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.
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.
At 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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After piling up big wins at home to start the Georgia High School Association playoffs, the Kell and Walton football teams now have the challenge of replicating that success on the road.
The Kell Longhorns might be one of the hottest teams in the state after romping 48-8 over Carver of Atlanta on Friday in the Class 5A playoffs. Ebony Jackson scored four touchdowns for Kell (9-2), which has won seven games in a row after starting the season 2-2.
Kell’s high-powered offense, which also includes quarterback Evan Conley, has averaged 37.8 points a game during the season. Next Friday, the Longhorns will play at Buford, which defeated Miller Grove 35-14.
The Wolves are on a similar roll, having won six games in a row, and are averaging 43 points a game during the season.
In Class 7A, Walton also played host to a first-round game on Friday, and had little trouble with a south Georgia opponent. The Raiders (10-1) defeated Camden County 40-20, as quarterback Austin Kirskey threw three touchdown passes, two of them to Kendall Alford.
On Friday, Walton will travel cross-county to play fellow Cobb school Hillgrove. The Hawks are undefeated at 11-0 after defeating Pebblebrook 21-7.
The football season came to an end Friday for Pope, which had a daunting task in its first-round Class 6A playoff game at Creekview. The Cherokee County team was 10-0 and ranked No. 2 in the state going in, and cruised 38-14.
The Grizzlies jumped out to a quick early lead, and Pope (5-6) didn’t get on the scoreboard until later in the game. But in two seasons under former Pope player Tab Griffin, the Greyhounds have reached the playoffs have some lean years.
They also fought back to get to the post-season after starting out 0-4.
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The Georgia High School Association pairings are out, and the Walton and Kell football teams will be home teams in first-round games on Friday.
The Raiders, who finished runner-up in Region 4 of Class 7A, are 9-1, with their only loss to region champion Roswell. Walton will be facing Camden County of Kingsland, on the Georgia coast. The Wildcats, won three state titles in the last decade are 7-3 this year and finished third in Region 1, which includes Colquitt County.
Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. at Raider Valley. The Class 7A bracket can be found here, and includes a possible second-round game between Walton and Hillgrove of West Cobb.
Other local teams in the Class 7A playoffs are Marietta, McEachern and Pebblebrook, which clipped Wheeler last week for a post-season berth.
Kell finished the regular season in strong fashion to earn the runner-up spot in Region 7 of Class 5A. The Longhorns, who are 8-2, will play host on Friday to Carver of Atlanta, which is 5-5. Here is the Class 5A bracket. Kickoff at the Stockyard is 7:30 p.m.
In Class 6A, Pope will have to hit the road after earning the final playoff spot in Region 7. The Greyhounds, who are 5-5, will play at Creekview, and it will be a tough task. The Grizzlies are a perfect 10-0 on the season. Kickoff also starts at 7:30 at Creekview (1550 Owens Store Road, Canton).
The Class 6A bracket can be found here, and includes Allatoona and Harrison.
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Walton coach Daniel Brunner’s first regular-season loss came at the hands of Roswell, his alma mater. (ECN file photo)
Friday was a dramatic night for East Cobb football teams, with four of them still involved in playoff drives. But a Walton upset at the hands of Roswell has implications for region play as well as the state rankings.
The No. 2 Raiders fell 32-31, the first regular-season loss for coach Daniel Brunner. Khaleed Mobley of Roswell blocked a 26-yard field goal attempt by Walton in the dying seconds, after the Hornets had taken the lead on a two-point conversion after a touchdown.
The Senior Night loss at Raider Valley means Walton (7-1, 2-1) will likely not be the top seed coming out of Region 4 of Class 7A. Roswell, led by former Pope coach Matt Kemper, has an identical record and a tiebreaking win, if necessary, over Walton.
Walton quarterback Austin Kirksey threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, and found star receiver Dominick Blaylock wide open down the stretch of fourth down to set up the field goal try by Jack Westbrock.
The Raiders finish up the regular season the next two weeks on the road, at Cherokee and Woodstock.
Not far away, the Wheeler Wildcats were trying to bounce back from two consecutive losses and stay in playoff contention against a Campbell team suffering through a long season.
Wheeler dashed out to a 28-0 lead in the first half, then went ahead 41-20 in the third quarter before Campbell came charging back.
The Wildcats held off the upset bid 62-56, improving to 6-2 and 1-2 in Region 2 of Class 7A, as quarterback C.J. Ogbonna threw two touchdown passes. Next week Wheeler faces region leader Westlake.
The Kell Longhorns rolled up some points as well, but the outmatched Cass Colonels couldn’t keep up, as Kell won in a 63-3 rout. Quarterback Evan Conley threw five touchdown passes for the Longhorns, who are 6-2 and 4-2 in Region 7 of Class 5A.
