Both the Boys and Girls Swim Team from Lassiter won the state title this year: the first for the boys and the seventh consecutive for the girls! Ashlyn Loftin, Alex O'Brien, and Coach Brittany Hughes join the conversation to discuss their amazing season and success in the pool.

The Wheeler Boys Basketball team recently won their 11th school state title, and the fifth in seven years under Coach Larry Thompson. Along with AD Barry Bowdre, the Wildcat starting five join the podcast to celebrate their championship and their team.

Key takeaways:

• The Cobb County School District stands as one of the largest educational districts in the nation, highlighting its significance in the realm of athletics.

• The Lassiter High School swim team has achieved remarkable success, with the girls securing their seventh consecutive state championship title this year.

• The importance of nutritional intake for competitive athletes was emphasized, particularly regarding the role of carbohydrates in enhancing performance during races.

• The camaraderie and leadership among the swim team members were pivotal in cultivating a culture of excellence and motivation throughout the season.

• This year marked a historic achievement for the boys' swim team, as they clinched their first state championship title in the history of the school.

• Individual dedication and teamwork among the swimmers were essential components that contributed to their overall success and championship victories.

The Cobb Sports Podcast goes on the road to the Marietta Square Market for some global food and local high school sports discussion. Cobb Schools had an impressive winter sports season and basketball is just getting started in the early stages of the postseason, "March to Macon."

Eric and Brad discuss their lunch choices at the Market, as well as several of the stories and athletes they have covered the last couple months. Sharpen your Cobb Sports knowledge with this "new and improved" on-location episode of the podcast.

Additionally, the episode highlights notable achievements within the District, such as Brittany Hughes's accolade as Swim Coach of the Year, innovative programs like Harrison's "Dirt Dog" initiative, and getting 1% better each day.

Key takeaways:

• Every two years, the GHSA conducts a reclassification process to ensure equitable competition among schools of similar sizes and capabilities.
• Brittany Hughes recently received Swim Coach of the Year award, reflecting her exceptional leadership and commitment to student-athletes.
• The Dirt Dog program at Harrison High School recognizes exemplary contributions from student athletes, emphasizing the importance of teamwork and personal development.
• Walton High School's volleyball team achieved remarkable success by winning their 16th state title, displaying resilience and determination throughout the tournament.
• Turner's Heroes Night at Allatoona High School celebrates and supports young patients battling pediatric cancer, showcasing the community's commitment to service and compassion.
• Much more, including High School Athletic Hall of Fame inductees around the District and Fall sports playoffs and highlights.

Also, Brad McBrayer relates his experience of being part of the District's sports reporting team as well as the level of completion—and compassion and care—he has seen and experienced.

Takeaways:

• Cobb County School District boasts over 16 high schools, fostering immense athletic talent across diverse sports disciplines.
• The podcast discusses the remarkable increase in athletic participation among students since the pandemic, reflecting broader national trends.
• Notably, flag football and esports have emerged as rapidly growing sports, significantly enhancing student engagement in athletics.
• The introduction of the AD Impact Award highlights the importance of recognizing the hard work of athletic directors in schools throughout Cobb County.
• The recent renaming of Pope High School's football field to Matt Hobby Field exemplifies the community's commitment to honoring those who have made significant contributions to youth sports.
• Cobb County's emphasis on student safety has led to the implementation of a 20-minute emergency action meeting before sporting events, enhancing preparedness and response capabilities.

The District attracts the best teachers and coaches in the business and that top talent stays in Cobb thanks to regular opportunities for recognition and professional development. Director of Athletics Don Baker joins the discussion and mentions just a few of them.

There are also many other accomplishments to note and Don is always in the know. You can get "in the know" too by simply listening to this fun and informative episode.

Don also summarizes where we are with winter sports and what to look forward to (besides warmth) in the spring. He also mentions several accolades that Cobb graduates have received, including a CFP national championship!

Don Baker joins the podcast to discuss some of these accomplishments, as well as his usual "behind the scenes" look at athletics. There is much to be thankful and appreciative for, as well as much to look forward to in 2025.

The District has great students, parents, staff, and overall community and this reflects in what happens on the field, and off. And at this time of year, it is appropriate to reflect on that and be grateful.

Also, Don discusses the changes happening with the National Letter of Intent and Signing Day. Listen to this episode to learn much more.

Links from the episode:

Lassiter's Rally4Ryder

Jaiden Moore GHSF Daily Player of the Week

Cobb Sports

District AD Don Baker joins the first Cobb Sports Podcast of the 2024-25 school year to discuss a few markers of success achieved last year by a very productive group of student-athletes: on the field and off.

Kell and McEachern are heading south to the Macon Coliseum for the coveted 5A and 7A boys state title basketball games. Kell is in a rematch with Eagles Landing and McEachern is taking on Grayson.

Listen in for interviews with both coaches and much more.

We love to talk about sports on the podcast, but when issues off the court arise, there is no better place to get help than from the families in Cobb Schools. Please listen to this important episode and help the Palm family in any way you can. The GoFundMe campaign can be found here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/jamariion-jd-palm-chronic-kidney-disease

District AD Don Baker joins the podcast to discuss the many options available to students in the winter months and it goes far beyond the Big Three (basketball, wrestling, and swimming).

