The Pope softball team, fresh off winning the Region 7AAAAAA tournament last week, gets to stay at home as the Georgia High School Association state tournament begins this week.
The Greyhounds will play host to Creekview, the defending state champion, on Wednesday in a doubleheader at 5 and 7 p.m. in a best-two-of-three series. A decisive game if necessary also would be at Pope at 6 p.m. Thursday.
Pope blazed through the region with a perfect 14-0 record and is 23-3 for the season. That’s only the second time the Greyhounds have defeated region opponents without a blemish. The other time was in 2014, when Pope won its only state championship.
The 2018 undefeated region campaign was marked with 5 no hitters and 10 shutouts over the course of the 14 games. The 2018 Hounds held a 164 run differential over opponents in region games scoring 169 runs while only surrendering 5 runs over the 14 game span.
The Lassiter softball team won Region 4AAAAAAA and also gets to play host to a first-round series against Peachtree Ridge on Wednesday, also in a doubleheader. The Trojans are 21-4 overall and went 13-2 in the region.
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Only two of the six East Cobb high school football teams were in action Friday, but they made emphatic statements with region play underway.
The Pope Greyhounds blanked Dunwoody 26-0 at the Hound Pound, the first shutout for a Pope varsity team in six years. That’s when current seniors were still in middle school.
Pope played without star receiver Zack Owens, who’s recovering from an injury, and raced to a 20-0 halftime lead.
More importantly, the win gives Pope (2-4 overall) a 2-2 record in Class 6A Region 7 play, with another key game coming on Friday at Johns Creek, which is tied for the region lead at 4-1, 3-0.
After two tough losses in Class 5A Region 7, the Kell Longhorns were off last week. On Friday, at winless Paulding County, they scored the first 33 points of the game and cruised to a 54-20 win.
Isaiah Cruz scored two touchdowns for Kell, which moves to 3-2 and 1-2 in region play, but tougher foes are ahead as the playoff stakes grow.
The Longhorns return home to The Stockyard Friday against region rival Villa Rica, which is tied for second in the region at 4-2, 3-1.
Also coming up on Friday is an East Cobb rivalry game. The Walton Raiders, ranked No. 2 in Class 7A at 5-0, opens its schedule in Region 4 against Lassiter, which is 1-4.
Also ranked in Class 7A is Wheeler, which is 5-0 for the first time in 25 years. The Wildcats will be at home for their Region 2 opener against Newnan (2-3).
Sprayberry is off to a 1-4 start and is 1-2 in Class 6A Region 6. The Yellow Jackets will be at home Friday for a region game against Osborne (0-6, 0-4).
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“Your purpose in life is where your passion is,” said Milton Overton, who became KSU athletics director in the fall of 2017. (East Cobb News photo by Wendy Parker)
While Cobb County’s college football team continues to soar on the field, how those athletes prepare for what they do once they graduate is regarded as just as important.
Milton Overton, the Kennesaw State athletics director, pointed to himself as an example.
“I’m a guy who wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for being able to play football,” said Overton, the guest speaker at Tuesday’s East Cobb Business Association luncheon.
An offensive lineman for the powerhouse team at Oklahoma, he has also earned two master’s degrees and nearly completed his work on a doctorate.
“Education is the great equalizer, the vehicle for many Americans to have success.”
Overton, who arrived at KSU last fall, has enjoyed a 25-year career as a college sports administrator, and at some of the top programs in the country, including Alabama and Texas A & M.
Along the way, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of what it takes for athletes to succeed on the field, as well as away from it.
Like many college athletic departments, KSU has a special program to help with the latter. It’s called “Flight Path,” and Overton stressed how good work habits and discipline for athletes now will help when they’re ready to begin their non-sports work careers.
In the Flight Plan program, KSU student-athletes work with a “career coach” to help them assess post-college working opportunities. Those coaches are local professionals who share information about their fields.
Current student-athletes also hear from KSU graduates who played sports, and who offer practical advice on what it’s like in the adult world.
The highly-regimented schedules of college athletes, Overton said, offer them an opportunity to enter the work world with an advantage.
He said the graduation rate for athletes is often higher than non-athletes at many universities because of additional tutoring and academic services.
If a young person is accustomed to “12-hour days over four years,” he said, he or she is “more than likely with an employer to have a good shot” at securing a good job.
Now the third-largest university in Georgia with nearly 35,000 students, KSU has quickly succeeded since beginning varsity football in 2015.