The Pope Greyhounds also dug out a dramatic win to keep their post-season hopes alive, as they went to Cambridge and came away with a 29-26 win. Pope pulled off an 85-yard drive in the final minute, scoring on a 9-yard touchdown pass with 21 seconds to play.
Next week the Hounds, who improved to 4-5 and 4-3 in Region 7 of Class 6A, play Northview, which also is battling for a playoff spot.
The Sprayberry Yellow Jackets threatened to upset playoff-minded Sequoyah, and took an early 13-0 lead. But the Chiefs rebounded for a 35-28 win in Class 6A Region 6 play. Sprayberry, which fell to 2-6 and 2-4, continues a tough stretch next week, visiting region leader Creekview.
A long season for the Lassiter Trojans continued Friday in a 23-6 loss to Woodstock. The Trojans, who are 1-7 and 0-6 in Region 4 of Class 7A, play Etowah next week.
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Only two of the six East Cobb high school football teams were in action Friday, but they made emphatic statements with region play underway.
The Pope Greyhounds blanked Dunwoody 26-0 at the Hound Pound, the first shutout for a Pope varsity team in six years. That’s when current seniors were still in middle school.
Pope played without star receiver Zack Owens, who’s recovering from an injury, and raced to a 20-0 halftime lead.
More importantly, the win gives Pope (2-4 overall) a 2-2 record in Class 6A Region 7 play, with another key game coming on Friday at Johns Creek, which is tied for the region lead at 4-1, 3-0.
After two tough losses in Class 5A Region 7, the Kell Longhorns were off last week. On Friday, at winless Paulding County, they scored the first 33 points of the game and cruised to a 54-20 win.
Isaiah Cruz scored two touchdowns for Kell, which moves to 3-2 and 1-2 in region play, but tougher foes are ahead as the playoff stakes grow.
The Longhorns return home to The Stockyard Friday against region rival Villa Rica, which is tied for second in the region at 4-2, 3-1.
Also coming up on Friday is an East Cobb rivalry game. The Walton Raiders, ranked No. 2 in Class 7A at 5-0, opens its schedule in Region 4 against Lassiter, which is 1-4.
Also ranked in Class 7A is Wheeler, which is 5-0 for the first time in 25 years. The Wildcats will be at home for their Region 2 opener against Newnan (2-3).
Sprayberry is off to a 1-4 start and is 1-2 in Class 6A Region 6. The Yellow Jackets will be at home Friday for a region game against Osborne (0-6, 0-4).
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If you’re going to the Pope football game on Friday night, this is a very special event for the Greyhounds community beyond the game. It’s also been designated the Matt Hobby Game, in honor of a former football player who died of childhood cancer.
As has been the case with previous Matt Hobby Games, special T-shirts are being sold this week to raise money for the Rally Foundation, which conducts research into childhood cancer.
Online orders are no longer being accepted, but shirts will be sold at the Hound Pound. They cost $20 for children and adults, and a special Matt Hobby trucker hat also is being sold for $20.
Each year, the Pope football team designates a player to wear Hobby’s jersey No. 70 in his honor, and this year that’s long snapper Cody Olszewski, a senior who’s also featured in the video below along with previous Matt Hobby Award recipients.
Kickoff between Pope and Alpharetta is 7:30 p.m.
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The Walton Raiders will open their season again at the Corky Kell Classic, along with the Kell Longhorns, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (East Cobb News file photo)
Earlier this week we reported from the East Cobb Pigskin Preview breakfast about what the coaches of East Cobb high school football teams had to say about their squads.
Friday scrimmages were the final tuneups as five of the six teams get started with regular season games starting this week.
On Friday, three teams will be in action. The Lassiter Trojans are playing at home against Harrison; Sprayberry plays at South Forsyth; and Wheeler visits Lambert. Kickoff times are all at 7:30 p.m.
On Saturday is the return of the Corky Kell Classic, to be played at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta, and it will be an early morning for the Kell Longhorns and Walton Raiders.
The Longhorns play at 9 a.m. against East Coweta, followed at 11:45 a.m. by Walton against Mill Creek. If you can’t attend, here is viewing information.
The Pope Greyhounds don’t get started until next Friday, Aug. 24, when they play at Lassiter in the first all-East Cobb game of the season.
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Walton football coach Daniel Brunner welcomes back many talented players from last year’s 11-1 team including Dominick Blaylock (third from left), a star wide receiver who’s heading to UGA. (East Cobb News photo by Wendy Parker)
At the East Cobb Pigksin Preview breakfast Thursday morning, high school football coaches took time out from pre-school weightlifting, teaching and other activities to share their thoughts on the coming season with community business leaders.
