The last competitions in Georgia high school sports conclude over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, and two East Cobb schools will be taking part.
The Kell and Pope baseball teams have reached the final series in the Georgia High School Association’s state tournaments.
On Saturday, the Kell Longhorns will be vying in the Class 4A finals against North Oconee in a doubleheader starting at 5 p.m. at AdventHealth Stadium in Rome.
Should a decisive game be needed in the best-of-three series, the final would take place at the same venue at 6 p.m. on Monday.
On Monday, the Pope Greyhounds will face Loganville in a doubleader beginning at 1 p.m. at Gwinnett Field in Lawrenceville.
Kell is 25-15 and has rebounded after going 5-7 in regional play. The Longhorns also have won five games a row in the state tournament, even after their coach, Todd Harris, was arrested on DUI charges. He has remained in the dugout since then.
Kell has swept series against East Forsyth and Cartersville to reach the finals.
Pope has been dominant in Class 5A all season, sporting a 36-2 record and 20-1 in regional play.
The Greyhounds will be taking a 25-game winning streak into the finals, as they take aim on their sixth state championship.
Pope last won a state title in 2022, and was a runner-up in 2023 and 2024.
Should the series go to a rubber match, it would be played at 12 p.m. on Tuesday, also in Lawrenceville.
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The National Park Service has selected K. Lynn Berry as the next superintendent of Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. Berry will begin her new role in June.
“I am honored to join the team at Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area and to support the important work already underway here,” said Berry. “This park is such an incredible resource for communities in the metro area and beyond. I look forward to strengthening connections to the river and expanding opportunities for people to enjoy and learn from it.”
Berry currently serves as superintendent of several NPS sites in California, including Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park, John Muir National Historic Site, Eugene O’Neill National Historic Site, Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial, and the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail
With 16 years of experience in the National Park Service, Berry has held roles as superintendent and regional program manager, bringing extensive experience in community collaboration, partnership development, team building and program growth.
Her colleagues consistently recognize her enthusiasm, dedication and ability to energize the teams and projects she leads.
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Former Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox, a longtime East Cobb resident and a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, has died at the age of 84.
The Braves announced Cox’ passing on Saturday. He had been suffering from congestive heart failure and other health issues related to a stroke in 2019.
Cox, who managed the Braves on two occasions—from 1978-81 and from 1990-2010—is fourth on the all-time Major League Baseball list for wins by a manager with 2,504, as he led Atlanta to 15 division titles, five National League championships and the World Series crown in 1995.
“While Bobby’s passion for the game was unparalleled, his love of baseball was exceeded only by his love for his family,” the Braves said in a statement.
“It is with the heaviest of hearts that we send our sincerest condolences to his beloved wife, Pam, and their loving children and grandchildren.”
Cox died three days after the passing of former Braves owner and CNN founder Ted Turner, who hired Cox after the 1977 season. Cox, who had been a first-base coach with the New York Yankees, had not been a manager before.
The Braves went 266-323 before he was dismissed by Turner, who said he needed to make a change but wanted to hire someone like Cox.
Cox managed the Toronto Blue Jays from 1982-85 before returning to Atlanta as the Braves’ general manager. In the front office, he helped develop roster parts that would lead to the team’s dominance in the 1990s.
He was regarded as the ultimate players’ manager. “I never wanted to go anywhere else; I wanted to play for Bobby,” said former Braves pitcher Smoltz.
Cox was inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014 with two of his Braves’ pitchers, Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux, followed a year later by Smoltz.
Two other Braves’ players under Cox’ tutelage have Hall of Fame credentials: Third baseman Chipper Jones, inducted in 2018, and center fielder Andruw Jones, who will be inducted in July.
In 1991, the Braves reached the World Series for the first time in Atlanta, then defeated the Cleveland Indians for their first World Series championship in 1995.
Cox’ playing days were brief. He was a third baseman for the Yankees from 1968-69, but injured knees prompted his retirement after 229 games in the majors, and he soon embarked upon a baseball coaching and managing career.
