East Cobb Sports & Recreation

Cobb Parks honored by Georgia Recreation and Park Association

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Mabry Park Opening
Mabry Park opened this summer on Wesley Chapel Road. (ECN file).

Submitted information:

Cobb County PARKS received the Georgia Recreation and Park Association (GRPA) Agency of the Year Award during the GRPA awards banquet on Wednesday, Nov. 6. The award was presented to five population groups within the state, with Cobb County falling into the largest population category – 150,000 and over.

The GRPA Agency of the Year Award recognizes excellence and leadership in providing quality recreation programs, parks and facilities that enhance the quality of life in communities.

Nominees are judged on staff development, staff involvement in park organizations, park facilities, new and outstanding programs, and major accomplishments over the past year.

The department had a monumental 2018-2019 year. Some of the highlights included opening a new 44,000 square foot event center at Jim R. Miller Park, cutting the ribbon on Mabry Park and adding 406 acres of Cobb PARKS inventory. In late 2018, Cobb became the first Georgia county to establish an Emergency Locator Marker (ELM) Program. The mission of the ELM project is to provide trail markers at every quarter mile on Cobb County’s Trail System.

Cobb PARKS is responsible for 239 buildings and 6045 acres of park land. The department offered a total of 108 new programs this fiscal year and held hundreds of classes, activities and events, including the first annual Cobb International Festival.  

“Cobb County PARKS is very proud to receive the GRPA Agency of the Year Award for the largest population category,” said PARKS Director Jimmy Gisi. “Our staff, with the support of the Board of Commissioners, has worked extremely hard during 2019 to provide quality recreational programs and exceptional facilities. We were in competition with several excellent large agencies from across the state but our year was just a little better.” 

The Georgia Recreation and Park Association was formed in 1945 as a private, non-profit institution to support and promote the recreation and park industries within the state of Georgia.

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GHSA reclassification calls for Wheeler and Lassiter in Class 6A

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Walton-Lassiter volleyball
Lassiter played Walton last weekend in the Class 7A state volleyball finals, but Trojans teams and those from Wheeler may compete next year in Class 6A. (ECN file)

After competing in sports in Class AAAAAAA (7A)—with the biggest high schools in the state—Wheeler and Lassiter may be dropping down for the next two school years.

The Georgia High School Association on Tuesday announced its reclassifications for 2020-22, and changes are proposed for those two East Cobb schools.

The listings that were made public (you can read them here) have Wheeler and Lassiter in Class AAAAAA (6A), where Pope and Sprayberry have been competing.

Kell would remain in Class AAAAAA (5A), and only Walton would be in Class 7A from East Cobb.

Currently, Walton and Lassiter are in the same Region 4 in Class 7A. Wheeler has been in a more far-flung region with Pebblebrook, Campbell, Newnan and East Coweta.

The GHSA reclassifies schools every two years, and it’s based strictly on enrollment figures. New region alignments also will be drawn.

Wheeler’s full-time enrollment in 2019-19 was 2,179, with a classification count of 2,654, which would be the largest school in Class 6A. Lassiter’s enrollment is 2,340.

They would be among 56 schools in Class 6A. Pope would remain there, with an attendance of 2,082, as would Sprayberry, which has 1,881 students.

Class 5A also would have 56 schools. Kell’s attendance last year was 1,502.

Walton’s attendance had held steady at 2,655 last year. Class 7A would have 47 schools.

The Walker School and Mt. Bethel Christian Academy would remain in Class A, private school division.

Schools can appeal their reclassification assignments until Nov. 11, and the GHSA will begin hearing any challenges the following day.

 

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Walton volleyball team downs Lassiter for 5th consecutive state title

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Walton volleyball state title
Walton players and coach Suzanne Fitzgerald (standing at right) savor another GHSA state championship. (East Cobb News photos and video by Wendy Parker)

The first few minutes of Walton’s state volleyball title game were very un-Waltonlike.

Lassiter got off to a hot start, leading the first set 5-0 before Walton coach Suzanne Fitzgerald called a timeout to settle down her team.

“I just reminded them why they’re here, what they’ve been playing for,” Fitzgerald said. “They responded very aggressively.”

The Lady Raiders were able to come back with such a flourish several times as they downed their East Cobb rivals 25-18, 25-17 and 25-14 Saturday night at Marietta High School.

For Walton (32-8) to win a fifth consecutive Georgia High School Association Class 7A title was not a surprise.

The dynasty Fitzgerald has maintained—nine state titles in the last 10 years, and the school’s 13th in all—is as strong as ever.

