BY NOAH GRIFFITH FOR THE OBSERVER SMITHS STATION –– The Smiths Station Panthers began the year of 2026 by hosting Northside, Georgia,for an afternoon of basketball on Saturday, Jan. 3. The boys pulled out a hard-fought victory and the girls dropped a back-and-forth contest in overtime. Both teams will enter area play Friday, Jan. 9, with a matchup at Opelika. Here’s a recap of each team’s games. Boys The Smiths Station boys outlasted the Northside Patriots for a 58-48 win on Saturday. After also beating Jordan on Friday, the Smiths Station boys improved to 12-5 heading into area play. Northside kept it a tight game throughout, but Smiths Station pulled away by outscoring the Patriots 22-15...
