Construction and athletic changes are underway at Sprayberry High School, with both the school’s facilities and football program seeing notable developments.
Renovation work on the campus is funded by the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (Ed-SPLOST), aiming to update one of Cobb County’s oldest schools. New structures are visible from nearby intersections as construction progresses.
Meanwhile, Jim Frazier Stadium is witnessing changes of its own. The Yellow Jacket football team, now led by first-year Head Coach Pete Fominaya, seeks to build on last year’s progress that saw them reach the GHSA 5A State Playoffs quarterfinals.
Last season’s team was coached by Brett Vavra, a Sprayberry alumnus who now leads the Etowah Eagles. Vavra’s tenure at Sprayberry included a record of 30-43 over seven years and four postseason appearances. In his final season, the team finished 11-2 after reaching the quarterfinals—a significant improvement from previous years. Vavra’s departure for Etowah was met with mixed emotions among Sprayberry supporters.
The recent matchup between Sprayberry and Etowah highlighted these transitions. Senior Jaden Duckett and Alabama commit Jorden Edmonds quickly put Sprayberry ahead in the opening minutes. Georgia commit Kealan Jones added to the lead before halftime. However, two turnovers allowed Etowah to take a fourth-quarter lead.
“With 15-, 16-, and 17-year-olds, you’ve got to be able to dictate and control your emotions,” Fominaya said after the game, “This was a good night for us to learn about ourselves and learn about how we can become a better football team throughout the season.”
Sprayberry responded promptly; Duckett regained the lead with another long play involving Edmonds. Defensive plays by Edmonds set up further scores from Jones and Duckett, sealing a 42-24 victory.
“It’s a long process. We’re only two games into it,” Coach Fominaya cautioned when talking about what he’s trying to build. “My goal is not to be peaking now, but to be peaking in October and November.”
The ongoing renovations funded by Ed-SPLOST parallel efforts within the football program as both look toward future successes.