Early in the 1995 season, Cox was arrested by Cobb County Police on a domestic violence complaint from his wife, following an argument at their home near Atlanta Country Club.
Both denied at a press conference that there was a physical altercation, and he did not miss any time away from the team. Battery charges against Cox were later dismissed.
In his retirement, Cox spent time on a farm he owned in the north Georgia mountains before selling it in 2021.
Due to declining health, Cox was an infrequent visitor to Truist Park. He last took in a game in August, at the 30th anniversary celebration of the Braves’ 1995 World Series title.
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When a Dickerson Middle School student and lacrosse and football player was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer, the members of the Walton High School boys lacrosse team became his biggest fans.
Jackson Jefcoat, a sixth-grader, learned a few months ago that he suffers from T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma, and he soon began undergoing a lengthy treatment plan.
He’s already endured fatigue, hair loss and other effects of chemotherapy, and according to the Cobb County School District, his family says he’s cancer free and his prognosis is good, all things considered.
But Jackson is continuing treatment, and while he does, the lacrosse team and the Walton community are providing their support.
“This program is built on family,” Walton head coach Griffin Spotz said in a release issued by the district. “We want Jackson to know he’s seen, supported, and still a vital part of our team.”
He’s been visited by the football and lacrosse teams during his hospital stays, and players have invited him to watch games when he can along the sidelines.
On Friday, the Raiders’ lacrosse team advanced to the Georgia High School Association quarterfinals, so Jackson will have at least another game to cheer them on.
More from the district release, along with their photos:
That support has taken many forms. Coaches and players from both the lacrosse and football programs have visited Jackson in the hospital, brought team gear, and included him in special team moments. Jackson was named an honorary captain for a senior select game and received a commemorative chrome helmet typically reserved for special occasions.
The lacrosse team also created custom helmet decals featuring a green lymphoma awareness ribbon and Jackson’s initials, symbolizing solidarity, and ongoing support.
The Walton community remains committed to supporting Jackson throughout his treatment and eventual return to athletics. The Jefcoat family expressed deep gratitude for the overwhelming support.
Jackson, in turn, shared a message of thanks and encouragement for the team: “Thank you all so much. Keep going in the playoffs. Never give up. I’ll get better.”
Click the middle button below to view more photos.
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Cobb PARKS officials met this week with board members of the Sandy Plains Softball Association concerned about the proposed redevelopment of Shaw Park and presented a new relocation proposal.
The Save Shaw Park Softball Facebook group posted an aerial shot of what was discussed (above), noting that all five existing softball fields will be retained.
Softball parents publicly expressed opposition to a proposal that called for nearly doubling the pickleball courts at Shaw Park from nine to 19, saying softball fields would be reduced.
County officials and Cobb Commissioner JoAnn Birrell said that wasn’t the case, but they put the project on hold in March to hold further discussions.
“Field 1 will be relocated behind Field 3 and will feature a 125-foot layout with a full turf surface,” parent Ryan Hicks reported to the Save Shaw Park group on Wednesday.
“In addition, Field 5 will be upgraded with a turf infield.”
Birrell was in attendance at the meeting this week and told East Cobb News Thursday that the new proposal is just that—a draft—and that “there are other things to finalize before we can get the final site plan bridging documents and go out to bid.”
She said that there are no changes proposed for the pickleball courts beyond the initial expansion plans.
“We are pleased and excited that any and all issues were resolved and look forward to this project being completed,” said Birrell, who has come under political fire from softball parents.
She’s a four-term incumbent from District 3 in East Cobb and is facing first-time candidate Chris Wasserman in the May 19 Republican primary.
He’s been campaigning on the Shaw Park issue, but Birrell has maintained that softball fields were never going to be reduced in the redevelopment proposal.
On Wednesday, Hicks thanked other softball parents for contacting county officials and expressing their concerns.
“Your voices have been heard . . . Thank you again to everyone involved for contributing to a solution that supports the needs of the entire community.”
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The Atlanta Braves began their 2026 season at home last week, and inspectors from the Georgia Department of Public Health were there to visit restaurants, concession stands and all kinds of food vendors.
