The banquet room at the Indian Hills Country Club was filled Thursday morning with local business leaders, hungry high school football players and their coaches at the annual East Cobb Pigskin Preview breakfast.
The six high school head coaches briefed attendees about the season ahead and answered audience questions at the event sponsored by the East Cobb Council of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce.
Four of the six coaches are new to the job. Only Jep Irwin of Lassiter, and Mike Collins of Wheeler, both in their eighth seasons, return to the sidelines at the same school.
Two of the newcomers are returning to their alma maters: Brett Vavra of Sprayberry, and Tab Griffin of Pope. The other first-year coaches are no strangers to the East Cobb prep football scene. Brett Sloan of Kell was an assistant at Walton the last two years. Daniel Brunner, also a Raiders assistant, was named head coach when Mo Dixon resigned to take a job at south Georgia powerhouse Colquitt County.
Griffin, who had been an assistant coach at Mount Paran Christian School, said returning to Pope is “kind of a homecoming for me. It’s been my dream ever since Pope opened to come back and be the head football coach.”
Vavra, who was an assistant at Etowah, echoed similar thoughts. “I’m super excited to be back home,” he said, noting “the great sense of pride in the community” that welcomed him back to Sprayberry.
The energetic Brunner said bringing the entire Walton football community together is an important objective for him, and last weekend the first “Raider Day” event took place (see East Cobb News coverage here).
Kell also went looking for a new coach when Derek Cook resigned in the spring after nine years on the job. The Longhorns tapped Sloan, who had come to Walton with Dixon from South Carolina, and who had helped guide the Raiders into the post-season.
Sloan, who’s also anxious due to the upcoming birth of his first child, said Kell’s goal is simple: to reach the state finals. The Longhorns were eliminated in the semifinals, so there’s no need, Sloan said, “to replace what they’ve done at Kell, but to build on it.”
Wheeler is hopeful for a playoff berth after going 5-6 and reaching the region playoffs. The Wildcats’ main objective is to be more consistent; in 2016 they weren’t able to put together a winning streak. “It had a lot to do with the teams we were playing the following week,” Collins said.
Lassiter also reached the post-season with a 6-5 finish, and the Trojans boast one of the best high school players in the nation in defensive back Derrik Allen. He has been chosen to play in the Army All-American all-star game in January and will play college football at Notre Dame.
Some East Cobb teams are holding scrimmages this week and next. Walton and Kell will be playing next Saturday at the Corky Kell Classic in downtown Atlanta. The first full slate of games is Friday, Aug. 25.
As for the donor levels, Hampton said one of the most popular forms of giving for businesses, organizations and individuals alike is a $25 “Thank A Hero” contribution that includes a card at the events with the giver’s identification.