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.
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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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Submitted information from the Cobb County School District and photo from the Walton Sports Hall of Fame:
The Walton High School (WHS) Sports Hall of Fame (HOF) recently introduced its 2026 class of honorees. Former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher Marc Pisciotta and National Football League (NFL) draftee Mike Travis were inducted alongside Aaron Kelly, Amanda Ballinger, and the undefeated 1995 Men’s Soccer Team.
Marc Pisciotta’s WHS HOF induction marked the third former MLBer to be welcomed into this elite group, joining former Raider greats Blaine Boyer and Billy Burns. Pisciotta had a 20-2 career pitching record in high school with a 2.04 earned run average and 103 strikeouts in 103 innings pitched. He went on to pitch professionally for the Chicago Cubs and the Kansas City Royals. Before high school, he was a dominant pitcher on the East Marietta team that won the 1983 Little League World Series title, and later added several amateur world titles with the East Cobb Astros.
“Baseball is a team sport,” Pisciotta stated humbly. “I just happened to be the guy who got some notoriety. I couldn’t have done what I did in my career without my teammates at all levels of play. Success takes nine positions on the field.”
Mike Travis entered the WHS HOF due to his accomplishments in both track and football. Blessed with great speed, he was the Cobb champion in both the 100 meters and the 4×400 relay as a junior. In football, he was selected to multiple All-County and All-Region teams and earned a spot on the 1981 All-State team in his senior year. He became a four-year starter at defensive back for Georgia Tech and was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the 1986 NFL Draft.
“This honor is not only because of me,” he said. “I didn’t block. I didn’t hand off. I didn’t do all the things that allowed us to be successful as a team. There are so many people that were a part of any success that any of us honorees have had. We didn’t earn this on our own.”
Two decades after Travis, Aaron Kelly also excelled on Friday nights for the Walton Raiders. However, Kelly’s talents were displayed on the offensive side of the football as a wide receiver, a position he didn’t play until his sophomore season. Clearly, it was the right move as he went on to earn All-County, All-State, and Cobb County Player of the Year Awards. In his senior season alone, he hauled in 55 catches for 955 yards and 17 touchdowns. He followed that with a solid four-year career at Clemson and four seasons in the Canadian Football League.
“I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish what I did without my family pushing me and motivating me,” Kelly emphasized. “I would still say to this day that my twin brother was a better athlete than I was. I felt like I was just trying to chase and keep up with him.”Amanda Ballinger starred on the tennis courts for Walton from her first season. She won the 1992 State Singles Championship as a freshman, earning her recognition as an All-American. She went on to win team state titles in 1994 and 1995 before being named MVP of her University of Alabama tennis team and earning 2nd Team All-American honors during her time at Berry College.
“I woke up this morning very grateful for this honor,” Ballinger noted at the HOF ceremony. “I loved my experience here at Walton. I had the best four years, and every team we had was just so much fun. I loved being here and had so many amazing coaches that I just really thank for my career.”
1995 was obviously a big year at Walton as the men’s soccer team also won the state championship, dethroning two-time defending champion Parkview, which came into the matchup on a 57-game unbeaten streak. The Raiders won the title 3-1, with Brian Oakes netting two goals to help secure the trophy and an overall 16-0-3 record. This team allowed only seven goals against them for the season, largely due to the efforts of goalies Greg Chandler and Matt Richardson. They were coached by Bucky Boozer, who was inducted into the WHS HOF in the Class of 2024.
“We weren’t undefeated because we were perfect,” team captain Mikel Parker remarked while representing the team. “We were undefeated because we were together. Something special happened in that ’95 team. Thank you for this honor and for remembering the team that proved what’s possible when talent meets grit, preparation, and heart.”
Former Walton basketball coach Larry Pace is a member of the WHS HOF selection committee and a co-founder, along with former Raiders basketball star Tom Wideman. He was quick to point out the significance of being inducted into the school’s Sports Hall of Fame.
“We select the cream of the crop athlete,” he said as inductees were congratulated around him, “and this is one of the highest and most recognized athletic awards that we can give them.”
