Lassiter, Pope, Kell Streaks Continue

Playoff spots are taking shape after Friday night's high school football games.

While the national spotlight was focused on Walton's game with Milton on Friday, all other East Cobb-area schools were battling for playoff spots, or firming up post-season positioning. Walton put on a defensive show to down Milton 27-7 in a game played on ESPNU. The Raiders, 6-2 overall and 4-1 in Region 5-AAAAAA, used turnovers to lead to most of their scoring plays. The win helped Walton keep pace in region play with Lassiter, the No. 2 team in Class AAAAAA. The Trojans (8-0, 5-0) jumped out to an early lead against Wheeler and got four more touchdown passes from Eddie Printz in a 38-23 win. Pope also has developed a penchant for grinding out wins with good defense, as the Greyhounds (6-2, 3-0) showed again Friday in a 13-10 win over …

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Lassiter Foils Milton's Upset Bid

The Trojans remain undefeated after a big rally in the second half; Walton edged Wheeler after trailing by 13 in the fourth quarter.

Friday was a wild night in Region 5-AAAAAA high school football action, and that's putting it mildly. Wheeler had Walton on the ropes in what would have been the upset of the year, at least in games played in Cobb. At the same time in Alpharetta, Milton was rolling out to a big, and surprising, lead against undefeated and second-ranked Lassiter. But as the games wore on, the favorites figured out how to get back in their games, and ultimately win them, in very different ways. Walton got a touchdown run from Tyren Jones and a touchdown pass from Price Wilson to D.J. Smith to erase a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit and nip Wheeler on the road, 24-23. Lassiter quarterback Eddie Printz threw for four touchdowns in the second half and 409 yards…

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Thursday Night Football for Sprayberry

For the second year in a row, the Yellow Jackets play at Pope a day before the traditional high school schedule.

Perhaps last year's game was just the appetizer. For the second year in a row, the Pope vs. Sprayberry game will be played on a Thursday night -- tonight, in fact, at Pope's home field, 3001 Hembree Road. And it's a big Region 7-AAAAA subdivision B game for the Greyhounds and Yellow Jackets, who will kick off a little earlier than usual as well -- at 7 p.m. In last year's game, Sprayberry led Pope 21-6 going into the fourth quarter before the Greyhounds recovered for a 27-21 Homecoming win. Just as last year, is being played a day early for television purposes. It is part of the Georgia High School Association's agreement with WSB-TV, which will air the contest online and on Comcast Channel 248 and Charter Channel 126. Television coverage …

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Big Subregion Wins for Sprayberry, Kell

While the Yellow Jackets held off Riverwood, the Longhorns rolled over Osborne on Friday.

What's been a trying season for the Sprayberry High School football team turned more promising when the final gun sounded on Friday. The Yellow Jackets held off Riverwood 24-21 after the visitors missed what would have been the tying field goal with 12 seconds left in the game. Sprayberry improved to 2-4 overall, and more importantly, won its first game in Region 7-AAAAA subregion B play. "Our boys didn’t have any quit in them. I told them that we’re 1-0 now and it’s a new season," Sprayberry coach Billy Shackelford told The Marietta Daily Journal. In the same subregion, the Kell High School Longhorns had little trouble against Osborne, as star senior Branden Langley came up big on both sides of the ball in a 34-7 win. The Longhorns, …

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Lassiter 'D' Stops Walton Streak

The Trojans won a rugged defensive contest in their East Cobb rivalry game Friday.

What might have been billed an offensive treat turned into a defensive struggle.  The Lassiter Trojans nursed a slight lead in the second half Friday and used their defensive muscle to hold off the Walton Raiders and claim a 21-9 victory.  The so-called "East Cobb Super Bowl" featured two high-powered offenses and teams ranked in the Top 10 in Class AAAAAA. But the Trojans forced three turnovers, two of them from defensive back Patrick Levandoski at critical times, to stave off Walton's rally and win their Homecoming game.  Levandoski intercepted a pass as Walton was driving deep in the fourth quarter, and also forced a fumble by Raiders running star Tyren Jones that halted another possible touchdown drive with the game on the line.  As …

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Lassiter vs. Walton: The Rivalry

The "East Cobb Super Bowl" will be renewed Friday, but this is about a lot more than a football game.

Of course it's a football game.  When two of the Top 10 teams in Class AAAAAA get together, it's a very big football game.  As both of their meetings were last year, including the state semifinals.  But when Lassiter High School and Walton High School square off in anything, it's more than the "East Cobb Super Bowl" in football terms.  In addition to their multi-sport athletic prowess, Walton and Lassiter will be boasting their highly touted marching bands.  And both are among the top academic high schools in Cobb County and Georgia.  Tonight's game at Lassiter's Frank Fillman Stadium is also Homecoming for the Trojans, with a parade veering down Shallowford Road from the Home Depot on Sandy Plains Road to the school starting at 5:30 p.m…

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Walton, Lassiter Scratch Out Wins

Pope and Kell won easily on Friday, while Wheeler and Sprayberry lost Homecoming games.

After three quarters Friday, Lassiter had just 16 points on the scoreboard.  Woodstock's defense had something to do with that, along with a few injuries for the Trojans.  But Lassiter, ranked No. 2 in Class AAAAAA, pulled away in the fourth quarter to win 30-7 in a Region 5AAAAAA game.  Eddie Printz threw for 170 yards and a touchdown, Willie Police scored a touchdown and so did linebacker Patrick Levandoski, on an interception return in the fourth quarter.  The Trojans (5-0, 2-0) can now turn their full attention toward Friday's clash with Walton on Friday. The 6th-ranked Raiders (4-1, 2-0) won their Homecoming game 21-7 over Cherokee, as Tyren Jones ran for 180 yards and scored two touchdowns in another Region 5AAAAAA game.  After the …

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Kell Squeaks By Creekview 33-29

At home in the Grizzly Den, Creekview felt a win was attainable over the Cobb County powerhouse. Although Kell was victorious, the Grizzlies let the Longhorns know there is a new threat in Division 5AAAAA.

The 2-0 Grizzlies played their first game against Kell High with rumors that Kell was a 20-plus point favorite. This seemed to become reality with the Grizzlies quickly trailing 14-0 due to a fumble and an interception early in the game. Creekview had other ideas, though. The Grizzlies scored twice in the first half to tie it up at 14-14. For the rest of the contest, the game was up for grabs, staying within single score range for both teams. At one point in the second half, Creekview had the lead at 29-26.  Kell scored late in the game to make it 33-29. Creekview was driving with around 1:30 left in the fourth quarter, but lost the ball with an interception inside the 10-yard line. The Grizzlies may have lost the game, but rest assured, …

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Walton Drops, Lassiter No. 2 in Poll

The latest high school football rankings reflect a weekend of upsets in Class AAAAAA.

Walton High School's loss to North Cobb on Friday night wasn't the only shocking result in Class AAAAAA high school football.  The surprising loss by defending state champion Grayson to Parkview also contributed to a major shakeup in the rankings that came out Monday.  According to Score Atlanta magazine, Walton fell from No. 3 to No. 6, while Lassiter moved up from No. 4 to No. 2. The new top-ranked team is Camden County.  Lassiter is coming off a 42-13 win over Kell, which fell from No. 3 in Class AAAAA to eighth.  Walton, Lassiter and Kell are the only Cobb schools ranked this week. Wheeler is 3-0, its best start in 15 seasons, but remains unranked. 

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