We included most, but not all, of the results from their inspections, in case you’re heading out to the ballpark this weekend as the Braves return for another homestand.
All of the inspections took place on Wednesday, April 1. We’ll have a separate report later this week on food scores in the East Cobb area.
Click the link under each listing for inspection details:
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Fun starts here! The Spring and Summer 2026 Activity Guide is your go-to resource for everything happening across Cobb County PARKS this season. From creative arts and sports leagues to camps, festivals, and aquatics, there’s something for every age and interest.
Whether you’re looking to stay active, explore a new hobby, or spend quality time with family and friends, Cobb County Parks offers a wide range of engaging programs designed to bring the community together.
Kick off the season at the Spring Arts Festival, a vibrant outdoor event with over 100 booths featuring handcrafted art, jewelry, pottery, textiles, and more.
Date: April 18
Time: 10 AM – 4 PM
Location: Jim R. Miller Park & Event Center, Marietta
From spring break to summer adventures, camps offer exciting opportunities for kids and teens to learn, create, and explore.
Spring Break Camps (April 6–10)
Mixed Media Art Camp
TV Production Camp
Moana Musical Theater Camp
Tennis Camp
Hometown Heroes Camp
Summer Camps Highlights
Manga & Anime Drawing Camp
Mystery Drama Camp
Clay Creatives Camp
Camp Carnival & Nature Week
Theater and Performing Arts Camps
Outdoor Pool Season begins May 23
Cool off this summer at Cobb County’s outdoor aquatic centers!
Seven Springs Water Park and Sewell Park Pool season dates: May 23 – September 7
Stay Active with Sports & Recreation
Get moving this season with leagues and classes for all skill levels:
Adult basketball, volleyball, and pickleball leagues
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With sneakers laced and spirits high, a record-breaking crowd of nearly 500 runners gathered on Saturday, March 28, for the fifth annual Noonday Shanty 5K/10K, featuring an all-time high of 23 teams. Presented by Avonlea Apartments and benefiting the Town Center Community Alliance, the race transformed a spring morning into a celebration of movement and community.
The event featured USA Track and Field-certified 5K and 10K courses, inviting participants of all ages and experience levels to enjoy a run through some of Town Center’s most notable landmarks, including Aviation Park, Cobb International Airport and Fifth Third Bank Stadium. Beyond showcasing the community, the race supported local green space improvements and granted runners an opportunity to qualify for the AJC Peachtree Road Race.
“The Noonday Shanty is more than just a race, and in our fifth year, we see the meaningful impact this event has on our community,” said Tracy Styf, executive director of the Town Center Community. “We are thankful for the dedication of our participants, supporters, volunteers and sponsors for making this year’s Noonday Shanty a standout success.”
Participants who made their mark with the fastest times in the 5K and 10K are listed below.
Let East Cobb News know what’s going on with your organization, or about any recognitions, to share with the community. We love to get photos and stories like the above, as well as calendar event listings and more.
We want to be the go-to source for all the many ways people in East Cobb are involved in the community.
It’s what we call The Power of Local, and we’d love for you to take part!
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Cobb Commissioner JoAnn Birrell said Thursday afternoon that a “reassessment” is being undertaken for proposed changes at Shaw Park that were presented to the public last month.
That delay comes after parents of girls with the Sandy Plains Softball organization expressed opposition to plans accommodating additional pickleball courts they claim will reduce softball availability.
The plans drawn up by Cobb PARKS would increase the pickleball courts from nine to 19, and keep the four softball fields that have been in use, but relocate them.
Softball parents took to social media and contacted news media to protest. In an open letter, an officer of Sandy Plains Softball claimed that “certain members of the Cobb County government [were] pandering to older voters who love pickleball. Our girls just happen to be collateral damage.”
In an interview with East Cobb News, Birrell said softball opportunities won’t be cut back, but admitted there has been “miscommunication” about the matter, which has been lingering since a town hall meeting nearly three years ago.
