For the 10th time in school history, Walton High School has won the Directors’ Cup trophy from the Georgia Athletic Directors Association.
That honor goes to high schools that finish with the most points in their respective competitive classifications in the Georgia High School Association during an academic year.
Walton’s 1,289 points led Class 7A, which consists of the largest high schools in the state according to enrollment.
The Raiders won just one state championship during the 2023-24 school year—boys swimming—but finished runners-up in five other sports.
Buford and Lambert followed Walton in Class 7A, which also includes Wheeler, which came in 30th with 412 points.
Walton has won the Class 7A Directors’ Cup for the third time since 2019, and previously won 6A crowns in 2017 and 2017, Class 5A honors from 2007-2009 and the Class 4A title in 199-2000.
That was the first year of the Directors’ Cup.
Pope, the only other high school from East Cobb to win the Directors’ Cup (Class 6A in 2017, Class 5A in 2014), also had another strong season in 2023-2024, placing third in Class 6A behind Marist and Blessed Trinity.
The Greyhounds, who compiled 1,146 points, won a state championship in girls flag football and were second in five other sports. Lassiter had 948 points for 7th place and Sprayberry was 32nd with 302 points.
In Class 5A, Kell was 15th, tallying 641 points, including a second consecutive state championship in boys basketball.
In Class 1A Division 1, Mt. Bethel Christian Academy was 25th with 173 points.
Every two years, the GHSA conducts reclassification based on enrollment. The organization consolidated classifications for the 2024-25 period by eliminating Class 7A.
Starting in August, Walton and Wheeler will still be paired together, but in Region 5 of Class 6A, along with Cherokee, Etowah, Marietta, North Cobb and North Paulding.
In Class 5A, Lassiter, Pope and Sprayberry will be in Region 6, with Creekview, River Ridge, Riverwood, Sequoyah and Woodstock.
Kell is in Class 4A, Region 6, with Blessed Trinity, Cambridge, Centennial and Westminster.
Fall sports include football, girls volleyball and girls and boys cross country.
The Corky Kell Classic, which features top football teams, will once again include Walton and Kell.
Kell is the host of a doubleheader on Aug. 14 and the Longhorns will be playing North Atlanta to start their season.
Walton, which finished state runner-up in 7A, will kick off the season at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta against Brookwood on Aug. 17 at 10 a.m.
Related:
Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!
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!
Walton won two state championships. They won a state championship in competition cheerleading in the coed division for the 2023-2024 season. This was the first state championship in competitive cheer for any CCSD school since 1997.