The Owls, who are ranked fifth nationally in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), reached the national quarterfinals a year ago. Overton recently extended the contract of head coach Brian Bohannon through 2023, and KSU is trying to sell 30,000 tickets for a November game at SunTrust Park.
Overton was hired by then-KSU president Sam Olens after two years as athletics director at Florida A & M, which was undergoing financial struggles.
The FCS designation is just below the Football Bowl Subdivision, where Georgia and Georgia Tech play. Overton said that for now, there’s no desire for KSU to make a move up, as Georgia State has done.
“We want to be where we have a chance to complete,” he said. “If we keep doing what we’re doing, at some point” there may be some consideration. “This school is primed to do some good things,” he said, and not just in sports.
“KSU is a rocket ship,” Overton said. “I’m just trying to hold on.”
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The Raiders moved up from third in the Georgia Sports Writers Association Class 7A poll that was released Tuesday, getting 120 points and edging Grayson, which had been second, by two points. Colquitt County remains on top with 139 points. Two other Cobb schools, McEachern and Hillgrove, also are ranked in the Top 10 this week.
Wheeler, which like Walton is also 4-0, is not. In fact, the Wildcats, the only other unbeaten team from East Cobb, didn’t get any votes at all from the GWSA voters.
But they have a chance to make a statement on Friday at home against Roswell, which received 12 votes, just missing the rankings. Marietta got 13 votes.
Walton will also be at home Friday, against Newnan.
The only other ranked East Cobb team dropped out. Kell, which had been No. 10 in Class 5A, lost to East Paulding last week and still got eight votes, just out of the rankings.
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Dominick Blaylock scored an 11-yard touchdown with 32 seconds left in the game Friday to cap a Walton football comeback in a 27-24 victory over defending state champion North Gwinnett before a national television audience.
Blaylock was already having another marvelous game before he took the snap and raced down the left sideline, bowling over two Bulldog defenders as he pushed his way into the end zone.
It was the last of Blaylock’s three touchdowns, and helped the Raiders, ranked No. 3 in Class 7A, stay unbeaten at 4-0 in their first home game of the season at Raider Valley.
Walton led 7-0 and 14-7 before No. 4 North Gwinnett (2-2) roared back in the second half. The Bulldogs kicked a field goal with 5:42 to go in the game to take a 24-21 lead, setting up a thrilling finish.
The Raiders also played for a time without starting quarterback Austin Kirksey, who went out limping near halftime and returned in the final period.
“These guys just fight and fight and fight for each other,” Walton coach Daniel Brunner said after the game, hugging Blaylock, his baby-faced star who’s bound for the University of Georgia next season.
“I’m so glad I’ve got this dude here, the best player in the state of Georgia,” Brunner said. “He may look sweet, but he sure doesn’t play like it.”
Dominick Blaylock gets Walton on the scoreboard first late in the first quarter. (East Cobb News photos by Wendy Parker)
Blaylock gave Walton a 7-0 lead with 2:15 left in the first quarter on a two-yard run. On its next drive, North Gwinnett answered, with Tyler Goodson finishing off with a short TD for a 7-7 score.
By the time dusk turned to dark, the dramatics heightened.
Walton regained the lead at 14-7 on an eight-yard TD run by Kirksey. But with 29 seconds to play before halftime, he went out of the game, walking gingerly off the field. He was replaced by freshman Zac Rozsman.
Midway in the third quarter, and on fourth down, the Bulldogs drew even at 14-14 on a 38-yard desperation heave from JR Martin to Garrison Minor.
The Walton defense holds on third down.
North Gwinnett, whose only loss last season was to Walton in the Corky Kell Classic, went ahead for the first time at 21-14 with a touchdown with 1:40 left in the third quarter.
At the same time, Kirksey began limbering up on the sideline, as Walton players and coaches tried to figure out how to come from behind. The answer, of course, was with a whole lot of Blaylock, but the Raiders had to climb out of some holes they created for themselves along the way.
Upon Kirksey’s return, he led a drive that resulted in Blaylock’s second touchdown, which made the score 21-21 with 8:41 left in the fourth quarter.
On their next drive, the Raiders were driving deep when a first-down run by KD Alford (below) was nullified because of a penalty. That could have spelled doom for Walton, as well as Kirksey being sacked on the North Gwinnett 45.