Birrell told us later there had been a meeting with the parties involved. In her weekly e-mail newsletter Thursday, her office said the following:
“The proposed plans for Shaw Park on display at the Feb. 26 Open House are being placed on hold so that we can reassess and revisit the overall amenities for the best use of both Sandy Plains Girls Softball as well as pickleball and any costs associated with a new plan. Thank you for your feedback and input. We appreciate your participation.”
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A new women’s professional soccer team will be based in the City of Marietta, close to where Atlanta’s men’s pro soccer team has its training facilities.
City leaders and AMB Sports and Entertainment (AMBSE) have completed an agreement for the still-to-be named women’s team in the National Women’s Soccer League to have its headquarters on Franklin Gateway.
The team will begin competing in the 2028 season, according to the announcement, which was made at a special Marietta City Council meeting on Thursday following a 7-0 vote.
AMBSE is named after Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United FC owner Arthur Blank and operates those two teams as well as other sports entities.
According to the agreement, the Marietta will sell 33 acres valued at $21 million on Franklin Gateway to AMBSE, which in turn will sell the city 10 acres it owns nearby for $10 million.
The city will convert that land from AMBSE into a public park, and Blank will also donate $1 million for development of the park.
The NWSL team will be based in a 38,000-square-foot facility with four full fields and other amenities that will cost around $100 million, with a groundbreaking expected soon.
The women’s team will play its games at Mercedes Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta, where the Falcons and Atlanta United play.
The NWSL, which was founded in 2012, currently has 16 teams and has been expanding in recent years.
The women’s team will be based at 1033 Franklin Gateway (red star); Atlanta United’s training facility is where the blue star is located. The area around the yellow star will become a Marietta city park. OpenStreetMap.
The 33 acres on Franklin Gateway has sat vacant for years, initially part of a proposed redevelopment project in the Franklin Gateway area that has been beset by crime and decay issues for years.
The Swedish furniture manufacturer Ikea had targeted the property, but later abandoned those plans.
Atlanta United opened its $60 million training ground on Franklin Gateway in 2017, and it has since undergone an expansion and a sponsorship with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
“This project delivers significant benefits to our city through economic growth and new park space for our residents and families.” Marietta Mayor Steve “Thunder” Tumlin said in a statement about the women’s team facility.
“This opportunity was made possible through the thoughtful use of Redevelopment Bond funds approved by our citizens, reflecting our commitment to reinvesting in this corridor for long-term community benefit.
“I appreciate Arthur Blank and AMB Sports and Entertainment for their partnership and for choosing Marietta for this world-class women’s training facility. I believe this partnership makes Marietta the Home of Professional Soccer in Georgia.”
This will be the second women’s pro soccer team to be based in Cobb County. The Atlanta Beat belonged to the Women’s Professional Soccer League in 2011 and 2012 and played at the KSU football stadium.
The team was owned by Fitz Johnson, a former member of the Georgia Public Service Commission who is running for a seat on that body again this year.
Another women’s team called the Atlanta Beat played in the Women’s United Soccer Association from 2001-2003 in the city of Atlanta.
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A proposed redevelopment of Shaw Park shown at a recent open house includes additional pickleball courts.
Some parents in the Sandy Plains Softball organization have been going public with concerns that a proposed redevelopment of Shaw Park would reduce the number of softball fields there.
One of the group’s officers has unleashed a letter-writing campaign to Cobb commissioners and had scheduled a media interview for Friday that was eventually postponed.
That’s after Cobb commissioner JoAnn Birrell arranged for a meeting with the softball parents and Cobb PARKS officials over what she called a “miscommunication.”
At a February community meeting designed to garner public feedback, citizens were shown a proposed redesign of the park that would have 19 pickleball courts; there are currently nine there now.
Sandy Plains Softball has paid to use the softball fields at Shaw Park for many years and more than 400 girls play softball there (the organization also plays games at Sandy Plains Park, near Lassiter High School).
Shaw Park has become a pickleball hub in recent years, as the fast-growing sport has gained a foothold among active adults, and a number of tournaments have been played there.
Shaw Park softball players in 2023 urged the county to preserve their fields.
One of the proposed options would relocate the softball fields to make room for the pickleball courts.
