Mike and Mary Lutzenkirchen, the parents of Philip Lutzenkirchen, at the 2017 Lutzie 43 Road Race at Lassiter High School (East Cobb News file photo).
The Lutzie 43 Foundation is once again holding the Lutzie 43 Road Race at Lassiter High School (here’s last year’sEast Cobb News coverage).
The event honors the memory of Philip Lutzenkirchen, the former Lassiter and Auburn football star who died at the age of 23 in a 2014 drunken driving crash.
Both he and the driver of a truck that crashed near LaGrange on June 30, 2014 were intoxicated.
The foundation, headed by his father Mike Lutzenkirchen, raises funds and awareness to help young people with character development and making good decisions. He speaks often to youth groups around the South, including college athletic teams.
The Lutzie 43 Road Race is presented by Jim Ellis Kia of Kennesaw, and here’s what the foundation wants you to know about the event. The race proceeds benefit the foundation and the East Cobb Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter:
Our race features a 5K race and one-mile kids’ fun run. The race starts and finishes at Lassiter High School’s Lutzie Field in Marietta, GA.
This race is for everyone! Bring your whole family, friends, dogs, and anyone who wants to have fun! Every runner gets an official race t-shirt!
Prices: July 5-August 4 Students – $30 Adults – $43
Here’s more about how to sign up for the Lutzie 43 Road Race that includes a “virtual race” option for those who can’t make it in person, and a link to a t-shirt sale that’s raising funds for the foundation.
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A Cobb greenways and trails master plan that would include extensions of the existing Johnson Ferry Trail and Noonday Creek Trail in East Cobb was approved last week by the Cobb Board of Commissioners.
The master plan, developed by Cobb DOT after more than a year of open houses and public feedback sessions, is the first for the county, and features the following components:
increasing connectivity between existing trails;
having trails in all six Cobb cities;
having 92 percent of all existing county parks within a mile of a trail;
having 57 percent of Cobb’s total population also within a mile of a trail.
The master plan also calls for eight “priority trail” projects, including the Johnson Ferry and Noonday Creek trails.
The Noonday Creek extension would cover 3.6 miles almost to the Cherokee County line, at an estimated cost between $11.1 million and $12.2 million.
The approval of the Cobb greenways and trails master plan does not include any additional funding for any projects that may be developed. Those matters would be taken up separately.
The commissioners also were briefed last week about the recommendations for a new Cobb parks master plan for 2018-2028, but there wasn’t a vote taken.
The proposed “investment” over that 10-year period, by a design firm hired to do a master plan study, comes to $239.8 million. The majority of the recommended spending, around $158 million, would be for new facilities and green space development. Another $80 million would be for maintenance of existing facilities.
the creation of an administrative services division;
the creation of a park maintenance plan;
the adoption of a comprehensive revenue policy;
enhanced branding and marketing to help generate revenues;
establishing a rental system for pavilion use;
increasing user fees;
expanded programming for fee generation;
assessing a per-participant maintenance fee;
increase staffing of Cobb Police Park Ranger staff.
Approval of the master plan was put on hold due to questions from commissioners. Approval makes it a “working document” for the county, but funding and spending issues are done in a separate process.
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“He really has reinvented himself over the past couple of years. He really has adopted a new work ethic. He got himself in shape.”
Underwood, 23, received a $1 million signing bonus when he was drafted by the Cubs in 2012, after leading Pope to the Georgia high school playoffs and starring for the East Cobb Astros.
He passed up a scholarship offer to the University of Georgia to become one of the first major prospects chosen by general manager Theo Epstein, who assembled the Cubs’ team that won the 2016 World Series.
Underwood has been touted as the first home-grown pitching prospect to have a crack at the Cubs’ rotation since Epstein took over. But he’s been inconsistent in his professional career and has had some sore arm issues. He is 3-7 in Iowa in his first season at the Triple-A minor league level, which is right below the majors.
Underwood admitted in an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times that he’s felt the frustration of his struggles:
“Things weren’t going my way, and I was playing the blame game instead of just looking in the mirror. . . I think I’m on the right path right now.”
His call-up to the Cubs is temporary as he was filling in for a pitcher who had been on parental leave.
But those tracking Underwood’s progress believe it’s only a matter of time before he’ll come back up to the Cubs to stay.
