East Cobb Sports & Recreation Archives

Pope softball team ranked No. 1 in Class 6A preseason poll

August 6, 2020 2:50 PM by Wendy Parker

Pope softball team state champions

Coming off their second Georgia High School Association state championship, the Pope softball team is ranked No. 1 in Class AAAAAA to start the 2020 season.

Many teams are starting play on Thursday, but the Greyhounds don’t have their opener until Aug. 11, when they play host to Woodstock.

Coach Chris Turco’s team went 30-4 in 2019 was able to win the state title at home after rain washed out the finals in Columbus.

Pope lost some valuable seniors from that team but return some budding new stars, including Jadyn Laneaux, a sophomore outfielder who excelled in the finals against Lee County. (Her sister Zoe, a shortstop, is one of those departed seniors.)

Also returning is the team’s top pitcher, Hallie Adams, who’s now a senior. More about the Pope team, including rosters, can be found here.

Kell, Sprayberry and Walton are starting their seasons on Thursday, while Wheeler gets underway on Saturday.

Lassiter, which reached the Class 7A Final Eight last year, also starts its season on Tuesday.

Due to GHSA reclassification, five of the six teams in East Cobb will be playing in the same region of Class 6A. Walton remains in Class 7A but is playing Wheeler and Kell during the regular season.

Softball is the first fall sport to get underway in Georgia, and it’s starting on time. The GHSA has delayed the start of football season and limited practices due to COVID-19 guidance.

Cross country season swings into action next week. Walton is the reigning Class 7A boys state champion.

Volleyball also is scheduled to get underway without delays, with most teams in East Cobb starting on or around Sept. 1. That’s when defending Class 7A champion Walton starts its season against Marietta.

GHSA cancels football scrimmages, delays cheer, one-act play

August 6, 2020 3:53 PMAugust 6, 2020 2:02 PM by Wendy Parker

High school football season is still on—for now—but the Georgia High School Association on Thursday announced that pre-season scrimmages will be cancelled.

Competitions in cheerleading and one-act play that take place during the fall semester will be put on hold.

GHSA executive director Robin Hines made the announcement the day after officials with the state’s high school athletics governing body’s sports medicine committee met. That body discussed concerns from Dr. Kathleen Toomey, director of the Georgia Department of Public Health, over COVID-19 cases in the state.

Georgia’s case numbers rose sharply during the month of July, and vast community spread has prompted many school district’s, including Cobb County, to start the school year online-only.

In issuing his new guidance, Hines said football scrimmages are being called off due to high risk and physical contact. Practices that began in late July can still go on, but teams must follow GHSA guidelines to do so in a controlled environment.

Football teams typically have scrimmages a week or two before their seasons begin.

The GHSA pushed back the start of the season two weeks while keeping the regular schedules for other fall events.

The Corky Kell Classic also has changed venues for its slate of season-opening football games, moving the Kell-Walton game to Walton’s Raider Valley on Sept. 4.

According to SCORE Atlanta, GHSA has received more than 600 reports of players testing positive for COVID-19 since football workouts resumed in July.

The only known positive case involving an East Cobb team was someone with the Pope program in June, but it hasn’t been disclosed if it’s a player or a coach.

Some states have delayed their football seasons to the spring, including California. High school athletic directors in Florida are urging football season to be postponed.

The GHSA has issued lengthy guidance for other fall sports. In volleyball, an indoor sport, teams may not use locker rooms, the home team must provide hand sanitizers for both teams and officials, and the visiting team must arrive already in uniform.

Face coverings are recommended but not required, and social distancing guidelines will be followed for team bench areas. Players cannot lick fingers, touch their mouths or blow into their hands while on the court.

Spectator areas also must include social-distancing measures, and the home team must regularly sanitize balls, the playing court, netting, the scorers table and referee stand.

Similar guidelines have been issued for cross country, an outdoor sport.

Hines said the indoor venues for cheerleading and one-act play do not allow for social distancing, and those were potentially high-risk activities mentioned by Toomey.

Instead, cheerleading competitions would begin in late November and conclude in February, and one-act play events are tentatively being delayed until the spring.

Toomey also was concerned about chorus and orchestra activities that are also indoors. GHSA does not oversee those events.

Last month, the directors of marching band programs at the 16 high schools in the Cobb County School District said they would not have fall competitions, following guidance from the Georgia Music Educators Association.

