Five high school football teams from Cobb County remain in the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) playoffs after the first round. Four of these teams—Harrison, Hillgrove, North Cobb, and Walton—compete in Class 6A, which is ranked as one of the most competitive playoff brackets nationally.
The Walton Raiders, with a 6-5 record, secured an unexpected win over previously undefeated McEachern in the opening round. Their next game will be against East Coweta (4-7), another team that achieved an upset last week. Walton Head Coach Daniel Brunner emphasized his team’s focus on preparation: “We can’t advance if we’re still celebrating a round one victory,” he said. “Our program is used to getting right back to work. In the last nine years, we’ve only failed to advance past round one once. Our kids understand the standard and the expectation to prepare immediately for the next challenge.”
Harrison Hoyas (10-1) advanced after sophomore quarterback Aiden Watson scored all six touchdowns and amassed 409 total yards in their 45-35 win over Marietta. Watson was named Player of the Week by Georgia High School Football Daily. Harrison Head Coach Luqman Salam commented on his team’s approach: “We try to be a humble, gritty team that plays together, and that’s a good recipe for us,” he said. “Our offense does an excellent job of taking advantage of what the defense gives us and creating the opportunities for our playmakers to make plays.” Looking ahead to their match against undefeated Carrollton Trojans (11-0), Salam added: “Carrollton is an excellent team with the capability to attack in many ways. It’s vital for us to be sound in our assignments, play within our ability, be comfortable with our plan, and take chances when needed to make things difficult for them to do the things they want to do.”
Hillgrove Hawks (9-2) aim to return to the quarterfinals after being eliminated by Carrollton last year. In their recent win over North Paulding, senior quarterback Donovan Mack threw a late touchdown pass to secure victory, while North Paulding missed a tying field goal attempt with eight seconds left. Hillgrove Head Coach Justin Deshon reflected on his team’s preparation: “This team has been working towards a goal since January 6th,” he said. “So much time has been spent challenging our minds and bodies. We truly believe that our program is built for the playoffs and the rigor it presents. Our coaching staff is so proud of their resilience.”
North Cobb Warriors (8-3) have averaged nearly 53 points per game over their last five games and defeated Paulding County 64-20 in round one. They will host Douglas County (8-3) in what head coach Shane Queen expects will be a tougher matchup: “We must control the time of possession and play good, clean football,” Queen said. “On offense, we cannot have penalties and play behind the chains to limit their possessions. Douglas County is very talented and has big play potential all over the field. We must limit their big plays. We faced Douglas County last year, and our players know they have a great team.”
The Kell Longhorns (9-2) are Cobb’s sole remaining playoff team outside Class 6A; they compete in Class 4A after winning Region 6. Junior running back Moonie Gipson led Kell past Hampton with 150 yards rushing and three touchdowns last week. This Friday, Kell will face Southwest DeKalb (9-2). Head Coach Bobby May acknowledged both home-field advantage and his offensive lineup: “Having home-field advantage is great,” May said. “Hopefully, our student section will show up this week like they have during the regular season. It gives us an edge and confidence. Our offensive line does a great job, and we have other weapons that can hurt you, so even though Moonie is getting the numbers, we have a balanced list of contributors who make it hard to focus on just him.”
All five Cobb teams continue their pursuit of state titles this Friday.