That set up a third-and-27 for Walton, and Kirksey hooked up with Blaylock for a first down to the 12. Blaylock finished off the comeback, and the defending state champions, two plays later.
Walton’s defense held off the last chance for the Bulldogs, forcing three incomplete passes, then sacked the quarterback on the last play of the game.
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Back in August we noted that tonight’s Walton-North Gwinnett football game was going to be nationally televised.
That’s still the case, but the outlet has changed, and it’s going to show the game to a bigger audience. Instead of being shown on ESPNU, Raider Valley’s going to be showcased on ESPN2.)
The battle between the No. 3 Raiders (3-0) and No. 4 North Gwinnett (2-1), last year’s Georgia Class 7A state champions, is part of ESPN’sGeico High School Football Showcase.
It’s also the first home game of the season for Walton, and please note that if you’re going, kickoff is at 7 p.m., and not the standard 7:30 p.m.
That’s for television reasons, since the Walton game is the part of a doubleheader.
Last year, Walton defeated North Gwinnett in the Corky Kell Classic in what would be the only defeat of the season for the Bulldogs.
All East Cobb high school football teams are in action after four, including Walton, had bye weeks. Tonight’s other games all start at 7:30 p.m.
Wheeler is also seeking to go 4-0 at Lassiter, which is 1-2. It’s also homecoming for the Trojans. A parade starts at 5:30 p.m. from the Wendy’s on Shallowford Road (near Sandy Plains) and will proceed to the school.
At Pope, it’s the Matt Hobby Game, which we posted here yesterday, and as the Greyhounds are seeking their first win of the season. Sprayberry (1-2), travels to play Harrison (4-0), ranked No. 3 in Class 6A.
Kell, the only other ranked team in East Cobb, is No. 10 in Class 5A and puts its 2-1 record on the line at East Paulding (0-2). Last week the Longhorns fell 35-6 at home to top-ranked Rome, the 2017 Class 5A state champion.
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The Chattahoochee National Recreation Area is getting out word today that the Johnson Ferry South trails and loop will be closed most of this week for routine maintenance and construction.
A social media message said there will be heavy equipment and trenching operations near map post JS3 and JS4 (which are closest to trail access on Columns Drive), and that work is expected to be done by Saturday.
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Thanks to Meggan Muller, a French teacher at Wheeler High School, for the photos and info about the Cobb Cross Country Championship over the weekend at Allatoona Creek Park in Acworth.
The individual boys winner was Wheeler’s Alex Dyck (pictured at right, above, with teammate Daniel Reis). Alex’s winning time was 16:05.72, and the week before that he was the winner at the Run at the Rock race in Cartersville.
Reis finished in 10th at the Cobb meet and was second at the Run of the Rock. Pictured below is Virginia Miller, a Wheeler freshman who was ninth in the Cobb junior varsity race, also over the weekend.
In the team standings, the Pope boys and the Walton girls finished second.
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From Cobb Parks and Rec is a reminder of the Terrell Mill Park adult coed ultimate frisbee season that’s soon to be underway, and with a registration deadline approaching:
The ultra-fun Coed Ultimate Frisbee league is returning for fall season! The league will be held at Terrell Mill Park on Monday nights. Each team will play 7 games plus a single elimination tournament. Teams consist of 5 males and 2 females. Games will be one 90-minute time period to 15 points each week, starting at either 7pm or 8:30pm.
Registration is in progress through September 10th. If you don’t have a team, you can register individually at the Atlanta Disc Flying Club’s website. Team fees are $150 and teams can register at the PARKS registration page. Games will begin Monday, September 17th. Be sure to join in the fun!
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Two East Cobb rivalry games headlined Friday night’s high school football action, and they turned into convincing wins.
Walton routed Pope 35-3 and Kell dispatched Lassiter 29-3.
After sputtering early–including losing a fumble near the Pope goal line—Walton settled down by the end of the first quarter.
That’s when running back KD Stokes scored the first of his two short touchdown runs. Brandon Spencer ran back an interception 50 yards for a touchdown as the Raiders, ranked No. 4 in Class 7A, improved to 3-0 on the season.
A fourth quarter field goal by Hudson Standfest was all the scoring for the Greyhounds (0-2).
At Kell, the homestanding Longhorns gave up the opening points of the game on a Lassiter field goal.
But quarterback Evan Conley threw for two touchdowns and Logan Flesher booted three field goals for Kell (3-0). Lassiter fell to 1-2.