Take a walk back in time: Hyde Farm tours continue Aug. 8

August 1, 2020 2:39 PMAugust 1, 2020 10:33 AM by Wendy Parker

Hyde Farm

On the second Saturday of the month the Cobb Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department conducts walking tours of Hyde Farm, which dates back to 1840 and is now 42 acres of greenspace and serves an educational and recreational facility

It’s located at 726 Hyde Road, off Lower Roswell Road and east of Johnson Ferry Road and here’s what you’ll find:

Natural features include the Chattahoochee River, the forests that are found in both the lowlands adjacent to the river and the uplands near the home site. Man made features consist of the terraced agricultural fields, lowland pastures/old fields, the orchard, the home site, the meadows, and the farm outbuilding sites. Enjoy the pond that was built on Mulberry Creek in the 1980’s, featuring geese, ducks, herons, turtles, beaver, and stocked with catfish and bass.

Next Saturday, Aug. 8, free tours will take place at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. and take 45 minutes to complete. You must register by clicking here. For information call 770-528-8840

East Cobb Park concert stage getting a new roof

July 29, 2020 3:45 PM by Wendy Parker

East Cobb Park concert stage

Reader Jim was at East Cobb Park on Wednesday and passed along these photos of fencing around the concert stage and some construction workers and wondered what was going on.

We checked with Lee O’Neal, President of the Friends for the East Cobb Park, who tells us that the stage is getting a new roof.

The volunteer organization partners with Cobb County Parks and Recreation, which has contracted with Allstar Lighting and Electrical to do the maintenance work.

Tom Bills of Cobb Parks said the wooden roof is 18 years old, and that it will be rebuilt based on the original design with new materials. He said the work should be done in about three weeks.

The stage typically has several concerts during the spring and summer months as part of Sunday Funday events put on by the Friends group and sponsored by WellStar.

The concert stage also is the venue for a Christmas tree lighting celebration put on by the Friends group in early December.

There haven’t been any events there since the COVID-19 outbreak.

The park was closed with other Cobb parks for seven weeks in the spring, and partially reopened in May.

On July 1, the large pavilions at East Cobb Park and other county parks were reopened for public use, with reservations of no more than 50 people due to social-distancing guidelines.

East Cobb Park concert stage

Kell-Walton Corky Kell Classic football game moved to Walton

July 27, 2020 7:36 PMJuly 27, 2020 3:32 PM by Wendy Parker

Kell-Walton Corky Kell Classic game

For the third time, the Kell-Walton football game in the Corky Kell Classic is being rescheduled, and this time it’s going to take place in East Cobb.

Organizers of the season-opening football event announced Monday a number of venue and game matchup changes in response to COVID-19 concerns.

The Longhorns and Raiders will be playing each other on Friday, Sept. 4, at 8 p.m.

According to the local sports website SCORE Atlanta, games that were have been played in Rome were moved out, due to concerns over rising virus cases in Floyd County.

That prompted a merry-go-round of reschedulings as the number of games was cut from 11 to nine.

Earlier this month, the Corky Kell Classic announced it was moving games out of Mercedes-Benz Stadium that included the Kell-Walton matchup. The costs of sanitizing and other measures were cited as one of the reasons.

The Kell-Walton game originally scheduled for Aug. 22 was then moved to Mill Creek High School in Gwinnett County.

Last week the Georgia High School Association, which governs high school athletics in the state, announced the football season would be starting with a two-week delay, to the week leading up to Labor Day.

Preseason football practices with helmets began on Monday with sanitizing and other restrictions issued by GHSA.

Cobb schools are starting online-only on Aug. 17, as are many public school districts in Georgia. Cobb teachers reported for preplanning work on Monday.

Cobb superintendent Chris Ragsdale has said most extracurricular activities will be cancelled except sports, and that he will abide by guidance from the GHSA.

Walton volleyball holding middle school tryouts on Aug. 1

July 25, 2020 2:26 PMJuly 25, 2020 10:13 AM by Wendy Parker

Walton middle school volleyball tryouts

The Walton volleyball program is more than just the varsity teams at the high school, and next Saturday, Aug. 1, aspiring players from middle school can try out.

Those tryouts will take place from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at TK Volleyball (1425 Market Blvd Suite 100 C, Roswell). The cost is $15 per person, and you can sign up by clicking here.

