Football Kicks Off Next Week

The start of the high school football season is just a week away, but some of Cobb's best teams are priming for an early spotlight. 

Walton, Kell and McEachern will all be playing next Saturday in the Corky Kell Classic at the Georgia Dome. 

Earlier this week, they all learned, not surprisingly, that they're ranked in the Top 10 in preseason polls. Earlier this year, the Georgia High School Association went from five to six classifications for sports, so the designations for most schools have changed. 

East Cobb's Walton, which reached the Class AAAAA title game and is ranked No. 4 in the Class AAAAAA preseason poll, got a bit of a surprise this week in a scrimmage against Hillgrove of West Cobb. 

Also in the Class AAAAAA preseason poll is Northeast Cobb's Lassiter, at No. 5, with West Cobb's McEachern ranked 9th. 

Kell, also of Northeast Cobb, is ranked No. 10 in Class AAAAA. 

The five-game Corky Kell Classic, named after the late  football coach, kicks off at 9 a.m. next Saturday with Kell against Chattahoochee.

McEachern meets Class AAAAA state champion Grayson, ranked No. 1 in Georgia and in a number of national polls, at 11:45 a.m. 

Walton faces Gwinnett powerhouse Brookwood in the final game at 8:30 p.m. 

Seven Cobb schools will kick off on Friday, Aug. 24, with Campbell at Morrow, Hillgrove at Westlake and Osborne at Chapel Hill.

Also on Friday, Marietta is playing host to Newnan and Walker will be at home against Temple.

In an all-Cobb season opener next Friday, Sprayberry is at Wheeler.

All other Cobb schools begin their seasons on Aug. 31, as follows: 

• Allatoona at Woodland (Cartersville)
• Harrison at Woodstock
• Sprayberry at Kennesaw Mountain
• Lassiter vs. Hillgrove at McEachern
• Mt. Paran at Our Lady of Mercy (Fayetteville)
• North Cobb at Starr's Mill (Fayetteville)
• Southwest Atlanta Christian at North Cobb Christian
• Southwest DeKalb at Pebblebrook
• Marietta at Pope
• Westlake at South Cobb
• Whitefield Academy at Pace Academy