In an open letter to the Sandy Plains Softball community, Katy Thurow, the organization’s secretary, said the county, and specifically Birrell, have gone back on their word that softball would not be affected by plans to revitalize Shaw Park.
Thurow asked Sandy Plains Softball parents to lobby the commissioners to keep all of the current fields, and suggested political considerations are involved.
Birrell is a four-term Republican who is up for re-election this year, and she has primary opposition.
“The plans shown at the SPLOST meeting show 19 new pickleball courts,” Thurow wrote. “Please keep in mind, there is no pickleball association, no contract with the county, and no pickleball leagues are being asked to justify their need for these 19 new courts.”
Her letter suggested that the softball fields would be cut to three; proposals include adding softball batting cages as well as the construction of a new playground, including inclusive space for special-needs children.
“This is not about money, but about certain members of the Cobb County government pandering to older voters who love pickleball,” Thurow wrote. “Our girls just happen to be collateral damage.
“This is about more than just a game. This is about how youth sports impacts the lives of young female athletes. ”
Thurow said “Sandy Plains Softball saved my child” with a learning disability. “Softball gave my daughter a safe space to feel strong, capable, and build relationships that had nothing to do with school.
“I’ve heard countless stories similar to my family’s, and capping registration [what she suggested would happen if the fields are reduced] means denying this opportunity to young women in our community.”
Speaking to East Cobb News on Thursday, Birrell said there are no plans to reduce the number of softball fields at Shaw Park. She said the Sandy Plains Softball contract for Shaw Park calls for the use of four fields, and that will not change.
“The fields are all spread out,” and one of the proposals would be to group them closer together. “We are relocating the fields,” not reducing them, she added.
Birrell said that some are “trying to make it sound like we don’t care about girls softball. I’m a girl. I care.”
She said what’s being proposed is only that, and “not the final plan. There’s still some work to do, but we’re not cutting back on any fields. We’re relocating them.”
Shaw Park pickleball leader Bret Benson with Commissioner JoAnn Birrell at a 2023 town hall meeting about the future of the park.
At a 2023 community meeting to discuss the future of Shaw Park, softball players and parents pleaded with the county not to reduce their fields. Pickleball enthusiasts and county leaders said that would not happen.
The commenters include Chris Wasserman, who is challenging Birrell the May 19 Republican primary.
“While I personally enjoy pickleball, I strongly oppose the proposal to replace a girls’ softball field to accommodate additional courts,” he said.
“A significant source of public frustration stems from the perceived lack of clear and transparent dialogue surrounding this decision. The community’s feeling of being misled is entirely understandable and justified.”
On Thursday afternoon, Birrell sent a message to softball parents apologizing for the “miscommunication” and said that after the meeting with the county, “we will provide additional information and clarification to the community.”
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The Wheeler Wildcats prevailed in an all-Cobb County matchup Saturday by defeating Pebblebrook 62-52 to win the Georgia High School Association Class 6A boys basketball championship.
At the Macon Coliseum, Wheeler defended its 2025 title to earn its fifth championship in the last seven years and 11th overall, dating back to 2002.
The Wildcats led from early in the first quarter, but had to fend off a scrappy Pebblebrook team that got as close as two points in the third quarter.
But Wheeler star Colben Landrew was tough to stop in the final minutes, as he scored a game-high 29 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in his last high school game.
“This is a group that has been resilient,” Wheeler coach Larry Thompson said in a post-game interview with Georgia Public Broadcasting. “This game was a testament of who they are.
“These guys are competitors. They play a state championship game every day in practice. I’m so proud of them.”
Wheeler finished the season with a 27-6 record but was 21-0 against teams from Georgia. The Wildcats played against some of the top high school teams in the country earlier in the season to prepare them for the playoffs.
They led 31-23 at halftime, but then Pebblebrook played aggressive defense, with pressing and trapping that disrupted Wheeler and forced turnovers.
The Falcons closed to 38-36 after stealing the ball. A short time later, Landrew threw down a one-handed dunk to make the score 42-36, and Wheeler led 44-37 after the third quarter.