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Thanks to Anne Pitts, incoming president of the East Cobb Rotary, which is staging its 13th annual Dog Days Run Aug. 4 at the East Cobb-McCleskey Family YMCA (1055 East Piedmont Road), for the submitted information about the event. Here’s the online sign-up page if you want to run/walk on what’s becoming one of East Cobb’s biggest 5K events.
Last year we raised over $92,000 that we used to support local non-profits and many school programs in our community.
We expect 800-1,000 runners and their families at the race and after-race festivities. Our purpose for the event is to raise money for local charities or charities with local impact. Last year, the money raised supported the Rally Foundation (childhood cancer research), REAP (improving reading proficiency in public schools), Lekotek (empowering children with special needs) and more than 30 other charitable organizations that make a positive impact in the Cobb County community. Additionally, we have committed $35,000 over 3 years to help Wheeler High School start and implement an AVID program which directs college-preparatory assistance to students of lower socio-economic backgrounds.
Not only do we raise the funds, our members actually help put these funds to work, by serving as volunteers for many of the projects financed. Dog Days funds allow us to sponsor Interact Clubs (youth service organizations) at Wheeler and Walton High School, students at Lassiter and Wheeler High Schools to participate in the National Laws of Life Contest which spans the academic year and culminates in the contest in the spring, and we are able to sponsor 4 students from Walton and Wheeler High School each year to attend Rotary Youth Leadership Camp in the summer. The students that attend this camp tell me that it is by far their best experience, and they are lit up and ready to bring positive changes to their communities.
You can also register at Big Peach Running Company (1062 Johnson Ferry Road) or via regular mail at this link by July 22; early registration is $20 through July 28. After that, including race day, it’s $30.
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The Pope baseball team has won a second consecutive Georgia High School Association Class 6A championship, but it didn’t look like that was going to happen after a doubleheader in Rome on Tuesday.
The Greyhounds lost the first game to Allatoona 11-9 and trailed 4-2 with two outs their final at-bat in the nightcap.
Pope tied up the series 1-1 with an 8-4 win in 11 innings to force a decisive third game on Wednesday.
In the top of the seventh inning, Pope was holding on to a tight 3-2 lead when the Greyhounds erupted again, scoring seven runs and claiming the title with a 10-2 win.
Pope, which finished the season with a 34-8 record, also has won state championships in 2009 and 2013 under coach Jeff Rowland, and was state runner-up in 2016.
The team members are:
Andrew Bowman, Jackson Brown, Jordan Butler, Grayson Caldwell, Sammy Cohen, Harris East, Noah Estroff, Andrew Feld, Buddy Floyd, Connor Frost, Ian Hancock, Andrew Herlitz, Tommy Hutchins, Antonio Jareno, Will Lantis, Scotty LeSieur, Max Pralgo, Ethan Rezendes, Reid Robertson, Luke Schnurr, Nate Shipley, Caden Smith and James Tibbs.
A celebratory video was shot by Pope softball coach Chris Turco:
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Former Walton baseball star Spencer Kieboom is back in Major League Baseball, and is staying longer than his first call-up.
Kieboom got his first major league hit over the weekend for the Washington Nationals, and he’s already played in two games.
He made his big-league debut in 2016 for Washington, but played in only one game and drew a walk. Kieboom, who played with his highly regarded brothers at Walton and later at Clemson, was called up earlier this month when catcher Matt Wieters went on the injured list.
Kieboom was batting .250 at Syracuse, the Nationals’ top farm team, and where he played part of the 2017 season.
Now 27, Kieboom was drafted by the Nationals in 2012, and a year later suffered a major injury to his throwing elbow that required “Tommy John” surgery that’s typically endured by pitchers (examples: former Braves Kris Medlen, Brandon Beachy and Jonny Venters).
His younger brother Carter Kieboom also was drafted by the Nationals in 2016, and is currently playing for the Potomoc Nationals, hitting .275 with six homeruns. That’s in Class A, an entry level professional league. He’s considered one of the top minor league prospects in all of baseball.
Another brother, Trevor Kieboom, also played at Walton and Clemson and finished at UGA. He’s 24 and is a sports agent at Vanguard Sports Group in Atlanta.
Spencer Kieboom could be in a Washington uniform when the Nationals come to play the Atlanta Braves next weekend. Wieters had hamstring surgery and is expected to be out for at least eight weeks.