But after last year’s seniors departed—and they were an integral part of Walton’s 2017 team that won the MaxPreps national title—some new leaders and a good number of new starters had to step forward.

“Every team is so different,” Fitzgerald said. “With this team, we had a lot of kids who have been in the program a long time. They were representing something larger than themselves, and they showed it tonight.”

Walton volleyball team

Some of those players have been part of Walton’s feeder system since the third grade. That experience, and that sense of togetherness, paid off when the Lady Raiders needed to separate themselves from Lassiter.

In the second set, Lassiter (32-8) also led early, with Fitzgerald calling another timeout. Walton responded in a similar fashion, roaring to a 20-15 lead that the Trojans could not match.

During the break, Fitzgerald said was overcome with some emotion as she prepared her team to try and close out Lassiter in a sweep.

“I saw that they realized they really were playing for each other,” she said. “We played a very clean match today.”

In the final set, Walton never trailed, taking a 6-1 lead, then 13-4, before putting Lassiter away for the third time this season.

Like the senior class before them, this class of Walton seniors has never known anything but winning a state title: Madison Morey, Kendall O’Brien, Phoebe Awoleye, Sydney Barrett and Katie Strickland.

“This senior class has left a legacy of selflessness,” Fitzgerald said.

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Walton boys win state cross country title; Pope teams excel

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The Walton boys cross country team placed two runners in the Top 10 of the Georgia High School Association Class 7A state meet on Saturday, and that helped the Raiders claim the team title. Walton all-sports champion

Walton finished with 98 points, ahead of Lambert, West Forsyth and Marietta, on the course in Carrollton.

Connor Old of Walton was 5th with a time of 16:18, and teammate Zac Shaffer was 7th with 16:21. The other Raider team includes:

  • Sam Balboa, Brick Conway, Evan Sommer, Wylie Bingham and Harrison Waddell.

The Walton girls finished in 3rd place, behind Hillgrove and South Forsyth. In the individual standings, Walton’s Sarah Burwell came in fourth, with a time of 19:31. The Raiders girls team also includes:

  • Isabella Bazan, Hannah Walker, Ellen Chamberlain, Arden Keeter, Emily McNiece and Riley Michaud.

On Friday, Pope’s teams finished among the top teams in the Class 6A state meet, also in Carrollton.

Pope softballThe Greyhounds boys were seeking a second state title in a row, but finished second behind Cobb rival Harrison. Three Pope runners finished in the Top 10:

  • Cole Heron (2nd), Will Brown (4th) and K.C. Heron (8th).

The Pope boys team also includes:

  • Zane Pizutti, Nicholas Corso, Carter Spohn and Alec Wark.

The Pope girls finished third, behind Cambridge and Allatoona, and their team members include:

  • Charlotte Dunn, Sophie Boice, Lorel Golden, Rachel Dodsworth, Isa Blair, Bella Hock and Sarah Juhn.

 

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All-East Cobb state volleyball final pits Walton vs. Lassiter

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Walton and Lassiter will play for the Georgia High School Association’s Class 7A volleyball state championship this weekend after sweeping their semifinal opponents on Tuesday.Walton Volleyball team

Walton (31-8), which is seeking its fifth consecutive state title and 13th overall, downed Roswell, while Lassiter (32-7) did the same at Etowah.

Neither the Raiders nor the Trojans have lost a set during the state playoffs.

The state championship match will be played Saturday at Marietta High School (1171 Whitlock Ave.) at 6:30 p.m., after matches to determine the winners in Class 4A, 5A and 6A. Tickets are $8 per person and admission is for all the matches.

Lassiter VolleyballLassiter has never won a state championship in volleyball. The teams have met twice this season, with Walton winning by a 3-1 score in August and 3-0 in the Region 4AAAAAAA tournament.

Pope also was aiming to repeat as state champions in Class 6A, but the Greyhounds were defeated in three straight sets on Tuesday by Sequoyah, which will meet Cobb school Allatoona for the title.

The Greyhounds ended their season at 37-13.