The breakfast was held by the East Cobb Area Council of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce at the Indian Hills Country Club. Coaches brought key players and school administrators also attended.
All six coaches from last season are back, after four of the six East Cobb high schools introduced new coaches last year. Here are brief overviews five of the coaches gave about their teams at the breakfast. Kell High School coaches were not in attendance.
Jep Irwin, Lassiter (6-4 in 2017)
Jep Irwin is in his 10th season as Lassiter coach.
The Trojans will be without a seasoned quarterback for the first time in many years. “No one on our roster has any varsity experience,” Irwin said. One of those vying for the starting job “needs to step forward” to fill a leadership role and to provide confidence for the rest of the team.
“We lost a lot of seniors, the skill players on offense, and we will be young in the secondary.”
Lassiter is playing a home scrimmage Friday against Sprayberry at 7 p.m. Season opener is Aug. 17 against Harrison.
Brett Vavra, Sprayberry (2-8 in 2017)
The second-year coach said creating a culture of “old school football” has been the Yellow Jackets’ priority during the off-season, and they’ve addressed those changes in the weight room and with their strength and conditioning program.
“We want to become a more physical football team,” said Vavra, a former Sprayberry player. The team’s motto is “TPW,” or “Tough People Win,” and it’s about instilling mental as well as physical toughness.
Sprayberry was young last season, and graduated nine seniors. Now there are around 30 seniors, and 19 starters are returning.
“I think we have the tools to win some games,” Vavra said. “But we’re not just about wanting to win. We’ve got an awesome group of players who have been working hard. I can’t wait to see how it translates on the field.”
Tab Griffin, Pope (4-7 in 2017)
Pope’s Zack Owens has signed to play college football at Georgia Tech.
The Greyhounds reached the playoffs in their first season under Tab Griffin a former Pope player. Senior wide receiver Zack Owens, is a versatile two-way player, and pre-season practices have emphasized how to efficiently use his talents.
“He’s our go-to guy, he’s going to touch the football,” Griffin said, adding that Owens may see less time as a defensive back because of Pope’s grueling schedule. It calls for 10 consecutive games without a bye week.
Pope has 15 starters returning. “We want to take the mindset that we have a playoff caliber team,” Griffin said. “Our schedule isn’t favorable for that, but as I tell our players, that’s life.”
Daniel Brunner, Walton (11-1 in 2017)
After reaching the state playoffs, the Raiders will step into an even brighter spotlight in 2018. And not just because the Raiders have many of their key players returning, including UGA-bound wide receiver Dominick Blaylock.
On Sept. 14, Walton plays host to defending Class 7-A state champion North Gwinnett at Raider Valley, in a game to be nationally televised on ESPN. The Raiders were the only team to defeat North Gwinnett last season. Brunner said keeping distractions to a minimum will be essential.
“It’s a good platform for our kids and branding for our program and for our sport in the state,” Brunner, a former Walton assistant, said of the North Gwinnett game. “But it’s all about the process” and keeping to a disciplined regimen for what could be another banner season in Raider Valley.
Brunner said of 2017, his first year at the helm, “we had a successful season because we didn’t have drama.”
One concern he has is that Walton will be young and inexperienced on the offensive line.
Michael Collins, Wheeler (2-8 in 2017)
“We were rebuilding last year with lots of young guys,” Collins said. But the Wildcats were competitive in some of those close games they lost, and he’s looking for better results this year.
“I love coaching this team,” said Collins, who is starting his 10th season at Wheeler. “They’re young, and they have very high character.”
Wheeler opens the season on Aug. 17 at Lambert and plays its first home game the following week in its traditional East Cobb rivalry against Sprayberry.
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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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It wasn’t easy, but the Walton football team held off a Cobb County rival Friday night in the first round of the Georgia High School Association Class 7A state playoffs. The Raiders, who defeated North Cobb 28-14, were one of three East Cobb high school football teams in action.
Dominick Blaylock scored two touchdowns, including on a key drive in the fourth quarter, and quarterback Austin Kirksey was 11-for-11 passing for 181 yards, as the Raiders remained unbeaten on the season.
They’re 11-0 and will remain at home next Friday against Colquitt County, which routed Pebblebrook 49-7.
Walton, which is led by first-year head coach Daniel Brunner, a former assistant, will see a familiar face on the Colquitt County sideline. Mo Dixon, who was the Raiders head coach for the last two seasons, left East Cobb over the spring to become an assistant coach at the South Georgia powerhouse.
In the Class 6A playoffs, Pope fell behind early in a 42-14 loss at Dacula, which scored on six of its first seven possessions. The game was the first in the playoffs in five years for the Greyhounds, who finished 4-7 under first-year coach Tab Griffin, a Pope graduate and former player.