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The end of the school year means the end of prep sports in Georgia, and several East Cobb high school teams are still in action with quite a bit at stake
The Walton girls and boys golf teams are competing Monday and Tuesday in the Georgia High School Association Class 7A state championships in Tifton, and Moultrie, respectively. The Lassiter boys also are in the hunt.
On Tuesday, the Pope baseball team will try to defend its Class 6A GHSA state title in Rome in a finals series against fellow Cobb County school Allatoona.
For the Greyhounds and Buccaneers, there’s also something else that could be riding on the outcome of their best-of-three series: the overall championship in all-sports standings for Class 6A, compiled by the Georgia Athletic Directors Association.
The competition is called the Directors’ Cup, and the awards go to schools receiving the most points in overall, boys and girls competitions.
In the current Class 6A standings, Allatoona is third with 955 points, and Pope is fourth with 940 points. The winner of the baseball title will get 100 points, and the runner-up will receive 90.
Pope’s Region 7 rival Alpharetta (1007 points) and Harrison (992) hold down first and second places, respectively. The Harrison girls and the Allatoona boys both have teams competing in the golf championships.
Pope earned the 2017 Directors’ Cup for Class 6A.
The Walton girls, led by their dominating volleyball and tennis teams that repeated as state champions, currently lead the Directors’ Cup standings in Class 7A with 669 points. But Lambert High School of Forsyth County, which downed Lassiter Saturday to win the girls Class 7A state lacrosse championship, is right behind with 601 points, and is vying for its sixth straight state title in girls golf.
Walton is 5th overall in Directors’ Cup standings in Class 7A, and Lassiter is 9th. On the boys’ side, Lassiter is 9th and Walton is 12th. The Lassiter girls are 13th.
In the 6A boys standings, Pope is 8th, and the Greyhounds’ girls are 5th.
In Class 5A, Kell finished its sports season in 11th place overall, while the boys were 15th and the girls were 9th.
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After it looked like Wheeler basketball star E.J. Montgomery might attend Duke University, the Wildcats’ high school All-American announced on Monday he will sign with the University of Kentucky instead.
In addition to Duke, Montgomery also was considering North Carolina and Vanderbilt. He’s the latest Wheeler star to commit to a major-college program, and the lineage is a rich one that includes a number of past and present NBA players, including most recently Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics.
Montgomery is considered one of the Top 10 high school players in the country in most recruiting rankings, and like many of that caliber, may end up playing only a year in college before turning pro. Brown, now in his second season in the NBA, played only one season at California.
Kentucky’s Calipari has embraced the “one-and-done” model, as has Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski. Calipari also has coached several post players at Kentucky who’ve gone on to NBA stardom, including Anthony Davis and DaMarcus Cousins.
According to the Lexington Herald-Leader, Montgomery decided on Kentucky after Calipari paid an in-home visit on Sunday.
Montgomery recently played in the McDonald’s High School All-American game at Philips Arena (see video highlights below).
As a senior at Wheeler, Montgomery averaged 26 points and 13 rebounds. The Wildcats were 18-11 and reached the quarterfinals of the state tournament in their first season under coach Larry Thompson. He succeeded Doug Lipscomb, who led Wheeler to six state titles in 25 seasons.
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To follow up on our story from last weekend about the East Cobb-based Peachtree Curling Association (Facebook page): They’re having a “lock-in” event to watch the U.S. men’s Olympic team face Sweden in the gold-medal match very late tonight.
Since that’s in Korea, it means overnight here, and to specific it’s 1:30 a.m. local time. The Peachtree Curling rink is located at 4880 Lower Roswell Road, right behind the Marietta Ice Center and East Cobb Library.
They had a tailgate for the semifinals, which the Americans won in an upset over Canada to reach their first-ever gold-medal match.
Keep in mind that if you’d like to watch in person, to bundle up before you come: Low temperatures overnight tonight are expected in the 60s, but the curling building will be cold, only 45 degrees. It probably will feel even colder with the ice temps at 25 degrees.
In addition to wearing a jacket or coat, it might not be a bad idea to bring a cap and gloves and to wear socks, as we found out the hard way.
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The Peachtree Curling Association offered adult clinics Saturday and has a free kids clinic from 2-5 Sunday. (East Cobb News photos by Wendy Parker)
While mild winter weather was expected to reach into the 70s on Saturday, a couple dozen people huddled inside the Peachtree Curling Association facility in East Cobb, bundled up in jackets and pullovers.
