August 26, 2025—It’s almost impossible to miss that something new is happening on the campus of Sprayberry High School. Anyone driving through the intersection of East Piedmont and Sandy Plains can see the steel beams and concrete blocks rising from the ground and construction zones wrapping the exterior. These are Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (Ed-SPLOST) dollars at work, providing a much-needed renovation for one of the oldest schools in Cobb County.
Farther back on the school grounds sits Jim Frazier Stadium, where a different type of rebuilding is underway for the Yellow Jacket football program. With Head Coach Pete Fominaya in his first year at the helm, the team is looking to upgrade the success from last season that advanced to the Quarterfinals of the GHSA 5A State Playoffs.
That 2024 team was led by Sprayberry alum Brett Vavra, who happened to be on the opposite sideline in week two of Sprayberry’s gridiron schedule. However, he wasn’t there as an honoree for that evening’s Alumni Celebration. He was there as Head Coach for the visiting Etowah Eagles.
During his first seven years at Sprayberry, Vavra's record was 30-43, with four postseason appearances. In his eighth and final season at the school, the Jackets lost only once in the regular season, achieving that Quarterfinals appearance and closing the season at 11-2. It was a surprising turnaround for a program that hadn’t won more than six games in Vavra’s tenure. This also made it difficult for the gold-and-black faithful to accept the news that he was leaving for Etowah.
By gametime, it was apparent that the Yellow Jackets would not welcome their former coach graciously. On the first play from scrimmage, Senior Jaden Duckett connected with 5-star Alabama-commit Jorden Edmonds for an 80-yard touchdown pass. Then, after a 3-and-out defensive stop, Georgia-commit Kealan Jones scampered 18 yards for a score of his own. Sprayberry led 14-0 less than four minutes into the game.
Fominaya’s team would be tested, though. The Jackets needed a goal-line stand to keep Etowah out of the end zone on fourth down just before halftime, protecting what seemed to be a comfortable 21-7 lead.
However, Fominaya's expectation of a "big, emotional game with the previous coach" came true in the second half. Vavra’s Eagles offense capitalized on two costly Jackets fumbles in the third quarter and took the lead 24-21 early in the fourth.
"With 15-, 16-, and 17-year-olds, you’ve got to be able to dictate and control your emotions," Fominaya said after the game, "This was a good night for us to learn about ourselves and learn about how we can become a better football team throughout the season."
A big lesson they learned was how to respond. After losing their lead, it took Sprayberry only two plays to regain it, with Duckett gaining 38 yards on a keeper, then connecting with Edmonds on another long TD pass. Following an Edmonds interception on the defensive side of the ball, Jones needed just one play for a 72-yard scoring run. Moments later, Duckett scored on a long 80-yard run of his own.
The only emotion left was joy as they closed out a 42-24 win. Hugs between former coaches and players soon followed.
"It’s a long process. We’re only two games into it," Coach Fominaya cautioned when talking about what he’s trying to build. "My goal is not to be peaking now, but to be peaking in October and November."
In the end, Sprayberry proved that its blueprint for success is still intact, and it believes that new heights are ahead—heights they hope exceed the new structures rising on its campus. Just as Ed-SPLOST is creating something new at the school, the Jackets football program is also hopeful and building toward something new: a state championship season.