The Walker School volleyball team has reached the finals of the GHSA’s Class 1A/2A private school division, and will play Hebron Christian Saturday at 11 a.m. at McEachern High School (2400 New Macland Road, Powder Springs). Tickets also are $8

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East Cobb Rugby Club to hold fall registration event Nov. 4

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East Cobb Rugby Club registration

Thanks to Tammi Ryley, parent coordinator of the East Cobb Rugby Club, for the photos of the team and information about its fall registration and recruitiment event on Nov. 4:

For our 2019/2020 Season, East Cobb Rugby Club is actively seeking middle school and high school men and women to fill our ranks as one of the Southeast’s fastest-growing rugby clubs. Rugby experience is not necessary, but those athletes with a strong desire to learn, who possess integrity, passion, and grit are bound to succeed in this sport. We’ve seen incredible success with football players, lacrosse, soccer, and wrestlers who have just joined this sport! We welcome athletes from all East Cobb schools as well as home schooled.East Cobb Rugby Club registration

Join us for our Fall Introduction and Registration Event at Mt. Zion Methodist Church [1770 Johnson Ferry Road, Marietta] this Monday, November 4th at 7pm sharp.

Shake hands with the players and coaches leading our teams. Learn the rules. Learn about rugby’s focus on proper tackling techniques. Learn about rugby scholarships and leadership opportunities. Stop by to experience just a bit of the community that we are all a part of. The opportunities for this global sport are endless.

To learn more about joining the East Cobb Rugby Club, visit www.eastcobbrugby.org.

Rugby is more than a sport. If it is a ‘fit’ for your athlete, it will become an important part of your child’s life and the leadership, sportsmanship, and athletic skills your child will gain will chart them on a very positive path. Any questions, send an email to: eastcobbrugbyclub@gmail.com. See you November 4th at 7pm.

East Cobb Rugby Club registration

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Pope softball team wins rain-delayed state championship

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Pope softball team state champions
Pope players, coaches and school administrators celebrate at dusk on the Greyhounds’ home field. (East Cobb News photos and slideshow by Wendy Parker)

A little more than 48 hours after taking a 3-0 lead in the first inning of the state championship game, the Pope softball team picked up where it left off Monday afternoon, except in a different place.

After their Georgia High School Association Class 6A finale against Lee County was postponed Saturday due to pouring rain in Columbus, the Greyhounds learned they would get to play at home when the game resumed.

That’s because Pope (30-4), which had lost early in the season to Lee County, was the higher seed.

“At first, they were kind of bummed out, that they wouldn’t have a chance to win it in Columbus,” Pope coach Chris Turco said. “But when they realized they’d get to play in front of their home fans, they got really excited. Having those fans behind us really helped.”

Before a standing-room-only home crowd, Pope tacked on three more runs in the fifth inning for a 6-0 victory.

Pitcher Hallie Adams allowed only one hit, and it was a freshman who gave the Greyhounds some extra breathing room with her bat.

Jaydn Laneaux banged out three hits, including two triples, the latter leading Pope’s big inning.

Even with all of those advantages, Turco wasn’t ready to breathe a sigh of relief.

“I didn’t feel comfortable until the seventh inning,” said Turco, who also led Pope to its other state title in 2014 with pitcher Kelly Barnhill, later a collegiate All-American at the University of Florida.

Pope softball team state champs
Hallie Adams got the last Lee County batter to hit a pop foul, clinching Pope’s state title.

A year ago, Pope also reached the state finals, but fell to Harrison. Turco said he felt good about Pope’s chances of winning it all with his returning players.

In the fifth inning, Jaydn Laneaux, the younger sister of Pope senior star shortstop Zoe Laneaux, burned around the bases after drilling her second triple into left center field.

Adams brought her home with a bunt that the Lee County pitcher threw home, but too late to get Laneaux. Carolyn Deady, one of Pope’s seniors, singled to center, and Bailey Chapin drove home Emily Ricci with a single to left.

The Greyhounds finished off the scoring—and the Trojans—when Katie Ward hit a grounder to shortstop that resulted in an error, with Zoe Laneaux crossing the plate.

Jaydn Laneaux said her key was that she was prepared for the riseball. “I was confident the whole time, and so was our team,” she said. “We all knew do to whatever it took” to win the game.

“I knew all the fans would come out. We had a huge cheering section and that helped.”

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East Cobb volleyball update: Walton, Lassiter, Pope reach state semifinals

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Walton gym, East Cobb volleyball
Walton will play host to Roswell Tuesday in the GHSA Class 7A volleyball semifinals.

On Tuesday three East Cobb schools will continue play in the Georgia High School Association volleyball tournament, with a chance for an all-East Cobb final in Class 7A.

That’s because defending state champion Walton and Lassiter are in opposite brackets in the semifinal round.

The Lady Raiders, who are 30-8 and have been ranked No. 1 all season, will be at home Tuesday against Roswell. Match time is at 7 p.m. and admission is $8.

