As interest grows in soccer around Cobb County, so does the quality of the play. In the final match of the 2022 season, Cobb boasted both teams in the 7A Championship, Harrison and Pebblebrook, and back-to-state 6A champs in 2022 and 2023 with the Lassiter boys. This year, 21 Cobb teams—11 boys and 10 girls—are gearing up for postseason play hoping to keep their state title hopes alive to the Finals in early May.
This season, Cobb also claimed eight region champions: three in 7A for the boys, and two 6A and three 7A region titles for the girls. For the boys teams, Campbell won Region 2, Hillgrove took Region 3, and Walton finished in the top spot in Region 5. For the girls teams, Allatoona won Region 6 and Pope won Region 7 for 6A, while the ladies of Campbell, Hillgrove, and Walton matched their boys team counterparts with Region titles of their own.
Close behind the winners, the following teams secured runner-up in their respective regions and a first-round home playoff match. For the boys, Sprayberry took second in Region 7-6A, and Pebblebrook, Harrison, and Kennesaw Mountain clinched second in Regions 2-7A, 3-7A, and 5-7A. For the girls, Harrison and North Cobb were runners-up in Regions 3-7A and 5-7A.
One of the most highly anticipated matches of the season was played at Cobleigh Field right before Spring Break, between the Harrison and Hillgrove ladies. These two programs are not only two of the best in the county, they are both highly ranked in the state and play in the same region. In fact, the schools are located about 5 miles from each other. The two have played twice already this season with each winning one. If the stars align and they meet again in the postseason it will be in the 7A Championship game.
At the second meeting in late March, Post 7 Board Member Brad Wheeler was in attendance along with hundreds of other cheering soccer fans. Harrison and Hillgrove are both Post 7 schools and Wheeler could not hide his excitement.
"I wouldn't miss this one for the world," Wheeler said with a smile. "I continue to be impressed with our athletes and both of these teams are great examples of Cobb’s students performing at the highest levels. In the classroom and on the field, the number of state championships across our county says there’s nowhere better than Cobb.”
Here are the first-round games:
5A Boys
Kell at Dalton
6A Boys
Etowah at Sprayberry
Lassiter at Sequoyah
7A Boys
North Paulding at Campbell
East Coweta at Harrison
Carrollton at Hillgrove
Central Gwinnett at Kennesaw Mtn
North Cobb at Collins Hill
Osborne at Mill Creek
Marietta at Pebblebrook
Mountain View at Walton
6A Girls
Johns Creek at Allatoona
Lassiter at River Ridge
Etowah at Pope
7A Girls
Marietta at Campbell
Carrollton at Harrison
Pebblebrook at Hillgrove
Mountain View at North Cobb
Collins Hill at Walton
Wheeler at Buford
Playoffs begin tonight, so get out there and join in the fun and excitement of Cobb soccer and support your local high school footballers!