“Sweep! Sweep!” shouted Canadian Olympic gold medalist Jamie Korab during a clinic at the club’s climate-controlled building behind the Marietta Ice Center and Parkaire Landing Shopping Center.
Inside the building, the temperatures are 45 degrees. On the nearly two inches of ice that extends over 9,000 square feet, it’s 25 degrees.
While the Winter Olympics continue in South Korea, the Peachtree club is using the occasion to spread the gospel of curling, and it’s one that several members admittedly have been soaking up in recent years.
Jamie Korab won a gold medal for Canada in curling at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.
One of them is Jessica Sammis of Lilburn, who commutes regularly to the only curling rink in Georgia. She got interested in curling after watching the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, which sparked greater interest below the Canadian border (curling became an official Olympic medal sport in 1998).
“It’s a very approachable sport,” said Sammis, a former PCA board member.
Not only are the equipment costs low, she said, “this is something that you can come out and start learning to do in a short amount of time. But it takes a lifetime to master.”
In curling, participants aim a 42-pound stone down a straight line, for a distance of 148 feet, scoring points for how close they can come to placing the stones in the center rings at the other end of the ice.
Altering the direction and the speed of the stones is where the sweeping comes in, and Saturday’s clinic broke down the fundamentals in very elementary ways.
After learning how to “throw” the stone—which is polished granite and made in Scotland, the sport’s ancestral home—participants were instructed in sweeping. While the motion looks similar to what you might do at home on your kitchen floor, the equipment isn’t something you can pick up at a retail store.
“This is the only sweeping I do,” joked Sammis.
She was among the organizers of the Peachtree Curling Association, which got started in 2015, and then got word that a youth hockey rink behind the Marietta Ice Center might be closed.
The curling group offered to turn the rink into a dedicated curling facility. After the building was donated, more than 40 volunteers worked to bring it to curling specifications.
The non-profit Peachtree Curling Association is one of 165 curling groups in 43 states, according to USA Curling, and has around 75 members. Nationwide, the national governing body claims 20,000 members.
“The vast majority of our club members started after the Olympics four years ago,” said Bob Hogan, current president of the Peachtree Curling Association. What he likes about the sport is how it draws participants of all ages, and that range was evident at Saturday’s clinic.
He’s played with his family, including daughters in their early 20s.
The U.S. has only one medal in curling, a bronze in 2006, in a sport dominated at the international level by Canada and northern European nations. Exposing youngsters to the basics is a major component of USA Curling’s outreach.
Sunday’s clinic for kids ages 11-18 will take place from 2-5 p.m. and is free.
Other adult clinics continue Saturday at 3:30 and 7 p.m., and the cost is $30 a person.
The group also offers beginner (101) and intermdiate (201) clinics during its “season,” which continues into May. The building is closed during the summer, and reopens in October.
The Peachtree Curling Assocation is located at 4880 Lower Roswell Road, Suite 910.
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For the first time in school history, the Pope girls swimming team has won a state championship.
The Greyhounds edged Johns Creek, 349 points to 338 points, to win the Georgia High School Association Class 6A title at Georgia Tech on Saturday.
Pope swimmer Sarah Sorensen won individual state crowns in the 100-yard freestyle and 100-yard backstroke, and her teammate Mady Bragg won the girls 200-yard freestyle.
Sorensen, Bragg, Julia Keith and Anna Prestel took the 6A championship in the 400-yard freestyle relay event.
The Walton girls were attempting a second consecutive state championship in Class 7A, but placed third with 282 points, behind Brookwood and Lambert. The Lassiter girls were sixth, with 213 points.
The Raiders’ 200-yard freestyle relay team of Jasmin Hoffman, Abby Belinski, Jami Williams and Melissa Cox won the 7A state title. Hoffman and Cox finished 1-2 in the 50-yard freestyle finals and they were 2-3, respectively, in the 100-yard freestyle.
Williams was second in the 100-yard backstroke, and Walton diver Mackenna Buchanan won the 1-meter springboard event.
In the boys competition, Lassiter finished second in the Class 7A team results with 304.5 points, which Brookwood won easily with 404 points. The Pope boys were fourth in Class 6A with 283 points.
