for Thursday, May 9, 2019, at the First Baptist Church Fellowship Center at 6:30 P. M.