The founder of TK Volleyball, a player development center and club facility, is Walton varsity coach Suzanne Fitzgerald. She also has announced those making the Lady Raiders’ high school teams:

VARSITY: Ashlyn Goolsby; Chandler Parker; Catherine Cheney; Emery Dupes; Kaye Gresham; Lia Ekendahl; Paeton Stoner; Allie Watkins; Aviah Miller; DeAnn Small; Elizabeth Curry; Greta Hans; Laura Middleton; Sophie Barrett; Elizabeth Cheney; Mary Neal; Mia Fazlagic; Rebekah Key; Katie Neal; Lihi Zaibert; Lydia Zeng; Sophia Henry.
JUNIOR VARSITY: Amy Rheaume; Hana Sucic; Kimberlyn Nicholaou; Megan Meihofer; Morgan Savula; Olivia Pavento; Perrin Evertsen; Reagan Novoselsky; Adele Beard; Ansley Asche; Ansley Vom Saal; Dorothy Johnson; Hannah Parrott; Luiza Cesar; Madelyn Lyons; McCrae Simmons; McKenzie Brown. Samantha Nagel.

Earlier this week the Georgia High School Association announced that football season will start two weeks later. The other fall sports, including volleyball, will start their seasons on time, but schedules have not yet been released.

All fall sports teams can begin preseason practices on Aug. 1, but they must practice social distancing, will be encouraged to wear masks and must follow sanitizing guidelines as well.

Last year Walton defeated Lassiter for its fifth consecutive Georgia state championship in volleyball and 14th overall. Fitzgerald was later honored as one of the Top 100 high school coaches in any sport by MaxPreps, a high school sports website.

Georgia high school football season delayed until early September

July 20, 2020 5:39 PMJuly 20, 2020 4:32 PM by Wendy Parker

High school football teams planning to kick off their 2020 seasons in late August will have to wait until early September.

The Georgia High School Association’s board of trustees voted Monday to delay the start of the season by two weeks, to Sept. 4, due to precautions and safety measures related to COVID-19.

The standard 10-game regular season for teams will be maintained, along with the same five-week playoff format. Teams can begin their preseason conditioning workouts on July 27.

The trustees also ruled that seasons in volleyball, cross country and flag football, the other sports GHSA sponsors, can start on schedule.

Preseason practices in those sports and football can begin on Aug. 1.

The GHSA action gives also local school districts the authority to cancel sports seasons. According to the meeting minutes, there was discussion that Atlanta Public Schools might have called off all sports if there hadn’t been a delay.

A Walton High School parent, Amy Henry, addressed the trustees “about the importance of sports to kids in high school and how the benefits of playing sports outweighed the risks associated with Covid 19,” according to the minutes.

An initial vote not to delay the start of football season failed and another vote for a two-week delay was unanimous.

In announcing an online-only start to the school year, Cobb school superintendent Chris Ragsdale said last week that most extracurricular activities are being cancelled. But varsity athletics are continuing, and that he would be following guidance from the GHSA.

The football season was to have started on the weekend of Aug. 21. Instead, here’s how the opening weekend will look like for East Cobb teams:

Sept. 4: River Ridge at Lassiter
Sept. 4: North Atlanta at Wheeler
Sept. 4: Riverwood at Sprayberry
Sept. 5: Kell vs. Walton (Corky Kell Classic, Mill Creek HS)

The Pope football season was to have started on Aug. 28. Instead, the Greyhounds will play their season opener at Walton on Sept. 11.

Corky Kell Classic changes relocate site for Kell-Walton opener

July 17, 2020 6:09 PM by Wendy Parker

Earlier this week organizers of the Corky Kell Classic announced that some of the games in the season-opening week of the Georgia high school football season will be moving away from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta.

That includes the East Cobb matchup between Kell and Walton that’s scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 22.

Instead of playing at the home of the Falcons, the Longhorns and Raiders would be squaring off at Mill Creek High School in Gwinnett County.

Corky Kell organizers made the change due to social distancing and sanitizing concerns at the NFL stadium.

We say “would” because the Georgia High School Association, which oversees high school athletics in the state, is monitoring preseason workouts that continue on Monday.

They’ve limited high school football teams according to social distancing and sanitizing guidelines. On Monday, teams will be allowed to practice with helmets, which must be sanitized before and after every practice.

The GHSA board of trustees is meeting Monday to discuss the opening of fall sports. In Georgia, those are football, volleyball, cross country, softball and flag football.

Cobb school superintendent Chris Ragsdale said Thursday that the school district will start the school year online-only, and many extracurricular activities are being cancelled. He said high school sports are still on for now, but he would be following GHSA guidance.