Walton easily downed Lambert three games to none to earn the right to stay at home for the semifinals, which has been dubbed a “jersey out” event in which Walton fans are asked to their favorite jerseys in support

Lassiter went on the road Saturday to defeat Norcross, also in three games, to get to the semifinals. It was the third straight match in which the Lady Trojans have won on their opponents’ home floor, and they’ll have to do it again Tuesday when they visit Etowah.

That match also is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. Lassiter is 31-7 and Etowah is 35-13. Both are in the same Region 4 as Walton and Roswell (24-9).

In Class 6A, Pope is still in the hunt for a second consecutive state championship after sweeping River Ridge in the quarterfinals on Saturday. On Tuesday, the Lady Greyhounds (37-12) will play at Sequoyah in the semifinals. The other semifinal match features Allatoona vs. Alpharetta.

The GHSA finals in Class 6A and Class 7A will played on Saturday at Marietta High School.

 

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Pope softball team advances to state finals for 4th straight year

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For the fourth year in a row, the Pope softball team has advanced to the Georgia High School Association finals in Columbus.East Cobb sports update

The Greyhounds are the only Cobb County representative in the Class 6A bracket, which starts play on Thursday.

Pope, which sports a school record 19-game winning streak, is slated to face Apalachee at 2 p.m. in the eight-team, double-elimination tournament, which ends on Saturday.

Last year, Pope was state runner-up, losing to Cobb rival Harrison in the finals. This fall, the Greyhounds easily won Region 5 in Class 6A. In the state tournament thus far, they have swept Douglas County and Houston County, scoring 49 runs and giving up only one run in those four games.

Pope coach Chris Turco also earned his 300th career victory at the school during the early playoff round. Pope has won the state title once, in 2014.

In the Class 7A tournament, Lassiter was eliminated by Grayson in the second round. The Trojans won their first game in a best-of-three series, then fell by scores of 11-0 and 5-0.

The Kell softball team defeated Arabia Mountain in the first round of the Class 5A tournament, then was swept by Starr’s Mill 3-1 and 16-0 in the second round.

 

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Lassiter soccer player called into Bosnian Under-19 team camp

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Vedad Kovac, a varsity soccer player at Lassiter High School, was called into the team camp for the Bosnia-Herzogovina Under-19 national team in September.Vedad Kovac, Lassiter High School soccer player

Kovac, a senior midfielder, was named to the United Soccer Coaches’ All-Region team as a junior for the Trojans.

As a club player, he competes for the NTH-NASA Elite Clubs National Program in East Cobb. The ECNL program is a three-year-old nationwide development program for high-level youth players, both boys and girls.

The camp Kovac has been participating is in preparation for friendly matches and the Under-19 European Qualifiers in November. Here’s more from ECNL about Kovac:

“The last couple of months have meant a lot to me,” commented Kovac. “I have experienced something I would not trade for anything. This has made my family very happy, which has made me even more excited to participate.”

Born in the United States to a Bosnian mother and father, Kovac has been with NTH-NASA since the age of nine, and has been coached by the club’s Director of Player Development, Todd Gispert, for the last four years, but more recently flew onto the radar of the national team scouts of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

According to Gispert, the call up for Kovac is warranted based upon a host of strengths he brings to the table.

“His technical ability is superb. The way he utilizes his body in tight spaces is fantastic. He also scores goals and that means a lot at any level,” said Gispert.

 

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PHOTOS: Sandy Plains Baseball celebrates 50th anniversary

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Sandy Plains Baseball 50th anniversary

Players, parents, volunteers and representatives of the Atlanta Braves turned out at Field 2 at Carl Harrison Park Saturday to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Sandy Plains Baseball Association.

The youth baseball organization was founded in March 1969 and originally played games not far away, at Sandy Plains Park. That also is the venue for Sandy Plains Softball.

But as the number of youths playing both sports grew, so did the need for new fields and separate organizations. Sandy Plains Softball still plays at Sandy Plains Park.

The baseball venues moved to Harrison Park, next to Lassiter High School, and Sweat Mountain Park, in the late 1980s.

Ginny Garner, chairwoman of the board of Sandy Plains Baseball, said the organization wouldn’t be what it is without the parent volunteers and families.

“We’ve been so blessed to have amazing families and amazing volunteers,” she said.

While the parks are operated by the Cobb Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department, Sandy Plains Baseball helps with maintenance and upkeep of the grounds. Garner said most recently, the organization raised money for new bunting along the outfield fences.

Two years ago, Field 2 was completely refurbished with funding from the Atlanta Braves Foundation, which has undertaken similar projects around metro Atlanta in the name of Chipper Jones.

Garner said Sandy Plains Baseball enrolls around 700 players for the fall season, and around 900 for the spring season, ages 4-18.