The Wildcats maintained a single-digit lead until Landrew scored on the fastbreak and made a free throw for a 49-37 lead.
He later tipped in a missed shot for a 55-46 lead, and Pebblebrook (23-9) struggled to make jump shots.
When asked about the key to Wheeler’s success this season, Thompson said this year’s team was easy to coach.
“They stay humble and they stay hungry,” said Thompson, whose win Saturday was his fifth at the helm of the Wildcats.
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Kell senior Kennedy Deese scored 10 points in the Class 4A state title game. Photos via Cobb County School District.
The Kell girls were aiming for their second Georgia High School Association basketball championship on Thursday, but fell short in the Class 4A finals in a 58-50 win by Marist.
The Kell Lady L0nghorns were the underdog on Thursday against Marist, which had been No. 1 in Class 4A and features high school All-American Kate Harpring, the national high school player of the year.
At the Macon Coliseum, Kell fell behind in the first quarter but stayed close, trailing 26-21 at halftime, then took the lead in the third quarter.
But that was the only lead they would have, as Harpring helped close out Marist’s third title in five years with 12 points in the fourth quarter. She finished with 40 points and 16 rebounds, becoming the all-time girls basketball scoring leader in Georgia high school basketball history, with 3,399 points.
“It’s been a great season, but I’m super proud that we even got here,” Kell coach Kandra Bailey said in a Cobb County School District release after the game. “I’m proud of the effort we put on the floor tonight.”
Bailey, who gave birth to a baby boy less than two weeks ago, said that “obviously, I’m going to finish this season with my girls, because they’re my first kids! But now I’m going to get back home with my baby tonight.”
Kell coach Kandra Bailey accepts the state runner-up trophy.
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The Lassiter High School girls swimming team won its seventh consecutive Georgia High School Association state championship earlier in February at Georgia Tech.
The Lassiter girls won the Class 5A title by 62 points, led by senior Ashlyn Loftin, who concluded her career by her second straight individual title in the 100-yard breaststroke.
Loftin also finished third in 100-yard butterfly and swam the anchor leg in Lassiter’s third-place finish in the 400-yard freestyle relay.
The Lassiter boys won their first state title in Class 5A, including three state champions in individual events: Gavin Halusic in the 50-yard freestyle, the 400-yard freestyle relay (Halusic, Alex O’Brien, Ethan Jones, Raef Jollands) and the 200-yard freestyle relay team of Halusic, Jones, Nick Nurnberg and Lincoln Holder.
The Pope girls finished 4th and the Pope boys were 5th in the Class 5A meets.
Nathaniel Park
Lassiter’s championships are the eighth for head coach Brittany Hughes, who said in a Cobb County School District release that “having the boys and girls win together was amazing.”
Hughes is a counselor at Lassiter and was recently recognized with the school’s counseling team for earnin the Cobb School Counseling Comprehensive Model Certification.
Lassiter athletic director Scott Kelly said of the school’s swimming program that “talent matters, but culture sustains excellence. There’s a clear standard of accountability and consistency that every swimmer buys into.”
Jake Rheaume
Two athletes from Walton High School also earned individual state championships in February in the traditional wrestling category.
Nathaniel Park won the GHSA Class 6A title in the 144-pound weight class, cruising through his first three matches before winning the finals by a 4-2 score. Park, a sophomore, finished the season with a 58-2 record.
In the Class 6A 165-pound category, Walton’s Jake Rheaume completed a 40-0 season at the state meet in Morrow. He won the semifinals 4-3 and the finals 11-5.
The Walton boys team finished third in the Class 6A duals competition.
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Long-awaited plans for improving Shaw Park will be disclosed next week at a community engagement meeting.
Cobb PARKS and Commissioner JoAnn Birrell have put out notices for the meeting, next Thursday, Feb. 26, from 6-7:30 p.m. at Northeast Cobb Community Center/Gritters Library (880 Shaw Park Drive).