A total of 11 games at the Corky Kell Classic are scheduled over four days starting Aug. 19. The other locations are at West Forsyth High School, Dacula High School and Barron Stadium in Rome.

The Kell-Walton game is scheduled to kick off five games at Mill Creek on Aug. 22, with a start time of 9 a.m. The only other Cobb school involved, McEachern, will face North Gwinnett in the finale at 9 p.m.

For the last two seasons, the final slate of Corky Kell Classic games had been played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Last year, Walton rallied to defeat Norcross, and Kell edged Mays. For the first time, the Longhorns and Raiders slated to play each other in the event named after the late Wheeler High School coach and administrator.

Lassiter soccer star is Georgia Gatorade player of the year

June 25, 2020 10:11 AM by Wendy Parker

Submitted information:

In its 35th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, the Gatorade Company has announced Vedad Kovac of Lassiter High School as its 2019-20 Gatorade Georgia Boys Soccer Player of the Year. Kovac is the fourth Gatorade Georgia Boys Soccer Player of the Year to be chosen from Lassiter High School.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Kovac as Georgia’s best high school boys soccer player.

The 5-foot-8, 145-pound senior forward led the Trojans to a 7-1 record this spring before the season was cancelled. Kovac totaled 17 goals and 14 assists with three hat tricks in eight games. The 2019 4-AAAAAAA Region Player of the Year, Kovac is a member of the Under-19 Bosnian National Team. He concluded his prep soccer career with 47 goals and 25 assists.

An avid artist, Kovac has volunteered locally as part of community beautification projects and as a youth soccer coach. “Vedad is a natural finisher and a hard worker on the field,” said Samer Kaddah, head coach of Pope High. “He has some great vision on the field and provides many assists when he is not scoring himself.”

Kovac has maintained a weighted 3.65 GPA in the classroom. He has signed a National Letter of Intent to play soccer on scholarship at Michigan State University.

Pope football workouts continue after positive COVID-19 case

June 23, 2020 12:20 PMJune 23, 2020 9:19 AM by Wendy Parker

Pope High School officials notified the school community on Monday that a person involved with the varsity football program has tested positive for COVID-19.

The message did not specify whether the individual was a player, coach or a staff member, and said that Cobb and Douglas Public Health “has classified this case as a low-risk exposure.”

The Pope message said that “the families that may have been potentially impacted have been notified” and that “this low-risk exposure does not require isolation or quarantine of asymptomatic individuals.”

Football workouts have resumed, the message said, and “we will continue to follow the recommended social distancing and sanitary protocols recommended by DPH, GHSA, and the CCSD.”

The MDJ reported that people involved with the Hillgrove and McEachern football teams also have tested positive for COVID-19, and workouts are continuing at those schools.

High school football teams in the Cobb County School District began workouts last week, along with other athletes in fall sports (softball and cross country), but they are limited to weight-training and conditioning activities.

Those workouts also are 100 percent voluntary, according to Cobb schools athletic director Don Baker.

The CCSD guidance for the workouts includes closed locker rooms and water fountains, and coaches and players are subject to regular temperature checks and must answer COVID-19 exposure questions.

A school district spokeswoman said Tuesday that “all protocols recommended by public health officials are being followed including deep cleaning and fogging of all weight rooms in Cobb County high schools.”

The Georgia High School Association regulations limit those workouts to a total of 20, and no more than 20 people at a time can be involved in an activity at one time in the same facility.

The high school football season is scheduled to begin in late August.

Pope hires volleyball coach with 3 state championships

June 17, 2020 5:04 PM by Wendy Parker

Pope High School has has hired Dr. Jeff White, who won three state championships at Northview High School in North Fulton, as its new head volleyball coach. Dr. Jeff White, Pope volleyball coach

White had been head coach at Jackson County High School in Jefferson, Ga., for the last two seasons, after leaving the high school ranks for college coaching jobs.

His Northview teams won Georgia High School Association state championships in 2005, 2007 and 2008. He also coached Chattahoochee to a Final Four and state runner-up appearance before that.

White’s wife Stephanie is a Pope High School graduate and he will also be teaching mathematics.

He succeeds Shawn Darling, who resigned after three seasons that included the 2018 state championship, the fourth in Pope history.

In 2019 the Greyhounds reached the Class 6A state semifinals.

More on White can be found by clicking here.