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Football players from Kell, Sprayberry and Walton high schools in East Cobb are among those selected for all-state honors by the Touchdown Club of Atlanta.
The prestigious honor, which was launched in 1938, includes first- and second-team players on offense and defense from around the state of Georgia.
Linebacker Brayden Rouse of Kell and defensive back Jorden Edmonds of Sprayberry were named to the first-team defense. Another Kell player, running back Moonie Gipson, was named to the second-team offense, and Walton linebacker Noah LaVallee was named to the second-team defense.
Kell reached the semifinals of the Georgia High School Association Class 4A playoffs and was the last team eliminated from Cobb County.
Gipson set a school record with 1,918 yards as a junior. Rouse was an all-Region player of the year who has signed to play college football at the University of Tennessee.
LaVallee, a senior, recorded 124 tackles for Walton, which reached the Class 6A quarterfinals. Earlier this month, he signed a football scholarship offer to play at Florida State, where his brother Caleb also is a linebacker.
The Touchdown Club’s other season honors also included several players from East Cobb schools. The Litle Peach Freshman watchlist includes another Walton player, Jordan Peacock, a wide receiver who was named a Rivals High School Freshman All-American.
His brother was Walton’s quarterback in the 2025 season, sophomore Christion Peacock.
The Little Peach Junior watchlist includes Gipson of Kell.
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Jorden Edmonds (left) and Kaelan Jones starred for Sprayberry as defensive backs, and will be headed to big-time college programs. CCSD photo.
High school athletes from East Cobb and around the country officially made their college choices on Wednesday on what’s known as National Signing Day.
That’s when they officially signed letters-of-intent to receive scholarship aid to the college or university of their choice.
Some athletes will be receiving full-ride scholarships—all expenses paid—and others partial scholarships. That depends on the sport and the number of scholarships available.
In football, most scholarships are full-ride. For two football players at Sprayberry, they will be heading to two of the top college programs in the country.
The Yellow Jackets had another outstanding season finishing 9-2, and reaching the first round of the Georgia High School Association Class 5A playoffs.
Defensive back Jorden Edmonds committed to the University of Alabama, and made it official in a signing ceremony Wednesday at Sprayberry.
Kealan Jones, another Sprayberry defensive back, had committed to the University of Georgia, but at the last minute decided to sign a scholarship offer from Georgia Tech.
“This is a summation of 18 years of really hard work for these young men,” said Dr. Pete Fominaya, Sprayberry’s head football coach, in a release issued by the Cobb County School District.
“Not only do you have to be great on the field, but you have to be great in the classroom and be a great leader to have an opportunity to sign in December. This is a really special group of young men. They’re high-character kids. They do the right thing, and I am proud to have been able to coach them.”
Five other Yellow Jackets signed their letters on Wednesday as well:
Lineman Taylen Swinney (Georgia Military College)
Defensive end Gabe Clarke (University of West Georgia)
Defensive back Noah Voltaire (Austin Peay University),
Offensive lineman Cash Barowsky (Berry College)
Quarterback Jaden Duckett (The Citadel)
The Kell football team was eliminated in the GHSA Class 5A semifinals on Friday at Creekside of Fairburn, the last Cobb football team standing. But before that on Wednesday, eight Longhorns signed their college letters:
Tight end Nathan Agyemang (Georgia Tech)
Defensive back Jowell Combay (Tennessee)
Linebacker Michael Domanik (Charlotte)
Defensive back Tony Forney (Pittsburgh)
Quarterback Kaleb Narcisse (East Tennessee State)
Linebacker Brayden Rouse (Tennessee)
Athlete Bryce Shelton (William & Mary)
Defensive back Jalen Williams (Arizona State)
The Cobb school district compiled the following college signees from other high schools:
Pope High School
Baseball: Drew Abney (Jacksonville State), Nick Bobrowski (Georgia Southern), Kayden Campbell (Ohio State), Ben Hill (LaGrange)
Lacrosse: Ashley Anne Braun (Delaware), Colby Brennan (Mars Hill), Lauren Ebersole (Pittsburgh), Cooper Heintzelman (Lincoln Memorial), Talia Olshansky (St. Bonaventure), Daniel Wahn (New Jersey Institute of Technology)
Swimming: Addison Clark (Florida Atlantic)
Volleyball: Jahan Lalli (Rhode Island)
Fencing: Joshua Riggins (Ohio State)
Softball: Emma Santamaria (Georgia State College and University)
Walton High School
Football: tight end Jude Cascone (Alabama) and linebacker Noah LaVallee (Florida State)
Wheeler High School
Football: Defensive back Brock Adams (Austin Peay), defensive back Landon Harper (Point University)
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Registration is now open for Town Center Community’s 2026 Noonday Shanty 5K/10K, presented by Avonlea Apartments. Set to take place along the scenic Noonday Creek Trail on Saturday, March 28, 2026, the annual Peachtree Road Race qualifier is a USA Track and Field-certified event managed by Start2Finish.