County spokeswoman Shelly Weidner told East Cobb News that conceptual plan will involve updating athletic fields, including synthetic turf on some of them, as well as updating the tennis/pickleball/basketball court area and adding amenities, including batting cages, LED lighting and concrete walkways.
Details of those plans will be presented at the meeting, with a chance for the public to provide input, Weidner said.
“The meeting will be held in an open-house format, similar to our recent SPLOST community engagement sessions, allowing attendees to view the plans, and speak directly with staff.”
The redevelopment of Shaw Park is included in the current 2022 Cobb SPLOST (Special-Purpose Local-Option Sales Tax), with the project designed to “better meet the recreational needs and desires of the surrounding community.”
The Shaw Park redevelopment, according to the SPLOST project list, is estimated to cost $4 million (you can read through the thumbnail description at this link on page 37).
Shaw Park is the second park in the county parks system, and has been showing signs of age for years.
There are five softball fields, nine pickleball courts, two tennis courts, playgrounds, picnic pavilions and the community center.
“Shaw Park was first developed in 1970, and has served several generations of families since,” the SPLOST project booklet states. “However, the park design and amenities are now outdated, and the park no longer meets the recreational needs of the community.”
It’s been nearly three years since Birrell held a town hall meeting that got a little testy at times, with youth softball parents pleading to preserve their ballfields pickleball enthusiasts demanding more courts for their fast-growing activity.
Birrell told East Cobb News this week that softball fields will remain part of the park, and the proposal calls for adding pickleball courts.
“We’re not decreasing the number of fields,” she said, adding that those attending the community engagement meeting will be able to see a variety of proposed layouts for the part and provide feedback.
The delay in doing so now was in part due to the redevelopment of Gritters Library and to address SPLOST funding issues she said have been resolved.
“There is more than one option, and we want to see what’s best before we continue,” Birrell said.
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Isaiah Collier brought some of his Utah Jazz teammates to his Wheeler jersey retirement. Cobb County School District photos.
He’s only 21 years old, but Isaiah Collier’s old Wheeler High School basketball jersey number will never be worn again.
His No. 4 shirt was retired recently at a special ceremony, three years after Collier led the Wildcats to their third Georgia state championship in four years.
They are the only former Wheeler players to have their jerseys retired.
As a senior, Collier was Georgia Mr. Basketball, the Naismith National high school player of the year and an All-American.
After graduation, he played one season at the University of Southern California. In his second professional season, he leads the Jazz with 7.4 assists and averages 10 points a game as a part-time starter.
“Isaiah, your jersey goes up tonight because you’ve earned it,” Wheeler athletics director Barry Bowdre told him, in a release issued by the Cobb County School District.
“From this moment forward, every young Wildcat who looks up on this wall will see your number and know what’s possible. Congratulations, Isaiah Collier. The number 4 will never be worn again in Wheeler Basketball history.”
Collier was honored before the Jazz played the Hawks in Atlanta, and was joined by some of his Utah teammates and family members.
“This means a lot,” Collier said in the district release. “With all the alumni that have come through this school, and the history of basketball at this school, it means a lot to me and my family. Am I surprised it happened so quickly? I feel like, yeah, I’m a little bit surprised how fast it happened, but I’m happy about it. I’m just happy about it.”
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Jaylen Brown, who led Wheeler to a Georgia high school boys state basketball championship, headlines the 2025-26 Wheeler Athletic Hall of Fame inductees.
Also honored in late January were former basketball player Sharaud Curry, baseball player Joey Monahan, football-baseball-track athlete Hal Shaw, and the 1977 and 1978 softball teams. A formal induction ceremony was postponed due to inclement weather and will be rescheduled at a date to be announced.
Brown played four years of varsity basketball for the Wildcats and as a senior was named Georgia Mr. Basketball. He played at the University of California-Berkeley for one season and was the third player chosen in the 2016 NBA draft. In 2024, he was named the MVP of the NBA Finals as the Boston Celtics won their 18th championship, and he has been an All-Star four times.
Curry was part of two Wheeler boys basketball state championship teams, in 2003 and 2005, and he later starred at Providence College. He played professional basketball in Europe for 13 seasons and has been a coach and owner of a basketball training academy.