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

Cobb to reopen pools, more park facilities in June

May 29, 2020 4:35 PM by Wendy Parker

Mountain View Aquatic Center

Submitted information from Cobb government:

Cobb County PARKS will reopen most of their facilities to residents starting June 1st, including outdoor playgrounds, restroom facilities, and Aquatic Centers. Many of these facilities will have public health restrictions in place that will help maintain recommended social distancing.

Following the Governor’s latest Executive Orders, Cobb PARKS is working with associations and athletic organizations to formulate COVID-19 response plans that will allow organized games to resume when their plans are approved. This could be as early as mid-June.

Parks rentals are still not available, but plans are underway to restart them soon. Night lighting at some facilities may not be immediately available but will be phased-in over the next several weeks.

The number of people using aquatic centers will be limited and swim lessons will not take place due to social distancing guidelines. Lanes will be available to rent for those wishing to secure a time.

Central Aquatic Center:
June 1^st: 15 swimmers (one per lane)

Mountain View Aquatic Center:
June 1^st: 25 swimmers (one per lane)

West Cobb Aquatic Center:
June 1^st: 10 Swimmers (one per lane and 2 in the deep water)

South Cobb Aquatic Center:
June 1^st: 5 swimmers (one per lane and 1 in the lazy river for exercising)

Seven Springs Waterpark:
June 15^th: 25% of capacity (125 swimmers per session)

Sewell Park Pool:
June 15^th: 20 swimmers (Splash Pad closed)

We will update the web site (www.cobbPARKS.org) and our Social Media Accounts with any changes in the pool hours and available activities.

Please visit the link below to reserve lap lanes and designated lanes for exercising.
https://secure.rec1.com/GA/cobb-county-ga/catalog

Chattahoochee River NRA reopens at all parking areas

May 18, 2020 1:26 PMMay 18, 2020 11:25 AM by Wendy Parker

Over the weekend most parking areas of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area reopened, and on Monday, the final two lots, at Gold Branch and Columns Drive in East Cobb, also reopened to public access.

For the mean time, entry fees are being waived, and there are some facilities that remain closed, including restrooms, picnic areas and shelters and the Hewlett Lodge Visitor Center.

East Cobb Park reopens on a beautiful spring day

May 11, 2020 7:15 PMMay 11, 2020 4:45 PM by Wendy Parker

East Cobb Park reopens
After being closed for seven weeks, East Cobb Park reopened Monday to gorgeous weather.

At mid-afternoon there were a handful of people walking—and running with—their dogs, riding bicycles, tossing frisbees and just enjoying some elbow room.

While Cobb County opened outdoor parks (including Mabry Park), playgrounds and restrooms remain closed for the time being, no organized athletic activities are allowed and events and group gatherings, including picnics, have been called off.

Aquatic centers and arts centers, including The Art Place-Mountain View, also remain closed.

The weather will be nice the rest of this week, with partly sunny skies and temperatures reaching the 70s Tuesday and Wednesday and the 80s by the end of the week.

Walton volleyball coach honored as one of Top 100 nationally

April 26, 2020 2:20 PM by Wendy Parker

Walton-Lassiter volleyball

Melissa Watkins of the Walton Volleyball Booster Club sends along this news about Lady Raiders head coach Suzanne Fitzgerald:

She’s been named as one of the Top 100 high school coaches in the country by MaxPreps.

That’s a high school sports website and the rankings aren’t just for volleyball, but for all sports.

The list isn’t a ranking—the coaches are named in alphabetical order, and Fitzgerald is only one of four coaches from Georgia to be included.

In December, Walton won its fifth consecutive state championship, beating East Cobb rival Lassiter in the finals.

Walton has won nine state titles in the last 10 years and has 14 championships overall.

Fitzgerald, who teaches English at Walton, was named the MaxPreps national prep volleyball coach of the year when the Lady Raiders were crowned that organization’s national champions.

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

Cobb County to reopen some passive parks, trails this weekend

April 24, 2020 9:15 PMApril 22, 2020 12:58 PM by Wendy Parker

Ebenezer Road park, Cobb parks master plan — *Ebenezer Downs Park on Ebenezer Road in Northeast Cobb.*

Cobb residents will have some more elbow room to get outdoors and recreate as soon as Saturday.

County government spokesman Ross Cavitt said Wednesday that selected passive parks and trails will be reopened, including the Noonday Creek Trail and Ebenezer Downs Park and Hyde Farm in East Cobb.

