It's Kickoff Time in East Cobb

The high school football season in East Cobb is only a day away, and it's probably fitting that the area's most venerable rivalry will kick things off. 

Wheeler plays at Sprayberry Friday in a non-region game that nonetheless rouses up  memories. 

The game starts at 7:30 p.m. at Sprayberry, just about the same time the other Friday game involving an East Cobb team. That would be The Walker School, which visits Temple. 

Wheeler, which leads the Sprayberry series 31-13, is coming off an improbable playoff run last year, marking a quick rise from being winless when coach Mike Collins took the job three years ago. 

Walker was 11-1 last year and also reached the playoffs in Class A. 

The Yellow Jackets competed hard but had a 3-7 record last season, the only East Cobb-area team not to make the playoffs. 

On Saturday, the Corky Kell Classic kicks off with games involving two East Cobb-area teams. Kell faces Chattahoochee at 9 a.m., followed by Walton vs. Peachtree Ridge. 

Despite having lost big-time college talent, Kell and Walton are ranked in the preseason Top 10 polls. 

The Longhorns are No. 7 in Class 5A and the Raiders are ranked eighth in Class 6A.

Game previews from Score Atlanta: Kell vs. Chattahoochee, Walton vs. Peachtree Ridge. 

Next week, Pope and Lassiter will take the field for the first time. 

Here are the schedules for all seven East Cobb-area teams.