The game was delayed in the third quarter when Lassiter defensive back Evan Manring was injured and taken off the field on a stretcher. Both teams gathered together at midfield for a prayer.
Sprayberry (1-2) earned its first victory of the year in stirring fashion, driving more than 95 yards late in the game to defeat South Cobb 28-27 on the road. After Isiah Abbey scored a touchdown at the end of a long drive, QB Aaron Bibbins ran in the 2-point conversion.
Wheeler is now 3-0 after pulling out a last-ditch 31-24 win at Shiloh.
Quarterback Chidi Ogbonna threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Kiasa Trabue with 1:15 to play in the fourth quarter.
Next week, Kell stays at home for an important region game against Rome. The Longhorns are ranked No. 10 in Class 5A, but the Wolves are second, and are coming off a 35-0 win over North Clayton.
In the only other game for an East Cobb team on Friday, Pope will play at Centennial. Walton, Lassiter, Wheeler and Sprayberry all will have a bye week.
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By the end of the week the Walton volleyball team is facing a fundraising deadline for a trip that will take them to three elite tournaments out West in September.
The Lady Raiders have dominated high school volleyball in Georgia for years, and are seeking their fourth consecutive Georgia High School Association title.
They’re also coming off national championships, as voted by PrepVolleyball and Max Preps, and are looking to test their prowess early in the new season. They’ll be participating in a “Tour of Champions” that will take them to Nevada, Arizona and California.
For several weeks they’ve been soliciting funds and sponsorships to help support their trip, having reached 70 percent of their goal. That’s nearly $15,000, but the goal is $22,000, and Friday is the deadline for the fundraising effort.
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Renovations to a concession stand building and some dugouts at Sewell Park are being proposed at Tuesday night’s Cobb Board of Commissioners meeting.
The Cobb Parks and Recreation Department says the upgrades have been earmarked in the 2011 SPLOST at a combined cost of $45,191, based on low bids received.
Needed enovations to the main concession stand building include restroom and storage space upgrades, as well as a new paint job and replacing windows. It overlooks Field 3, the main tournament field for the East Marietta National Little League.
Another agenda item would replace the dugout roofs at fields 5A and 5B, which are used for younger age-level games. Those dugouts currently have fabric tarp roofs that require maintenance and replacement. The proposed new roofs are metal.
It’s considered the centerpiece of the park, and the Mabry Park Master Plan calls for a farm theme for the playground to conform to the surroundings that were once park of the Mabry family farm.
On the consent agenda is an item for the commissioners to approve a new Cobb parks master plan for 2018-2028, an action that was delayed from earlier this summer.
One other item that’s sports-and-rec related: At the start of the meeting commissioners will recognize the Sandy Plains Prowlers 12-under baseball team, which recently had a standout tournament in Cooperstown, N.Y., that we wrote about earlier.
Tuesday’s meeting starts at 7 p.m. in the 2nd floor board room of the Cobb government building, 100 Cherokee St. in downtown Marietta.
The agenda is long and hefty, since a previous business meeting scheduled for this month was cancelled. You can read all that’s on tap here, and we’ll be reporting on some of those actions.
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Jeremiah Pruitte (right) gets a high-five and more after his first touchdown catch for Wheeler. (East Cobb News photos and video by Wendy Parker)
Jeremiah Pruitte caught two touchdown passes and Taylor Smith ran back an interception 91 yards for another score as Wheeler defeated Sprayberry 40-20 Friday Night.
The Wildcats (2-0) were playing their first game at home. Sprayberry had the early momentum on its first drive but fumbled near the Wheeler goal line, and the Wildcats recovered.
Wheeler struck right away, with Zack Atkins scoring on a long touchdown pass.
Myles Worthy sets up Sprayberry’s first touchdown in the first quarter.
Sprayberry scored a touchdown on its next possession when Aaron Bibbins ran into the end zone on quarterback keeper. But Wheeler blocked the extra point to make the score 7-6.
Although they mounted a comeback in the second half, the Yellow Jackets (0-2) would get no closer.
It was the first game between Sprayberry and Wheeler since 2013.
The Wildcats got big plays all night when they needed them, this one on an open-field run by JD Thomas (12), who also scored a touchdown.Young Wheeler fans line up before the game to greet the Wildcats. Deonte Trotman gains against Wheeler’s defense as Sprayberry tried to close a 31-13 deficit in the third quarter.Pruitte (13), a receiver who’s 6-foot-6, was tough for Sprayberry’s defense to handle all night.