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East Cobb football update: Walton, Kell roll in rivalry games

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After falling behind in the first quarter, Walton took control of an East Cobb rivalry game with Pope Friday night at Raider Valley.Walton all-sports champion

The Greyhounds led 7-0, but Walton got three touchdowns from KD Stokes and two more from Julian Bumper to prevail 33-10.

For the Raiders (2-1), the win was an encouraging recovery after they lost to Collins Hill last week on the last play of the game. Walton is off next week, then will play at North Gwinnett on Sept. 20.

Pope also is 2-1 and will begin region play next week against Centennial.

In the other East Cobb rivalry game Friday, the visiting team came away with the win, as Kell blanked Lassiter 27-0. Corbin LaFrance threw two touchdowns to Jamal Hill.

The Longhorns, who are ranked No. 8 in Class 5A, improved to 3-0 on the season. They begin region play with a bang next week at No. 9 Rome, which crushed North Clayton 63-6.

Lassiter, which is 0-3, will be off next week. The Trojans have scored only six points on the season, a field goal in each of their first two games.

Sprayberry has put together a two-game winning streak after rolling over South Cobb 48-20. It was homecoming for the Yellow Jackets (2-1), who got two touchdowns from Damarion Owens.

The Jackets will have a week off next week, then start their region slate against Harrison, ranked No. 5 in Class 6A, and which is 4-0 on the season.

Wheeler returned home after last week’s loss to Sprayberry, but Shiloh jumped all over the Wildcats early enroute to a 39-8 win.

Shiloh led 27-0 as Wheeler fell to 1-2. The Wildcats are off next week, then will play Lassiter on Sept. 20.

 

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East Cobb football update: Pope, Sprayberry gain first wins

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Pope and Sprayberry got their first wins on Friday night in East Cobb rivalry contests in the second week of the high school football season.Sprayberry football, East Cobb football

The Yellow Jackets got off to a tough start in an opening loss to South Forsyth last week, and was facing Wheeler, which they hadn’t beaten since 2007.

But Sprayberry took an early 14-0 lead and never relinquished it in a 21-14 win at Jim Frazier Stadium.

Both touchdowns were scored by Damarion Owens, a junior running back, and the Yellow Jackets (1-1) didn’t give up any points until Wheeler ran a kickoff for a touchdown in the second half.

East Cobb sports updateAt the Hound Pound, Pope played its first game of the season against East Cobb Lassiter, coming off a 47-3 loss to Harrison.

The Greyhounds never trailed in a 23-3 win. Pope led 14-0 at halftime, and for the second straight game, the Trojans (0-2) managed only a field goal. Last year, Lassiter’s only win in a 1-9 season came against Pope.

Walton was coming off a come-from-behind victory over Norcross in the Corky Kell Classic last week as it entertained another Gwinnett team, Collins Hill, in the Raiders’ home opener.

After trailing 6-0 most of the game, the Raiders took a 10-6 lead with less than six minutes to play. Walton got a field goal from Conor Cummins and touchdown run from KD Stokes.

But then Collins Hill got the ball and drove 70 yards, getting a nine-yard touchdown play as the clock expired for a 12-10 win.

The loss for Walton (1-1) was only the second regular season setback for third-year Raiders coach Daniel Brunner.

Coming Up

More East Cobb rivalry games are in store on Friday, as Pope visits Walton and Kell (1-0) is at Lassiter.

Sprayberry stays home to play South Cobb, which was trounced 46-0 by McEachern.

Wheeler (1-1) returns home to play Shiloh.

 

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Friday Night Lights: East Cobb rivalry games continue

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Friday Night Lights East Cobb

There are two rivalry games on tap Friday night in East Cobb as the high school football season continues. Last week’s openers included thrilling late wins by Kell and Walton in the Corky Kell Classic.

Wheeler (1-0) visits Sprayberry (0-1) in a game featuring the two oldest high schools in East Cobb. Last year, the Wildcats roared 40-20, snuffing out a late Yellow Jackets comeback with an interception that was returned 91 yards for a touchdown.

That was the first Wheeler-Sprayberry game since 2013. This will be the first taste of that rivalry for new Wheeler coach Bryan Love, who started out his tenure in strong fashion last week with a 42-19 Wildcats win over Lambert.

According to the Georgia High School Football Historians Association, Wheeler leads the rivalry against Sprayberry 33-13.

Pope will open its season at home on Friday against Lassiter, which fell hard to Harrison 47-3 for new coach Sean Thom.

