High School football opens this weekend in Georgia beginning with the Corky Kell Classic. The Classic will get the season off to a proper beginning with a total of eleven games at five locations. Cobb Schools will be represented in three of them, with one being an all-Cobb matchup at Mercedes Benz Stadium, McEachern vs. Kell. North Cobb will host Buford, and Walton will take on Lowndes.
In fact, all Cobb Schools team except Osborne have a season-opening game this weekend. Of particular interest is the game that will take place at Buccaneer Stadium as Allatoona hosts local-rival Harrison to get their seasons underway. Although Harrison moved up to 7A last season, the Region 6-6A champ Buccaneers still remember the state championship loss to the Hoyas in 2019. First-year Hoya head coach Josh Cassidy will be looking to tally his first win. This will be a great one to watch.
Cobb's Corky Kell games will be exciting as North Cobb is a preseason top-pick in 7A and Buford in 6A. This game will highlight some of the top talent in the state. The Warriors won Region 3 last season and look to stay on top, despite some challenging games early in the season. "We face perennial powers Buford, Milton, and North Gwinnett in non-region contests," said head coach Shane Queen. "This schedule should prepare North Cobb for one of the most competitive regions in the state."
Another Corky Kell game that should prove to be competitive is McEachern and Kell. McEachern comes in as the top rank in Region 2-7A, and Kell as the runner-up (to Allatoona) in Region 6-6A. McEachern needs to reset after last season's disappointing finish and Kell wants to keep their momentum going. Being the opening contest at Mercedes Benz on Saturday will only add to the excitement.
Other teams to watch this season are Hillgrove and Campbell in 7A. The Hawks open their season on the road against a very talented Norcross team. "I am excited to get going and watch our young playmakers begin to emerge on both sides of the ball," said Hillgrove head coach Justin DeShon. "Over the course of the last 5 months we have seen a tremendous amount of growth in areas such as leadership and physicality." Campbell will host Region 3-6A Grovetown at Spartan Stadium. The Spartans' first three games are very winnable and can give the team some much needed confidence heading into the stronger part of their schedule mid-season. "We are looking forward to competing with our 7A region opponents," said head coach Tony DeCristofaro. "We have come a long way since spring, but have a long way to go."
Lassiter will be looking for openings to excel in the difficult all-Cobb Region 6-6A. With Allatoona, Kell, Sprayberry, Kennesaw Mountain, Pope, and Wheeler in front of them in the preseason rankings, the Trojans are hoping to surprise some people this year. "This spring and summer has shown us that we have resilient young men at Lassiter," said head coach Sean Thom. "They are doing the little things right and enjoying getting better each day through practice, weight training, and through what they learn in the school building." The Trojans will begin their season on Friday at Region 7-6A River Ridge.
Another 6A team to watch will be South Cobb. With a brand-new head coach in Thomas Hanson, the Eagles are poised to begin a whole new era. "I am looking forward to seeing how our kids and coaches respond to challenges inside and outside of games," Coach Hanson said. "I have learned that this team can compete with the better teams in the state. However, we must be more consistent in our approach to preparing for and playing against our opponents." The Eagles will host Region 4-5A Locust Grove for their opening game on Friday.
Good luck to all Cobb teams on Friday and Saturday as you get your seasons started. Cobb County is more than ready for some exciting football games as Friday Night action returns to Georgia!