Kell reached the Class 5A playoffs but also went out in the first round, falling to Flowery Branch 21-14. The Longhorns mounted a comeback after trailing 21-0, and had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds, but were stopped on fourth-and-goal on the goal line. Kell’s season ends at 5-6 under Brett Sloan, who was in his first season as head coach after being an assistant at Walton.
There could be a fourth, Lassiter, which lost to Etowah Friday night and could be selected for an at-large berth in Class AAAAAAA.
Walton clinched the Region 7-AAAAAAA title Friday with a 42-37 win at home over Woodstock, giving the Raiders a perfect 10-0 record in the regular season.
That’s only the third time in Walton school history that has happened. The Raiders will play at home next Friday in the first round of the state playoffs against North Cobb.
Tab Griffin of Pope, Brett Sloan of Kell and Daniel Brunner of Walton have led their teams into the state playoffs as first-year head coaches. (East Cobb News file photo)
Kell lost to Hiram 52-37 at home but still clinched a playoff berth in the Class AAAAA playoffs. The Longhorns, who finished 5-5 in the regular season, will play at Flowery Branch.
The most unlikely East Cobb football story this season is Pope High School, which had won just three games in the past two seasons. The Greyhounds got off to a sluggish start, losing their first three games.
Pope came into Friday’s game against Northview on a two-game losing streak, but rolled to an easy 41-22 win to qualify for the state playoffs for the first time since 2012. The Greyhounds will take a losing record—4-6—into next Friday’s Class AAAAAA first round game at Dacula.
Lassiter could have cemented a playoff berth in Class AAAAAAA but lost at Etowah 29-20 to finish the regular season with a 6-4 record. The Trojans await word on whether they’ll be selected as an at-large team.
The three East Cobb football teams that have clinched playoff spots also have something else in common. They’re coached by first-year head coaches, which was one of the leading storylines heading into the season.
Walton’s Daniel Brunner had been an assistant for the Raiders and was elevated to head coach after Mo Dixon resigned to take a coaching job in south Georgia. Another Walton assistant, Brett Sloan, was hired to succeed Derek Cook at Kell.
Tab Griffin’s task at Pope was considered the biggest job of all. He was a former Greyhounds player and Pope graduate who was hired in the summer after coaching at Mt. Paran Christian School.
Two other East Cobb teams ended their seasons Friday on a down note. Sprayberry, also coached by a first-year coach, former Yellow Jackets player Brett Vavra, lost to Sequoyah 38-28 and finished 2-8 on the year.
So did the Wheeler Wildcats, a playoff last year who lost 51-37 to Pebblebrook.
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East Cobb high school football head coaches, from L-R: Tab Griffin (Pope); Brett Sloan (Kell); Daniel Brunner (Walton); Brett Vavra (Sprayberry); Mike Collins (Wheeler); and Jep Irwin (Lassiter). East Cobb News photos by Wendy Parker.
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.
Pope graduate Tab Griffin returns as head coach of the Greyhounds.
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.
Sprayberry head coach Brett Vavra.
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.
Pope football players
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.
This weekend’s events in East Cobb are heavy on sports and recreation, including a cluster of events Saturday morning in the Mountain View area:
The East Cobb Triathlon starts early at the Mountain View Aquatic Center. About the same time, 5k and fun runners will be on their marks at Lassiter High School for the Lutzie 43 Road Race, honoring the memory of former Trojans football star Phil Lutzenkirchen and benefit the East Cobb chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes;
Later in the morning, at the adjacent Harrison Park, two events are going on simaltaneously, both starting at 11. The dedication of a new “Chipper Jones” ball field courtesy of the Atlanta Braves Foundation, for the Sandy Plains Baseball Association, takes place on Field 2. From 11-1, the Sandy Plains Softball Association is holding its “fun day” and walkup registration for the fall season;
The high school football season is fast approaching, and the Pope Greyhounds are having their pancake breakfast and picture day starting at 9 a.m. on Saturday. From 2-4 Sunday, Raider Day takes place at Walton High School;
Also on Sunday, the Good Mews cat shelter is having a microchip and vaccination clinicfrom 10-3, and nail clippings also will be available.
Check out more calendar listings here, for this weekend and beyond. Didn’t see your event? Would you like to share your calendar listing with the community? Please e-mail: calendar@eastcobbnews.com.
At the Hound Pound, Pope played its first game of the season against East Cobb Lassiter, coming off a 47-3 loss to Harrison.
“We were rebuilding last year with lots of young guys,” Collins said. But the Wildcats were competitive in some of those close games they lost, and he’s looking for better results this year.