What won’t be open are East Cobb Park, Mabry Park and other parks with playground facilities, as well as parks with sporting fields.

“The passive parks allow for more social distancing under public health guidelines,” Cavitt said. “Based on Public Health guidance, those who use these facilities and trails will be required to adhere to social distancing guidelines and wear masks.”

Here’s a full list of what’s reopening:

TRAILS

Silver Comet Trail
Noonday Creek Trail
Bob Callen Trail

PASSIVE PARKS

Allatoona Creek Park, 5690 Old Stilesboro Road, Acworth
Camp McDonald, 2726 Watts Drive, Kennesaw
Ebenezer Downs Park, 4057 Ebenezer Road, Marietta
Furr Family Park, Old Westside Road, Austell
Green Meadows Preserve, 3780 Dallas Highway, Marietta
Heritage Park, 60 Fontaine Road, Mableton
Hyde Farm, 721 Hyde Road, Marietta
Kemp Family Park, 4331 Burnt Hickory Road, Acworth
Old Clarkdale Park, 5195 Clark Street, Austell
Price Park, 4715 Stilesboro Road, Acworth
Schmidt Park, 451 Anderson Road, Marietta
Shoupade property, 4770 Oakdale Road, Smyrna
Stout Park, 5315 Brownsville Road, Powder Springs
Trolley Line Park, 4700 North Church Lane, Smyrna

East Side Baseball postpones opening day event due to Coronavirus

March 16, 2020 7:43 PMMarch 11, 2020 12:35 PM by Wendy Parker

Fullers Park, East Cobb parks and recreational facilities — Fields at Fullers Park, where the East Side Baseball Association plays. (East Cobb News photos by Wendy Parker)

Rainy weather postponed the start of the spring season for the East Side Baseball Association, but concerns over the Coronavirus outbreak have prompted the organization to put a hold on its opening day celebrations for now.

President Marc Glickman told East Cobb News that this wasn’t a typical opening day event, but was a celebration to mark East Side Baseball’s 50th anniversary.

The event was to have taken place this Saturday, after weather issues postponed it last weekend. The opening day event, he said, typically draws several hundred people.

“We’re still playing baseball games, but we felt it was the right decision,” he said. “We didn’t take it lightly, and it was a difficult decision, but we don’t have to have that ceremony to play baseball.”

The celebration was to have taken place at Fullers Park. East Side Baseball has between 700 to 800 youths from ages 4-16 who play there in various recreation and travel leagues.

There are six confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Georgia, including one in Cobb County. That individual, who is in home isolation, recently traveled to Italy, which is on a nationwide lockdown and has had hundreds of Coronavirus-related deaths.

Late Tuesday, Gov. Brian Kemp said the number of “presumptive positive” cases of Coronavirus in Georgia has grown to 16, and Cobb County has the most, with six.

Presumptive positive cases are those that have been conducted by state health officials but still require confirmation by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

The three new individuals in Cobb County who are presumptive positive cases are hospitalized, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health. One of the Cobb individuals has a travel history outside the U.S.; the other sources of infection are unknown.

The West Cobb Library was closed Tuesday after county officials said an employee there reported possibly being exposed to someone with a confirmed case of Coronavirus.

County spokesman Ross Cavitt said the library worker was sent home and the library branch, located on Dennis Kemp Lane in Kennesaw, is undergoing a deep cleaning remains closed for the time being.

County officials said Tuesday they’re forming a Coronavirus task force to coordinate preparations for a possible shutdown of county government. The plans would call for some county employees to work remotely and other considerations would include child care arrangements in the case of school closures and safety measures for first responders.

A child care center in Acworth also was closed after a teacher there had a presumptive positive test.

In a note to East Side parents sent earlier this week, Glickman said that “while the odds of contracting the virus remain extremely low, moving forward with a gathering event that is not considered essential to the main purpose of our league does not feel like the right thing to do. Our focus at this point in time as it relates to ESBA is to try to play as much baseball as we can and that’s what we will plan to do.”

Games have begun, and Glickman said a no-handshake policy is going into effect after games. Parents are being allowed to visit dugouts during games to wipe down their kids’ equipment and gear.

He said he’s received “very favorable feedback” from parents about the precautionary measures and that nobody’s pulled their children out due to concerns about Coronavirus.

The 50th anniversary celebration was to have included music, food, raffle prizes and other festivities. Glickman said a decision about whether to have that event will be made at a later time.