Pruitte’s second touchdown pass from Chidi Ogbonna came with 2:02 to play in the third quarter, and gave Wheeler a 31-13 lead.
Sprayberry fought back in the fourth quarter, as Bibbins scored another touchdown on a keeper to make the score 31-20.
But he made some crucial mistakes down the stretch. The Jackets were driving to Wheeler’s goal line when he was intercepted by Derrick Dunn. Later, he was sacked in the end zone for a safety.
With the score 33-20, Sprayberry was knocking on the door again in the final minute of the game. Bibbins aimed a pass toward the goal line, but Wheeler’s Taylor Smith reached up and picked the ball off, then ran it back 91 yards for a TD and the final scoring of the night.
A pleasant, picturesque evening for Friday Night Lights in East Cobb.
In other games involving East Cobb teams, Walton came from behind on the road to defeat Collins Hill 29-25.
In another East Cobb rivalry game, Pope led Lassiter 7-0 at halftime, and then the Trojans scored two touchdowns to take a 14-7 lead.
The Greyhounds came back with a touchdown of their own, but missed the extra point. Lassiter added another touchdown late for a 20-13 win.
Two more East Cobb rivalry games take place next week. Lassiter remains at home against Kell, which was off this week. Pope’s home opener next Friday is against Walton.
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The high school football season for East Cobb teams concluded with a bang Saturday morning at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta.
The Kell Longhorns led 36-21 in the fourth quarter of the Corky Kell Classic, then almost frittered away that advantage.
East Coweta narrowed the score to 36-28, then got possession on an onside kick and scored a touchdown in the dying seconds to trail 36-34.
However, a two-point play that would have tied the game was broken up by Stefan Green, and Kell ran out the clock to claim a 36-34 win.
A quarterback draw by Evan Conley, Kell’s talented senior quarterback, earlier in the fourth quarter provided the winning margin.
The Longhorns are off next week.
In the second game of the day, the Walton Raiders fell behind Mill Creek early. Then the senior duo of Austin Kirksey and Dominick Blaylock went to work.
Kirksey, the quarterback, threw to Blaylock for three touchdowns and scored two of his own on the run as the Raiders won going away, 48-27.
Walton, ranked in the Top 10 in Class 7-A in several pre-season polls, plays a second consecutive game against a Gwinnett County team when it travels to Collins Hill next week.
On Friday, Wheeler opened its season on the road, and came away with a 28-14 win at Lambert.
Sprayberry was playing at home in its season opener, but fell to South Forsyth 26-6.
Next Friday, Sprayberry visits Wheeler in an all-East Cobb rivalry game.
The other East Cobb team completing Friday night was Lassiter, which was routed at home 48-0 by Harrison.
Next Friday, the Trojans will play host to Pope, which did not play this week.
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Former Pope softball star Kelly Barnhill had a special unveiling on the left field wall before Friday’s doubleheader against Sequoyah and North Paulding.
She was home in East Cobb for only a few days this week after helping the USA softball national team win the World Championships in Japan and qualify for the 2020 Olympics.
“It’s just nice coming home and being around people who helped make me who I am,” Barnhill said, mentioning family, friends and her former Pope coaches.
Barnhill got to throw out the first pitch, and met with fans and signed autographs.
Barnhill, who was the 2017 national college player of the year at the University of Florida, returns to Gainesville on Saturday.
The Greyhounds rallied for two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to win the first game 5-3 over Sequoyah. In the nightcap, North Paulding won as Pope’s record is now 4-2 on the season.
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Fresh off a Team USA performance that resulted in Olympic qualification, former Pope softball star Kelly Barnhill will be making a homecoming visit on Friday.
The University of Florida pitching standout will appear at the Greyhounds’ home game on Friday against Sequoyah.
The game starts at 6 p.m. and admission is free. Barnhill will be throwing out the first pitch, meeting fans and signing autographs.
Barnhill, who led Pope to its first Georgia state championship in 2014, was part of the U.S. team that last week repeated as world champions. That resulted in an automatic berth for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
Olympic softball is returning after being dropped in 2008. Barnhill has been a gold medalist for Team USA in the 2016 and now 2018 world championship tournaments.