Sprayberry’s Ananda Lin won the state championship in the Class 6A 100-yard freestyle event with a time of 44.66. He also was second in the 200-yard finals. Other top finishers from East Cobb schools in their respective classifications:
Boys 200-yard medley relay: Pope, 2nd (Mitchell Hunt, Langston Weddington, Ben Prestel, Gabe Lacasella);
Boys 1-meter diving: Casey Harrison, Pope, 2nd;
Boys 200-yard freestyle: Parker Ciaramella, Lassiter, 3rd;
Boys 50-yard freestyle: Jordan Dunn, Lassiter, 3rd;
Girls 100-yard butterfly: Sophie Taylor, Lassiter, 2nd;
Boys 100-yard freestyle: Brendan Hausdorf, Lassiter, 2nd;
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Players, coaches and parent volunteers from all high schools in the county were honored at the Cobb County Touchdown Club dinner Sunday night.
The dinner was at the Atlanta Marriott Northwest Hotel. From Walton, Daniel Brunner was named coach of the year, Dominick Blaylock was named offensive player of the year and Austin Kirksey was named quarterback of the year.
Although the Raiders finished 11-1 and reached the second round of the state playoffs, they were not named the Cobb team of the year. That went to McEachern, which reached the Class AAAAAAA semifinals.
Walton’s Chris Hirschfield was named offensive coach of the year and Raiders player Cole Arendsen was named 48 Minute Man of the Year. From Lassiter, Derrik Allen was named defensive back of the year.
On the all-county offensive and defense teams of the year, the following East Cobb players were recognized:
Evan Conley, QB, Kell;
Josiah Futral, RB, Kell;
D.J. Soyoye, RB, Walton;
Michael Luckie, WR, Kell;
Zack Owens, WR, Pope;
Connor Gates, OL, Kell;
Justin Talley, DL, Kell;
Chance Jones, LB, Wheeler;
Aaron Bibbins, DB, Sprayberry;
Christian Jackson, DB, Lassiter.
A player from each school was also selected as a scholar-athlete of the year:
Connor Gates, Kell;
Chase Branch, Lassiter;
Ryan Inskip, Pope;
Zack Heib, Sprayberry;
Kris Kollias, Walton;
Jake Pereira, Wheeler.
And parents from all schools were recognized as volunteers of the year:
Richard Luckie, Kell;
Kate and Adam Beckerman, Lassiter;
DJ Van Deusen, Pope;
Jackie Blalock, Sprayberry;
Stuart Gurr, Walton;
Shontai Davidson, Wheeler.
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As the new year dawned we posted that several East Cobb youth baseball organizations were continuing spring registration, and that’s also the case on the softball front. The Sandy Plains Softball Association has announced that it will be holding several free fundamentals clinics later this month as the sign-up period continues.
The dates for those fundamental clinics are from 6-7:30 p.m. on Jan. 23 (Tuesday) and Jan. 25 (Thursday) at Sandy Plains Park, 2977 Gordy Parkway (our calendar listing has more).
After those clinics is a Fun Day on Saturday, Jan. 27, from 12- 2 p.m. at the same venue, and it includes walk-up registration. Evaluations are on Sat. Feb. 3, starting at 10 a.m.
Sandy Plains Softball also is accepting applications for the Allison Beasley Scholarship, which will be awarded to one recreation league (non-travel) team girl during the spring season. The scholarship is named for a former Sandy Plains Softball Player who died at the age of 12 in a car accident in 2015.
The above link has full information to apply, including a required letter from each applicant about “what softball means to me,” and where to send that and the forms. The deadline is March 10 and the winner will be announced shortly after that. The selected girl will wear jersey No. 10, the same number Beasley wore, in her honor during the season.
Opening Day is March 17.
Online registration for Terrell Mill Girls Softball starts on Saturday and continues through Feb. 25. We’ll post more information about that as we get it.
If you have youth sports news to share, we’ll be glad to post it. This can include photos, awards, registration information, as well as calendar and event listings. Please e-mail: editor@eastcobbnews.com.
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The Pope girls basketball team attacks the rim in the first game played in the new gym, which opened to the public Saturday. (East Cobb News photos by Wendy Parker)
After dignitaries, architects, construction engineers and school administrators were honored for their work making the new Pope High School gymnasium possible, the varsity girls basketball team made easy work of their opponent in the facility’s first event on Saturday.
The Lady Greyhounds trounced Chattahoochee 55-13, and the Greyhounds boys team also downed Chattahoochee 70-58, adding to the celebrations that brought out the Pope community.
From left, Pope principal Thomas Flugum, and Cobb County School District athletics directors Steve Jones and William Griggers.