District AD Don Baker and Dr. Sally Creel, Supervisor of STEM and Innovation, also join the episode to discuss another up-and-coming sport: Esports. The two help to explain the sport and how Cobb is ramping up its teams all over the District. It's an interesting discussion that is about much more than video games, much like esports itself.

Links:

Cobb Sports Pope Flag Football article

Wheeler AD Brittny Jones also joins the podcast to discuss all the possibilities available to students at her school, including fencing, cricket, and water polo. Wheeler also has a pretty good basketball team, led by 200-career win and multiple state title winner head coach Larry Thompson.

We are also joined by Walton Athletic Director Chris Williams. AD Williams has been at Walton for nearly three decades and has witnessed a lot of changes over the years at the East Cobb school. He discusses the changes as well as what has remained the same.

7A has been eliminated as the highest classification, and most of Cobb schools find themselves in the new highest class, 6A. 10 teams are in 6A, four are in 5A, and two are in 4A. There will be some familiar matchups starting in 2024-25, but there will also be some new ones. AD Baker explains all of it.

South Cobb Athletic Director Ormond Moore is the guest on this episode and tells about his experiences with sports, band, and now administration. As a first-year AD, he has a unique perspective on the role.

Pope Athletic Director Josh Mathews joins the show to inform us about what's going on at his school and how he manages to keep everything moving while also hosting a podcast of his own with Don Baker.

Pebblebrook Athletic Director Robert Figueroa is this week's AD interview. He has a lot of things to say about what's happening around the Mableton campus, both on the field and in the facilities. AD Figs is also a graduate of the school and was part of the performing arts magnet when he was a student and is excited to see the combination of academics, athletics, and the arts at Pebblebrook.

After a whirlwind tour of football, volleyball, and softball around the District, we interview Osborne AD Ron Boggs. Osborne has been working hard and excelling in so many new ways over the last few years and Ron has been right in the middle of all it.

Also, this week's Athletic Director interview is with North Cobb's Matt Williams. The Warriors are having a lot of success with their fall sports programs and part of that success is due to its dedicated staff and its first-rate facilities. AD Williams talks about this and much more.

Flag football also begins and Cobb has become known for some of the best teams in the state. Anyone who hasn't experienced flag football needs to get out to a few of these exciting games.

Athletic Director Myra Camese at McEachern High School also joins this episode to talk about Indian sports and the many great things happening with athletics there, on and off the field.

Cobb still has three undefeated football teams and the recent County Cross Country Championships revealed some amazing runners in Cobb.

Volleyball coaches from Hillgrove and Kell won the August Coach of the Month honors and fall sports are approaching region schedules and the playoffs. Things will get very exciting when we return from fall break in October.

Click below to jump to a segment:

[01:00] Don Baker: Coach of the Month Program

[02:32] August Coaches of the Month

[03:16] Football Recap

[03:51] Cobb County XC Championships

[04:47] Lassiter AD Scott Kelly

Athletes of the Week are Addison McLarty (Allatoona) and Jonah Gomez (Osborne).

Athletic Director interview is with Kennesaw Mountain's Philip Matthews. He has been at the Mountain for nearly two decades and the AD for five years. He has seen a lot of changes happen at the school over the years and discusses the past, present, and future for the Mustangs.

Click below to jump to a segment:

[00:43] Intro

[01:52] Harrison Football Coach Josh Cassidy

[06:15] Athletes of the Week

[06:52] Kennesaw Mountain AD Phil Matthews

Also, we get to hear what's happening at Kell High School from second-year Athletic Director Jeff Burch. Want to know what the difference is between a piano mover and a piano player? You'll need to listen to find out...

[01:01] Paul Milliken from Fox 5

[02:50] Sprayberry Head Coach Brett Vavra

[04:38] Various shout outs

[05:33] Kell AD Jeff Burch

[19:17] Atlanta United at Daniell MS

We also get to hear from Hillgrove Athletic Director Jonathan Brown about everything happening in Hawk Sports and we give a couple of shout-outs to football teams that are making some noise this season.

[01:01] Cobb Cup

[03:46] Athlete of the Week

[06:03] Win of the Week

[07:30] Jonathan Brown

[16:42] Shout-outs

Click on times below to jump to the topic:

[01:16] Don Baker

[02:20] Coach Kareem Reid

[04:20] Coach Daniel Brunner

[07:07] AD James Thigpen

In this initial episode, we discuss football with Don Baker and talk to each of the new head football coaches in Cobb Schools... all five of them. We also talk to Cleveland Cavaliers starting small forward (and McEachern grad) Isaac Okoro about giving back to his hometown community.

We hope you enjoy this new show from Cobb Schools and Cobb Sporting News.

Click on a timecode to jump to the topic:

[00:50] Don Baker-Cobb Football Luncheon

[02:02] Five New Football Coaches in Cobb

[03:18] Coach Brad Smith-Allatoona

[05:28] Coach Jeff Phillips-Campbell

[07:28] Coach Sean O'Sullivan-Pope

[08:52] Coach Michael Woolridge-Pebblebrook

[11:00] Coach Kareem Reid-McEachern

[12:52] Corky Kell Preview

[13:42] Issac Okoro