In last year’s game, Lassiter won for the only time in the season by a 20-13 count. The Trojans were 1-9 overall, and Jep Irwin resigned to take a coaching job in Kentucky.

Pope is considered a contender in Region 6 of Class 6A but is looking for its first win over Lassiter since 2014.

Lassiter leads the all-time series with Pope 19-8.

Walton (1-0) has its home opener at Raider Valley against Collins Hill, which is making its season debut. This is a rematch of last year’s Corky Kell Classic game won by Walton. Collins Hill won the first two meetings against the Raiders, in 1999 and 2013.

Kell is off this week.

Kickoff time for all three games Friday is 7:30 p.m.

East Cobb rivalry games will continue next week when Pope plays Walton and Kell meets Lassiter.

 

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Corky Kell Classic: Kell freshman shines; Walton rallies

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The Kell offense was bound to have a different look after star quarterback Evan Conley graduated. At the Corky Kell Classic Saturday morning, it was a freshman running back who gave the Longhorns’ attack a big boost, and perhaps a new identity.Kell Touchdown Club, Corky Kell Classic

David Mbadinga caught a screen pass and ran it 33 yards for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter, and he rushed 17 times for 104 yards for the game, as Kell downed Mays 17-12 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Mbadinga helped ease the transition for new Kell quarterback Corbin Lafrance. A junior, Lafrance succeeds Evan Conley, who is now playing at the University of Louisville.

Kell’s offense sputtered early on, although the Longhorns took a 7-0 lead into the second half. Mays scored a touchdown in the third quarter, but missed the extra point to trail 7-6.

That’s when Mbadinga took over. After his touchdown reception from Lafrance, Mbadinga peeled off a 16-yard gain for a first down to reach the Mays 4-yard-line. Kell kicked a field goal to push the lead to 17-6.

On the next series, Kell defender Keith Williams intercepted a pass.

With 1:28 to play in the game, Mays scored a touchdown to close to 17-12 but could not convert a two-point play.

Kell is 8-2 all-time in the Corky Kell Classic, which like the school is named in honor of the late Wheeler coach.

“Our kids played with great passion and emotion, they really played hard,” said Kell coach Brett Sloan, who is 2-1 in Corky Kell games as he begins his third season.

As for Mbadinga, Sloan smiled and said, “We’ve been excited about him for a while. We’re glad he’s on our team.”

The Longhorns are off next week, then play at Lassiter Sept. 6.

Walton ‘found a way’

Walton played Norcross Saturday afternoon in the Corky Kell Classic, and trailed 20-7 before staging a big comeback in the fourth quarter.

Walton all-sports championQuarterback Zak Rozsman threw a pass to Julian Bumper, who ran down the sideline for an 82-yard touchdown with 7:03 remaining.

Walton’s defense responded on the next drive for Norcross as Jonathan Chesser and Titus McBride teamed up for a quarterback sack on third down.

The Raiders started their next possession on the Norcross 21 after a personal foul on the fair catch of a Blue Devils punt.

That’s when running back KD Stokes took over for Walton, picking up 14 yards to set up first-and-goal on the two, then scoring the touchdown on the next play.

A Conor Cummins extra-point gave Walton a 21-20 lead with 3:10 to play, but Norcross had a chance to win with 16 seconds left.

After a long drive, Norcross placekicker Kellen Grave de Peralta, who made two field goals in the second half, attempted a 44-yarder. But after a shaky hold, his kick came out on a line drive and was no good, and Walton players celebrated their 21-20 win.

“We found out what kind of team we are today,” said Walton coach Daniel Brunner. “They fought, fought, fought. They’re a resilient bunch.”

He said the Raiders emphasize a set of “core values” and that one of them embodied their victory Saturday.

“Find a way,” he said. “They found a way today.”

Walton is off next week and plays host to Pope on Sept. 6.

Friday night highlights

Three East Cobb teams opened their seasons on Friday night.

J.D. Thomas scored four touchdowns, including a 93-yard kickoff return on the opening play of the game, as Wheeler won its first game under new coach Bryan Love by a 42-19 score over Lambert.

Next week the Wildcats will visit East Cobb rival Sprayberry, which lost its season opener on the road, 34-20, at South Forsyth.

Lassiter also was on the road to open the season and things got out of hand early for the Trojans in a 47-3 loss at Harrison. The only points of the game for Lassiter, which was playing for a new coach, Sean Thom, came on a field goal late in the fourth quarter.

The Trojans will stay on the road next Friday in another all-East Cobb game when they meet Pope in the season opener for the Greyhounds.

