Clarke Central football opens season in 35th annual Corky Kell Classic

Football season is in full swing in the Peach State. GIAA football kicked off its Week 1 on Friday, Aug. 14, and so did some of the GHSA football programs with the 35th annual Corky Kell Dave Hunter Classic. Day 1 of the event saw good things for Gwinnett County Schools. South Gwinnett trampled Lanier, 29-3, while North Gwinnett shocked Grayson, 37-22. Day two saw Roswell shut out Walton, 14-0, while Brookwood beat down Cambridge, 52-7. Up next is one of Athens' own: Clarke Central. The Gladiators will take on Pebblebrook at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 19, at Kell High School, located at 4770 Lee Waters Road in Marietta. Their game will be followed by host Kell versus McEachern at 7:30 p.m. The drive from Athens to Marietta is roughly two hours (give or take with metro Atlanta's infamous traffic). Tickets can be purchased through GoFan for $19.90 apiece. Clarke Central and Pebblebrook have not played each other in exactly 20 years. The program's only two matchups recorded are when Steve Brooks led the Gladiators to a 34-7 win in 1996, and when Leroy Ryals led them to a 32-28 loss in 2006. Last season, the Gladiators went 6-6 with a trip to the second round of state playoffs under head coach David Perno — who is entering his 11th season with the red and gold this year. Meanwhile, the Falcons out of Cobb County went 3-7 under first-year head coach Rodney Hackney. This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Clarke Central football opens season in 35th annual Corky Kell Classic