Here’s what she posted on social media after the Americans’ victory in Japan over the weekend:
Even after softball was taken out of the Olympics after 2008, I refused to give up on my dream of representing my country on the world’s largest stage. Now 10 years later, we are qualified for Tokyo 2020. Dreams do come true! The real work begins now. #RoadtoTokyo2020https://t.co/MwYX6UWoXa
She will be a senior at Florida, where she has been an All-American and in 2017 was the national college player of the year.
The Greyhounds, who were playing Cambridge at home on Tuesday, have started the season with a 1-1 record. They also play at Chattahoochee on Thursday before the Friday game honoring Barnhill.
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The Walton Raiders will open their season again at the Corky Kell Classic, along with the Kell Longhorns, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (East Cobb News file photo)
Earlier this week we reported from the East Cobb Pigskin Preview breakfast about what the coaches of East Cobb high school football teams had to say about their squads.
Friday scrimmages were the final tuneups as five of the six teams get started with regular season games starting this week.
On Friday, three teams will be in action. The Lassiter Trojans are playing at home against Harrison; Sprayberry plays at South Forsyth; and Wheeler visits Lambert. Kickoff times are all at 7:30 p.m.
On Saturday is the return of the Corky Kell Classic, to be played at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta, and it will be an early morning for the Kell Longhorns and Walton Raiders.
The Longhorns play at 9 a.m. against East Coweta, followed at 11:45 a.m. by Walton against Mill Creek. If you can’t attend, here is viewing information.
The Pope Greyhounds don’t get started until next Friday, Aug. 24, when they play at Lassiter in the first all-East Cobb game of the season.
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Walton football coach Daniel Brunner welcomes back many talented players from last year’s 11-1 team including Dominick Blaylock (third from left), a star wide receiver who’s heading to UGA. (East Cobb News photo by Wendy Parker)
At the East Cobb Pigksin Preview breakfast Thursday morning, high school football coaches took time out from pre-school weightlifting, teaching and other activities to share their thoughts on the coming season with community business leaders.
The breakfast was held by the East Cobb Area Council of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce at the Indian Hills Country Club. Coaches brought key players and school administrators also attended.
All six coaches from last season are back, after four of the six East Cobb high schools introduced new coaches last year. Here are brief overviews five of the coaches gave about their teams at the breakfast. Kell High School coaches were not in attendance.
Jep Irwin, Lassiter (6-4 in 2017)
Jep Irwin is in his 10th season as Lassiter coach.
The Trojans will be without a seasoned quarterback for the first time in many years. “No one on our roster has any varsity experience,” Irwin said. One of those vying for the starting job “needs to step forward” to fill a leadership role and to provide confidence for the rest of the team.
“We lost a lot of seniors, the skill players on offense, and we will be young in the secondary.”
Lassiter is playing a home scrimmage Friday against Sprayberry at 7 p.m. Season opener is Aug. 17 against Harrison.
Brett Vavra, Sprayberry (2-8 in 2017)
The second-year coach said creating a culture of “old school football” has been the Yellow Jackets’ priority during the off-season, and they’ve addressed those changes in the weight room and with their strength and conditioning program.
“We want to become a more physical football team,” said Vavra, a former Sprayberry player. The team’s motto is “TPW,” or “Tough People Win,” and it’s about instilling mental as well as physical toughness.
Sprayberry was young last season, and graduated nine seniors. Now there are around 30 seniors, and 19 starters are returning.
“I think we have the tools to win some games,” Vavra said. “But we’re not just about wanting to win. We’ve got an awesome group of players who have been working hard. I can’t wait to see how it translates on the field.”
Tab Griffin, Pope (4-7 in 2017)
Pope’s Zack Owens has signed to play college football at Georgia Tech.
The Greyhounds reached the playoffs in their first season under Tab Griffin a former Pope player. Senior wide receiver Zack Owens, is a versatile two-way player, and pre-season practices have emphasized how to efficiently use his talents.
“He’s our go-to guy, he’s going to touch the football,” Griffin said, adding that Owens may see less time as a defensive back because of Pope’s grueling schedule. It calls for 10 consecutive games without a bye week.
Pope has 15 starters returning. “We want to take the mindset that we have a playoff caliber team,” Griffin said. “Our schedule isn’t favorable for that, but as I tell our players, that’s life.”
Daniel Brunner, Walton (11-1 in 2017)
After reaching the state playoffs, the Raiders will step into an even brighter spotlight in 2018. And not just because the Raiders have many of their key players returning, including UGA-bound wide receiver Dominick Blaylock.