Throughout the course, participants of all ages and experience levels will experience Noonday Creek’s natural landscapes, including bird habitats, greenspaces and wetlands, and pass landmarks such as Aviation Park, Cobb International Airport, Fifth Third Stadium and art installations, including the newest Tiny Doors ATL, and the Chimney Swift Tower. 10K runners will also get a glimpse of the district’s vibrant new murals.
“The Noonday Shanty 5K/10 is a staple in our community because it gets people moving and brings our community closer,” Jennifer Hogan, director of community engagement at Town Center Community, said. “The race not only allows us to invest back into our community through greenspace and trail projects, but it also gives us the opportunity to meet new faces, support local businesses and celebrate our beautiful trails.”
To register or become a sponsor for the Noonday Shanty 5K/10K race, please visit the Town Center Community website.
Local artists are encouraged to submit artwork for the annual race poster contest, which offers participants the chance to have their work featured on the official event poster and in promotional materials. Runners will receive the selected poster during packet pickup as a unique keepsake to commemorate the race. Artists may submit up to three digitally created or hand-drawn designs, and cash prizes will be awarded for first and second place. The overall winning artwork will serve as the official race poster. Submissions are due February 12, 2026. Full contest details are available on the Town Center Community website.
The 2026 event will also include a new tradition: the first-ever community-designed race shirt. Community members can vote on the inaugural shirt design, and to kick things off, this year’s nominees will include past winning poster designs from 2022-2025 races with the winner inspiring the 2026 race shirt. Moving forward, each year’s winning poster design will be used for the race shirt. Voting closes on January 13, 2026. Past posters and the voting link are available on the Town Center Community website.
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Cobb PARKS was recognized by the Cobb Board of Commissioners this week for being named the Agency of the Year by the Georgia Recreation and Park Association.
Department officials and staff were present at Wednesday’s BOC meeting. The agency award is the second given to Cobb in recent years, following 2019, and Cobb PARKS Director Michael Brantley was recognized in 2024 as the GRPA’s Distinguished Professional of the Year.
GRPA is a private, nonprofit institution to support and promote the recreation and park industries within the state of Georgia. According to agenda item for Wednesday’s meeting, it is “the only state organization that serves as an advocate for quality recreation and park areas, facilities, programs and services at the local level.”
The Agency of the Year Award is presented to five population groups within the state. Cobb County is in the largest population category—150,000 and over. More from the agenda item:
“The rating period for the award was September 1, 2024 through August 31, 2025, a year that has been a transformative one for Cobb PARKS, marked by achievements that not only provided improved facilities and operations but also strengthened our commitment to equity, community and quality of life.
“A tremendous number of initiatives and projects — from transformational facilities like the Milford Recreation Center and Rhyne Park, to systemwide upgrades, strategic partnerships and organizational improvements — illustrate a year of growth, innovation and service. Each represents a commitment to ensuring that Cobb’s parks, facilities and programs are not only maintained but continually improved for the benefit of all who call this community home.”
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