On July 23rd, Cobb Schools Athletic Department celebrated the return of high school football with its regular tradition: the Cobb Football Kickoff Luncheon. The event was hosted by Roswell Street Baptist Church, with all 16 Cobb Schools high schools represented by coaches and administrators, as well as representatives from Marietta Schools. Various special guests, including Cobb's Superintendent Chris Ragsdale and Board of Education and Cabinet members from both districts, were also in attendance.

“The Kickoff Luncheon is always an indication that the athletic calendar is almost ready to begin," said Don Baker, Cobb's Director of Athletics, "and it brings excitement for not only football but all interscholastic sports that we offer.”

Mr. Baker got the event underway by welcoming the 250 guests and commenting how good it was to be back after 2020's luncheon had to be canceled due to COVID restrictions. "It's great to see all of you together in one room again," Baker said.  

After the invocation by Mike Linch, Senior Pastor at NorthStar Church, the hungry crowd was treated to a delicious meal of pork, chicken, macaroni and cheese, banana pudding, and much more. High school students from around the county helped to serve the food and kept the lines running smoothly.

After everyone had a chance to enjoy the food, Don Baker returned to the podium to welcome the guest speaker. Georgia Tech head coach Geoff Collins was originally scheduled to deliver the keynote speech but had to cancel at the last minute and sent one of his trusted assistant coaches in his place. Assistant Coach Brent Key serves as Tech's Run Game Coordinator and Offensive Line Coach. 

Coach Key has 20 years of collegiate coaching experience, including 11 seasons at the University of Central Florida, three seasons at Alabama, and is now in his third year at Tech. He had several important pieces of advice to give, based on his observations and experiences of working with many young men on the gridiron over two decades.

"Everybody wants to have success; everybody's expectations are super high; everybody's ready to win a state championship, but how do you define success?" Coach Key asked the attentive crowd. "To me," he said, "Winston Churchill's definition seems right: "Success is the ability to move from failure to failure without the loss of enthusiasm."

"Setbacks are inevitable," he continued, "but moving on from those without the loss of enthusiasm is a really good reminder as we start the season and as we move forward."

Coach Key went on to encourage the coaches and administrators in the room to "have a game-plan for what you do in life." He recommended writing down inspiring quotes and keeping a journal of both successes and failures. He advised creating good habits, setting lofty goals, and being a good role model. "You never know who's watching," he said.

Before ending his 20-minute address, Coach Key reminded his audience not to fear failure and to rely on their support networks. "The second you think you're 'one of one,' you're going to fall really quick. You need to surround yourself with strong people. Teach and model that to your players as well, because who they hang around is who they will become," Coach Key said.

Immediately following the keynote speech, each head coach in the room was given the opportunity to introduce themselves, their coaching staff, and their guests. McEachern head coach Franklin Stephens easily took the prize for having the most coaches and guests in attendance as he introduced his impressive support network of nearly 20 coaches and school administrators.

Don Baker was pleased with the turnout and hoped that the excitement at the luncheon was only a small indication of what was to come in the 2021 season. He also revealed a positive bit of information that highlights Cobb's student-athlete accomplishments.

"In 2020-21," he said, "the Cobb County School District saw more student-athletes sign letters of intent (LOI) to play in college than we did pre-pandemic. This speaks to the quality education and coaching our student-athletes are receiving, both on and off the field."

Baker went on to announce that LOIs for football led the way in that uptick in collegiate scholarships in 2020-21. "It was great to share that with the football staffs and administrations," he said. 

The first official football game for Cobb Schools will be North Cobb hosting Buford on Friday, August 20, as part of the 30th annual Corky Kell Classic. The following day, McEachern will play Kell, and Walton will play Lowndes at Mercedes-Benz Stadium to get the 2021 Cobb football season off to a great start. Don't miss it!