First Cobb County Coronavirus case confirmed

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Wheeler shocks Grayson to claim 7th state basketball title

March 7, 2020 9:32 PM by Wendy Parker

After losing a big lead and some of their poise, the Wheeler Wildcats pulled off one of the biggest upsets in recent memory in the Georgia High School Association basketball tournament.

Facing the 30-1 Grayson Rams, who had beaten them earlier this season and were ranked No. 2 in a national poll, the Wildcats climbed back from a seven-point deficit in the fourth quarter Saturday night at the Macon Coliseum.

Then, with one second remaining on the game clock, they got the clinching point they needed, on a free throw by Sam Hines Jr., to earn the seventh state championship in school history with a 60-59 win in the Class 7A finals.

Hines scored 28 points in a brilliant finish to his high school career, as he made 11 of 12 shots from the field, sank 6 of 8 free throws and pulled down nine rebounds.

The biggest of those points and the biggest of those rebounds came in the waning seconds.

He had made two free throws with 26 seconds to play to give Wheeler a 59-56 lead. But Grayson’s Toneari Lane tied the game with 10 seconds left on a long 3-point basket.

The Wildcats played for the final shot, as point guard Nash Kelly drove to the basket. He missed, but Hines grabbed the ball and was fouled.

Hines made the first free throw for a 60-59 score, but missed the second after Grayson called timeout.

Grayson’s Caleb Murphy heaved a long shot at the buzzer but it wasn’t close.

Wheeler’s comeback exemplified much of its play in the post-season. The Wildcats dug out a second-round win over highly-regarded Shiloh, held off Berkmar in the quarterfinals and cruised over Milton in the semifinals.

The Wildcats led 42-31 in the third quarter when Hines scored a basket. The Rams then went on a 15-2 run that extended into the fourth quarter, as Wheeler looked sapped of energy and couldn’t get the ball to Hines.

Kell girls come up short in state title game

He hit a jump shot from the free throw line to cut Grayson’s lead to 54-48, then teammate Ja’Heim Hudsom scored on a three-point play to make it a 55-51 game.

Another basket by Hines and two free throws by Prince Davies tied the score at 55-55, part of a 14-5 closing run by the Wildcats.

Grayson retook the lead 56-55 on a free throw, and Hines lost the ball out of bounds closing to the basket on Wheeler’s next possession.

The Rams missed two free throws on the other end, giving Wheeler a glimmer of hope in the final minute.

Kelly was fouled and made two free throws, and Grayson missed an easy shot underneath the basket with a chance to go ahead.

Hines was fouled on the rebound, and made two free throws.

Even after Lane’s heroics looked like the game might head to overtime, Wheeler (23-7) found a way to win its first title since 2015.

The title was the first for third-year head coach Larry Thompson, who won two Class A private school state titles at Greenforest Christian Academy in DeKalb County and succeeded Doug Lipscomb, the architect of Wheeler’s powerhouse program.

Thompson’s mantra for Wheeler in the playoffs was defense, and trying to hold opponents under 50 points. While the Wildcats couldn’t do that against Grayson, they did just enough to bring back another trophy to East Cobb.

It’s also the sixth state title thus far in the school year for East Cobb high schools, as the Wildcats join Walton volleyball, Pope softball, Walton boys cross country, Pope duals wrestling and Lassiter girls swimming.

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

Kell’s dream ends in heartbreak in state basketball finals

March 7, 2020 10:45 AMMarch 6, 2020 8:20 PM by Wendy Parker

Kell’s sensational freshman point guard Crystal Henderson did nearly everything she could to lift the Lady Longhorns to their first Georgia state basketball title on Friday.

Weaving up and down the court all night at the Macon Coliseum, Henderson was a handful for one of the state’s best girls basketball programs around.

When she buried a 3-point basket with nine seconds to play in the game, Kell had cut Buford’s lead to 65-63. Kell then fouled Buford’s star player, Tate Walters, who made one of two free throws.

That left the door open for Kell and Henderson, who launched a long shot at the buzzer.

This time, it didn’t go in, and what had been a dream season for the Lady Longhorns ended with their only loss of the season.

Kell was 32-0 coming into the Georgia High School Association Class 5A championship against a team that had been there many times before.

Buford had won seven previous state titles, and was aiming for a fourth in a row.

The Lady Wolves got off to a hot start and led 16-10 at the end of the first quarter.

Kell went on a big streak in the second quarter, led by Henderson, who scored 15 points in the first half.