Monahan was a standout on the baseball diamond for Wheeler in the late 1990s, earning first-team All-Cobb County, as well as being named MVP of the East Cobb Yankees and selected to the All-Tournament Team at the Connie Mack World Series.
He starred at Liberty University and was drafted by the Chicago Cubs, and played minor league baseball for several seasons before running an insurance business.
Shaw was a lineman for the Wheeler football team under coach Corky Kell, and named a permanent co-captain in the 1973 season, when the Wildcats went undefeated before falling to Thomasville in the state championship game.
He was named All-County and All-State by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and he joins his brother Bill (Class of 1968) in the Wheeler Hall of Fame.
The Wheeler girls softball team played a slow-pitch version of the sport in the late 1970s under coach Jim Mau, who previously led the Wildcats to a baseball state title. His softball teams in 1977 and 1978 won Cobb County titles and finished with respective records of 19-2 and 17-3.
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High school athletes from around the country made their college commitments this week in what’s known as National Signing Day.
That’s when the officially sign scholarship offers to continue their sports careers at the next level.
According to the Cobb County School District, Sprayberry High School had 14 athletes sign, the most for any school in the district. They included five football players as well as the first Yellow Jacket athlete to sign a college commitment in flag football.
The district compiled the following names and schools (this is only a partial list):
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Wheeler High School’s new head football coach is Travis Roland.
He was introduced on the school’s social media channels on Thursday, and he comes from Camden County High School in South Georgia, where he was 13-8 over the last two seasons.
Roland has a 75-29 record as a high school head coach, and he led Mainland High School of Daytona Beach to the 2023 Florida High School Athletic Association state championship, as well as a runner-up finish in 2022.
His teams at Mainland also were regional quarterfinalists six times and won district championships three times.
Wheeler made a coaching change after the Wildcats finished 3-7 in 2025. Bryan Love was 26-47 in seven seasons and led Wheeler to one playoff appearance, in 2023, with a 7-4 record.
That has been Wheeler’s only winning season since 2018.
Roland came to Camden County, one of Georgia’s most successful high school football programs, in 2024, but was dismissed after the team went 6-4 in 2025 and failed to make the playoffs.
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The Pope High School football community is rallying behind one of its leading figures.
Tom Stuetzer, whose sons played for the Greyhounds and who’s been active as a youth coach and official with the program’s booster club, has been diagnosed with an incurable form of dementia at the age of 51 and is facing major medical bills.
Stuetzer is battling behavioral variant frontal temporal dementia (FTD), and friends have set up a fundraiser for some of those expenses.
Stuetzer had to leave his job as the CFO of a DIY art and craft supply company last summer due to his illness, and health insurance doesn’t cover all of the expenses.
The GoFundMe campaign thus far has nearly $155,000; according to the fundraising message Stuetzer can no longer drive or be left alone for extended periods of time. The message also lays out the details of the estimated expenses for his care.
“We would love to see our football family help the Stuetzer family in this time of need,” said a message on the Pope Football Facebook page Tuesday afternoon.
“They are trying to prepare to a future of full time care. We are also asking for prayers of healing and support for Tom and his family.”
Stuetzer and his wife Kerri have athletic backgrounds. He played football at Wake Forest, and she is a member of the Dunwoody High School sports Hall of Fame.
Stuetzer has been involved in coaching in the Pope youth football feeder program and had served on the board and been president of the Pope Touchdown Club.
They are the parents of three children, Ryan (25), Katelynn (22), and John (19). The boys played football and baseball for the Greyhounds, and the youngest is currently on the baseball team at Florida State. Katelynn is a former lacrosse player at Pope who attends Clemson University.
“As the disease has progressed, the children have stepped into roles no young adults expect to carry so early,” the GoFundMe message states. “They help manage finances, schedules, appointments, research, and daily logistics. They advocate for their father, support their mother, and share responsibility for navigating the roadmap ahead, all while working and building their own lives.
“Their strength is steady and rooted in the values Tom and Kerri spent decades instilling.”
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