The multi-level gym includes a running track on the top level, and peeking room at the floor down below.
Nick Parker, the executive director of the Cobb County School District SPLOST program, which oversees school construction, said the building of the new gym and adjoining theater (next to the existing gym) was one of the smoothest he’s experienced. He said the gym, which along with the theater cost nearly $24 million and took two years to build, will eventually have a capacity of 3,000, and will add 200 or so seats on the top level.
Representatives of the Pope PTSA were among those recognized at the gym opening.Pope parents and students applaud as the new court is ready for action.The Lady Greyhounds huddle up during pre-game warm-ups.
And it’s tipoff between Pope and Chattahoochee.Teya Holloman brings the ball up for Pope.The Lady Greyhounds’ defense didn’t allow a point in the first quarter.Cheyenne Holloman, who scored the first basket in the new gym, demonstrates her free throw form.Players on the Pope boys varsity team wait for their chance to play in the new gym.At halftime of the girls game, past Lady Greyhounds players took part in a 3-point shooting contest on Alumni Night.
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When former Sprayberry football star Rodrigo Blankenship kicked a 55-yard field goal for the Georgia Bulldogs near the end of the first half on New Year’s Day against Oklahoma, it did more than set a Rose Bowl record.
Those points helped the Bulldogs recover from a 17-point deficit as they defeated the Sooners 54-48 in double overtime in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff.
It was a game, as one sportswriter covering the came called it, “flat-out bonkers,” and Blankenship played a vital role.
In the national championship game next Monday against Alabama, Blankenship and UGA will be playing very close to home, at the new Mercedes Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta.
Blankenship, who also starred for the Yellow Jackets in soccer during his days at Sprayberry, was an all-county and all-state placekicker and punter under former coach Billy Shackelford.
But he initially was a walk-on at Georgia, and finally was awarded a full athletic scholarship earlier this season, after he kicked the decisive field goal for the Bulldogs in a 20-19 win over Notre Dame.
A sophomore, Blankenship’s previous longest field goal was from 49 yards out this season against Mississippi State. His longest field goal in high school was a 56-yarder.
He’s also become something of a cult figure on social media, notable for the thick, nerdy-looking glasses he wears under his helmet while playing.
The Twitter account for Men in Blazers, a national soccer TV program hosted by two sardonic British expatriates, posted several times during the game and included photos of Blankenship playing soccer for Sprayberry (also while wearing glasses):
On his personal website, Blankenship has included soccer information while he was at Sprayberry. He graduated in 2015 and enrolled at UGA, redshirting that year, and was an all-freshman SEC team selection last year.
This season, he has made 16 of 19 field goal attempts, including the Rose Bowl, and was voted one of the most improved UGA players on special teams.
After the Rose Bowl, Blankenship talked about his record-setting kick and Georgia’s memorable win:
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It’s bitterly cold as 2018 begins, so it doesn’t feel much like baseball season, but time is running out for East Cobb youth baseball registration.
Registration continues through Jan. 28 for the East Marietta National Little League, which will have player evaluations Feb. 3, followed by the start of practices Feb. 10 and the Opening Day celebration at Sewell Park on March 10.
Full registration information, including costs and season dates, can be found here.
At East Side Baseball, the online registration deadline is this coming Sunday, Jan. 7, with a late fee applying after that. Evaluations start during the month, on Jan. 20, with the season starting on March 3 and the rookie season following on March 17.
Registration for the recreational season at the Sandy Plains Baseball Association concludes on Jan. 25 at 9 p.m., with late fees applying after that. More details here about fees and age groups. Evaluations start on March 3.
East Cobb Baseball‘s spring season starts in late February with various Triple Crown tournament events for ages 8-14. For more information and a full schedule of events, click here.
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Walton coach Daniel Brunner at an East Cobb kickoff breakfast in August.
First-year Walton football coach Daniel Brunner has been named coach of the year for 2017 by the Cobbhsfootball website, and Raiders’ star receiver Dominick Blaylock was tabbed as offensive player of the week.
Blaylock led the 22-man all-Cobb team that was released just before Christmas, and that includes three other players from East Cobb high schools.
They include Walton linebacker Malik Adams, Kell offensive lineman Johnathan Bass, and Lassiter defensive back Derrik Allen.
Brunner, a former assistant at Walton, led the Raiders to an unlikely 11-1 season, after the program came off a losing season under Mo Dixon in 2016.