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Walton volleyball win streak at 101 with new gym opener next

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The Walton volleyball team trounced Cherokee 3-0 on Tuesday (by scores of 25-12, 25-15 and 25-15) to move to 4-0 on the season.Walton Volleyball team

The win was the 101st consecutive victory against a team from the state of Georgia for the Lady Raiders, who are the state’s most dominant volleyball team.

When they next take the court on Tuesday, Aug. 27 against Roswell, it will be for the first time in the new Walton gym. The match starts at 5 p.m and is a region contest.

Walton has won 13 state titles overall and eight in the last nine years and was declared the 2017 national high school champion by PrepVolleyball. USA Today has the Lady Raiders ranked No. 22 in its first national poll of the season. MaxPreps has Walton ranked 26th after the graduation of 2019 seniors Gabby Gonzalez, Reilly MacNeill, Riley Spurlin, Meghan Froemming and Jordan Rush.

This year, senior Madison Morey and junior Emery Dupes are among Walton’s top experienced returning players. The listed varsity team members include the following, with some already announcing their college choices:

  • Seniors: Phoebe Awoleye (University of Georgia), Madison Morey (University of Virginia), Katie Strickland (Georgia State University), Kendall O’Brien (Marist College), Sydney Barrett;
  • Juniors: Emery Dupes (Florida State University), Ashlyn Goolsby, Lia Ekendahl, Catherine Cheney, Chandler Parker, Kaye Gresham, Paeton Stoner, Olivia Langham;
  • Sophomores: Greta Hans, Aviah Miller, Avery Storm, Vera Laytham, Sophie Barrett, Laura Middleton, Elizabeth Curry;
  • Freshmen: Mary Neal, Clara Paulsen, Elizabeth Cheney, Maya Szkaradek.

The coach is Suzanne Fitzgerald, who is in her 14th season at Walton, where she also teaches English.

After next week’s game against Roswell, the Lady Raiders will step out of state to compete in a tournament in Sarasota, Fla. They also will travel to competitions in Louisville and Phoenix during the regular season.

On Sept. 17, Walton will visit Lassiter, currently ranked No. 2 in Georgia, in an East Cobb and regional showdown.

 

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Wheeler cross country athletes excel at Hoya Invitational

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Photos and text submitted by Meggan Muller of the Wheeler cross country coaching staff:

Pooja Kanyadan, Wheeler cross country
Pooja Kanyadan

We had a great showing at the Hoya Invitational this weekend with many new runners and returning.

Pooja Kanyadan (Freshman) led the Girls Open pack with a 4th place win. Overall, Wheeler scored 4th as a team.

With new runner Morgan Yankowsky, Wheeler was awarded 2nd place overall. A freshman, Yankowsky came in 1st place of the Boys Open. We are thrilled that this new runner had such a successful showing. Elliott Brown and Drew Marshall, also a freshman at Wheeler, pulled in 10th and 14th places respectively out of 210 runners.

Morgan Yankowsky, Wheeler cross country
Morgan Yankowsky

JV Boys came in 5th place overall, with Josh Musser (junior) taking 8th place and John Bunch (junior) coming in 12th out of 146 runners.

Senior Daniel Reis ran a 10:50.10 2 mile. Sophomore Haden Drake led the girls JV, registering 14th place out of 110 with a time of 14:35.77.

Varsity Girls was watching newcomer Jada Dixon (freshman) followed by Virginia Miller (sophomore).

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Some Cobb parks may be getting license plate reader devices

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Cobb parks license plate reader devices, East Cobb Park
East Cobb Park is on a proposed list to have license plate reader devices installed, along with Fullers Park and Terrell Mill Park. (ECN photo by Wendy Parker)

Three parks in East Cobb could be among the first in the county to have license plate readers installed as a safety measure.

The Cobb Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department will ask commissioners on Tuesday for authorization to spend $168,000 to install the devices at 12 of the county’s 24 active and passive parks.

Those proposed to have the readers installed include East Cobb Park, Fullers Park and Terrell Mill Park.

According to the agenda item summary for Tuesday’s commissioners meeting, the parks selected for the readers were “based on experience and data obtained from the police department records of the number and type of citizen requested dispatch calls.”

The vendor is Flock Automatic License Plate Reader (ALPR), which would install two solar-powered cameras at the main entrances to each park. The Flock system would be integrated into the Cobb Police dispatch system and has a real-time reporting tool for the the National Crime Information Center/Georgia Crime Information Center, according to the agenda item.

The data to be retrieved would include the arrival and departure time, license plate and descriptions of vehicles at the parks, with the objective to be able to easily detect and report suspicious vehicles.