After Mikyah Favors hit a 3, Henderson stole a pass and scored to give the Lady Longhorns at 26-18 lead.

The teams were tied 29-29 at halftime, and Buford regained momentum in the third quarter.

Henderson had been checked offensively until late in the fourth quarter, when she hit a jumper to trim Buford’s lead to 59-54.

She knocked down another 3 with 1:47 to play as Kell pulled to within 61-57.

With 29 seconds to play, Henderson was fouled shooting a 3-point shot and made all three free throws as Kell trailed 63-60.

Buford made two free throws on the other end, then Henderson connected on yet another 3 with nine seconds to play.

Those would be the final points for her and Kell, as she finished with 26 points on 8-for-16 shooting.

While Buford (31-1) celebrated yet another state title, Kell figures to have a bright future.

In addition to Henderson, the Lady Longhorns will have back most of their top players under coach Tony Ingle Jr., who in his second season lifted them from a 11-15 record to the brink of a state championship.

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

Wheeler boys, Kell girls reach state basketball finals

February 29, 2020 7:43 PMFebruary 29, 2020 6:11 PM by Wendy Parker

Wheeler basketball — *The Wildcats will attempt to add to the school’s banner collection when they play for the Class 7A GHSA state championship next Saturday. ECN photo*

A two-point loss early in the season to Milton was on the minds of Wheeler players as they took the floor in Buford Saturday for a rematch.

But there was much more riding on this one, in the Class 7A Georgia High School Association boys semifinals.

The Wildcats led from wire-to-wire, and by double digits for most of the way, in exacting revenge on Milton in a 59-47 win.

In doing so, they now have a chance to win the seventh state title in school history.

Next Saturday, Wheeler will play either Grayson or McEachern in Macon.

Later Saturday afternoon at Fort Valley State, the Kell girls remained undefeated and reached the state finals for the first time ever with a 60-55 victory over Eagle’s Landing.

After reaching the Final Four for the first time since 2015 on Wednesday in a quarterfinal win over Berkmar, Wheeler can end a five-year trophy drought with one more win.

Sam Hines Jr. scored 19 points for the Wildcats, who once again played stifling defense in holding their opponent to under 50 points for the second game in a row.

Bruce Thornton had a game-high 28 points for Milton, but Wheeler had more contributors on offense.

Wheeler pulled away in the second quarter. Hines scored on a dunk to make the score 22-14, then A.J. Burke and Prince Davies made 3-point shots for a 28-16 score.

Later in the quarter, Hines cut to the baseline, took a pass and threw down another dunk to give Wheeler a 32-20 advantage.

He had 12 points at halftime, and scored only two points in the third quarter, but the Wildcats got a 3-point basket from Maxwell Harris to lead 43-26.

Milton trailed by 11 points at the start of the fourth quarter, but never put together enough of a run to threaten Wheeler from there.

The Kell girls were 31-0 on the season coming in to Saturday’s game, led from the opening moments, built a double-digit lead in the second half but had to hang on in the closing seconds.

Kell’s freshman star, Crystal Henderson, tossed in a desperation shot at the halftime buzzer to give the Lady Longhorns a 27-24 lead.

Eagle’s Landing hung around for much of the third quarter, but Henderson provided a spark when she headed down the court on the break, dribbled between her legs and passed to Amaya Moss for an easy basket.

Kell’s lead was 37-32 at that point, and Henderson drained a 3-point shot, followed by Makyah Favors with another 3, and the score was 42-34.

After Kell missed a free throw, Henderson got the rebound, put the ball back up and in the basket for two more points for a 47-34 lead.

Eagle’s Landing called timeout after that, and climbed back in the fourth quarter.

Kell nearly squandered its lead as Eagle’s Landing fought back to trail 57-55 with 40 seconds left.

Then Henderson was fouled, and she made one of two free throws. The Eagles nearly tied it up the other way, but the shot rimmed out and Kell got possession.

Henderson made two free throws with a second left, for a game-high 25 points, to clinch the win for the Lady Longhorns.

Next Friday, Kell will play Buford for the state title, also in Macon.

In the Class 5A boys semifinals on Saturday, Kell was playing in its first state semifinal game, against Dutchtown, also in Fort Valley.

The Longhorns couldn’t hold on to an eight-point lead in the fourth quarter and were forced into overtime. Then Dutchtown got the upper hand early in the extra period and held on for a 62-56 win.

Kell’s best-ever season ended with a 26-6 record.

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

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