Walton’s only loss came in the state playoffs to eventual state runner-up Colquitt County, where Dixon is now an assistant. In Brunner’s first game, in the Corky Kell Classic, the Raiders defeated North Gwinnett, which went on to win the Georgia Class 7A state championship.
Brunner, who was named Cobb coach of the year by The Marietta Daily Journal, is a graduate of Roswell High School and also coached there before coming to Walton.
Before the season started, he inaugurated “Raider Day,” a jamboree-style event that included all the Walton football teams, from varsity down to the grade school-level.
With Blaylock, who has committed to play at the University of Georgia, and Adams returning, Walton is expected to contend in the region and state in 2018.
Bass was part of another Kell state playoff team under Brett Sloan, a former Walton assistant in his first year as head coach. Bass has signed to play at Georgia State University.
Allen, considered one of the top high school players in the country at his position, had another strong season for Lassiter, whose state playoff streak ended this season. He has signed to play at Notre Dame.
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The race is now a qualifier for the Peachtree Road Race and takes place on the church grounds (955 Johnson Ferry Road). Proceeds benefit the church’s student music mission trip program. Here are more details about the Polar Bear Run, which in addition to a 5K also includes a 2K distance and a fun run:
Not only do we offer you a fast, flat course, but the fun, food, and commemorative 30th Anniversary dry fit pullover, make this a must run! Only the running is outdoors; the rest of the time, you stay in the warm surroundings of the church’s Activities Center. Times for 2K & 5K will be recorded using finish-line chip timing devices.
Start Line: Johnson Ferry Road near LIttle Willeo Road.
Dominick Blaylock (1) scored the first of his three touchdowns on Walton’s first possession of the game. (East Cobb News photos by Wendy Parker)
Dominick Blaylock did all he could for the Walton football team Friday in as big a game as the Raiders have played in several years in a Georgia Class 7A second-round playoff game.
But they committed two critical turnovers near the end of the first half that helped Colquitt County take the lead and pull away to a 28-21 victory at Raider Valley.
Walton had been undefeated, with an 11-0 record and a No. 3 state ranking coming in, and was backed by a loud home crowd, against Colquitt County (8-3 and No. 9). The game also was shown on statewide television, with a full crew on hand from Georgia Public Broadcasting.
A near-full house looked on as Walton took 7-0 and 14-7 leads in the first quarter, thanks to big plays from Blaylock. A junior wide receiver who has already committed to the University of Georgia, he scored via the run the first two times Walton had the ball.
But the Packers, whose coaching staff includes former Walton head coach Mo Dixon, responded right away each time. It was with the game tied at 14-14 late in the second quarter that events began to turn their way, thanks to turnovers.
Colquitt County converted on both of them, an interception and a recovered fumble on a muffed lateral, to take a 21-14 lead into the locker room at halftime.
The Packers’ defense effectively shut down the rest of Walton’s offense, and took a 28-14 lead early in the third quarter. That would prove to be enough to hold off Walton, even after Blaylock scored a late third-quarter touchdown to give the Raiders a lifeline.
He ran for 54 yards and had 101 receiving yards for the game, but Colquitt County advances to the quarterfinals against Archer.
Walton enjoyed one of the best seasons in school history under first-year head coach Daniel Brunner, and will have many top players returning, including Blaylock and quarterback Austin Kirksey.
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The Walton football home playoff game against Colquitt County takes place on Friday at Raider Valley, but advance ticket sales are already available online if you want to avoid the game-day ticket lines.
Raider Valley is expected to be packed for the Class 7A Georgia High School second-round game pitting No. 3 and 11-0 Walton and Colquitt County, which is 8-3, and whose assistant coach is ex-Walton coach Mo Dixon.
In a post Wednesday on the Walton website, athletics director Chris Williams said tickets can be purchased at the GoFan page for the Walton-Colquitt game, or by downloading the GoFan app and presenting the QR code at the gate on Friday.
The ticket cost for adults is $10 (with a $1.50 service charge if you use GoFan). Student tickets are $8 and will be sold Friday during all lunch periods. Williams said any spectators without an approved GHSA pass will be charged $10 at the gate.
If you’d rather get your tickets the old-fashioned way, the ticket booth at Raider Valley opens at 6 p.m. Kickoff is 7:30.
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Pope earned the 2017 Directors’ Cup for Class 6A.