The installation cost is covered under the 2016 Cobb Parks SPLOST and would include system integration a three-year warranty and a four-year agreement for cloud hosting, cellular service and software updates.

In a related item on Tuesday, commissioners will be asked to make a $90,213 reimbursement to the Friends for the East Cobb Park, which donated nearly $120,000 last summer to help the county purchase part of the adjoining Tritt property and preserve it for green space.

Wylene Tritt sold 22 acres at 3540 Roswell Road to the county for a cost of $8.4 million, but a supplemental parks bond account established in 2017 had only $8.3 million available.

The Friends for the East Cobb Park stepped in to make the donation from its endowment. Shortly after that, the group announced a fundraising campaign to replenish the endowment.

 

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East Cobb Pigskin Preview breakfast kicks off new season

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East Cobb Pigskin Preview Breakfast
Walton faces the 2019 season without Dominick Blaylock (1), now a Georgia Bulldog.

If you want to meet all six of the public high school football coaches in East Cobb, next Thursday’s your chance at the annual Pigskin Preview Breakfast.

It’s put on by the East Cobb Area Council of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce, and it starts at 7:30 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 15, at Indian Hills Country Club (4001 Clubland Drive).

Tickets are $25 for Chamber members and $35 for general admission, and online registration closes on Tuesday, Aug. 13.

As in past years, the format is the same. The head coaches from Kell, Lassiter, Pope, Sprayberry, Kell, Walton and Wheeler will discuss their teams as preseason practice is underway, and take questions from a moderator and the audience.

They’ll also be bringing some of their players.

Two of the coaches will be new to the Pigskin Breakfast. They’re Sean Thom of Lassiter and Bryan Love of Wheeler. They succeeded the longest-serving coaches in East Cobb, respectively: Jep Irwin, now in Kentucky, and Mike Collins, the new coach at River Ridge in Cherokee County. Both were on the job for 10 years.

We’ll be posting full schedules for each team soon, but Kell and Walton will once again be playing in the Corky Kell Classic. Their games are on Saturday, Aug. 24 at 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. respectively, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta.

On Saturday, the Longhorns and Raiders will be facing each other in a scrimmage at The Stockyard at Kell High School (4770 Lee Waters Road) starting at 10 a.m.

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East Cobb softball preview: Pope opens at Ga. champ Harrison

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Pope softball
All-state player Zoe Laneaux (14) is a senior for the Pope Greyhounds. (ECN file)

Just a few days after a new school year began, so does the high school sports schedule. For the Pope softball team, beginning a new season means facing the team it lost to in last year’s state championship round.

The Greyhounds play at Georgia Class 6A champion Harrison Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. in the season opener for both teams.

Pope, which finished 33-6 last year under coach Chris Turco, is loaded again for another shot at the state crown. Five all-state players return: Zoe Laneaux (third base), Katie Ward (outfield), Bailey Chapin (first base), Hallie Adams (pitcher) and Carolyn Deady (catcher).

The Greyhounds need to replace second baseman Hannah Dodd, shortstop Gracie Kittrell and pitcher Trinity Pizzutti, who were leaders of the Class of 2018 that won 108 games. Their home opener is Aug. 13 vs. Northview at 5:30 p.m.

Lassiter also reached the state playoffs in Class 7A and posted a 27-7 season under coach Jason Campbell. The Trojans open next week on the road, then play host to Harrison on Friday, Aug. 16 at 4:45 p.m.

Kell was 13-13 under Kevin Foster last year and gets underway at Sprayberry Wednesday at 5:30 in an all-East Cobb matchup. The Longhorns will play Paulding County Monday at 5:30 p.m. in the first home game of the season.

Walton, which was 5-20 in 2018, also swings into action next week at Westminster and Campbell, then plays at Wheeler on Aug. 19. The Raiders have their first home games on an Aug. 27 doubleheader against Lassiter that starts at 5 p.m. at Terrell Mill Park (480 Terrell Mill Road).

The other two East Cobb high schools have new coaches.

Sprayberry began its season Tuesday at home against Sequoyah and is playing Wednesday at Kell, returns home to play Creekview Thursday at 5:30 p.m. The Yellow Jackets also play host to Harrison Saturday at 12 p.m. under first-year coach Desmond Atwell.

Wheeler also has a new coach in Mark Collins, and starts the season with a tournament at Marietta High School Thursday-Saturday. The Wildcats open at home next Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. against Riverwood. They play their home games at Coach Mau Field, behind the former East Cobb Middle School campus on Holt Road.

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