On Sept. 14, Walton plays host to defending Class 7-A state champion North Gwinnett at Raider Valley, in a game to be nationally televised on ESPN. The Raiders were the only team to defeat North Gwinnett last season. Brunner said keeping distractions to a minimum will be essential.
“It’s a good platform for our kids and branding for our program and for our sport in the state,” Brunner, a former Walton assistant, said of the North Gwinnett game. “But it’s all about the process” and keeping to a disciplined regimen for what could be another banner season in Raider Valley.
Brunner said of 2017, his first year at the helm, “we had a successful season because we didn’t have drama.”
One concern he has is that Walton will be young and inexperienced on the offensive line.
Michael Collins, Wheeler (2-8 in 2017)
“We were rebuilding last year with lots of young guys,” Collins said. But the Wildcats were competitive in some of those close games they lost, and he’s looking for better results this year.
“I love coaching this team,” said Collins, who is starting his 10th season at Wheeler. “They’re young, and they have very high character.”
Wheeler opens the season on Aug. 17 at Lambert and plays its first home game the following week in its traditional East Cobb rivalry against Sprayberry.
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The Sprayberry Yellow Jackets will start another season of high school sports as East Cobb softball teams swing into action this week.
The Yellow Jackets are playing at home tonight at 7 against Sequoyah, following a JV game between the two schools at 5:30 p.m.
Clay Ardeeser, new Sprayberry softball coach
Sprayberry is coming off a 10-15 season in 2017 and will have a new coach. He is Clay Ardeeser, a former baseball assistant coach at North Springs High School, and his appointment was announced July 22.
After several away games over the next week, Sprayberry returns home Aug. 14 to play Osborne.
On Wednesday, the Pope Greyhounds also open their season at home at Harrison at 5:30 p.m.
Pope, a longtime state powerhouse, is coming off a 30-6 record, which was its best winning percentage for a season in school history, and earned a trip to the Class 6-A finals in Columbus. But the Greyhounds lost several standout players to graduation.
They do have four players who were named to the 7-AAAAAA All-Region team: third baseman Zoe Laneaux, pitchers Hallie Adams and Trinity Pizzutti and shortstop Gracie Kittrell.
Laneaux and Adams were both named 1st team All-State in 2017 by the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association and Adams was named Cobb County Pitcher of the Year.
This is the 12th season for Pope coach Chris Turco, who is 241-125-2.
The other East Cobb teams will either start their seasons or play their home openers next week.
Kell plays at home next Monday against Hiram.
Lassiter is home to Brookwood on Tuesday, Aug. 14, and Walton is home against Norcross the same day.
Wheeler’s home opener is next Wednesday, Aug. 15, against Riverwood.
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A record total of 694 people took part Saturday morning in the 13th East Cobb Rotary Club Dog Days Run, which started and ended at the East Cobb-McCleskey Family YMCA.
The 5K event took place along East Piedmont Road and Sewell Mill Road before winding back along Roswell Road to the YMCA. The proceeds will benefit a number of East Cobb charities, including School Mates Literacy Project, Canine Assistance, Aids Awareness, The Center for Family Resources, Cobb County Public Safety and Kids2Leaders Inc.
Runners were cooled off by the Cobb Fire Department as they made the final turn back into the YMCA.
Post-race refreshments included bottled water, donuts and plenty of bananas. Local businesses, including Honest-1 Auto Care, Tuxedo Pest Control, Cheek Dental, Dentistry of East Piedmont, Fitness Together East Cobb, Big Peach Running Co., MDE School, Dermatology Consultants and The Solana East Cobb had information booths.
Also on hand were members of East Cobb Robotics, who later shot small rubber balls into the souvenir-seeking crowds.
Blooper, the Atlanta Braves mascot, also turned out for the festivities.
Some of the top winners. Medals were awarded across all age groups, ranging from under 10 to the 80s. There even was a woman runner who is 99 years old.
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Isaiah Cruz scored two touchdowns for Kell, which moves to 3-2 and 1-2 in region play, but tougher foes are ahead as the playoff stakes grow.
Sprayberry (1-2) earned its first victory of the year in stirring fashion, driving more than 95 yards late in the game to defeat South Cobb 28-27 on the road. After Isiah Abbey scored a touchdown at the end of a long drive, QB Aaron Bibbins ran in the 2-point conversion.
“We were rebuilding last year with lots of young guys,” Collins said. But the Wildcats were competitive in some of those close games they lost, and he’s looking for better results this year.
