OUTLOOK | APRIL 2020 81
Cedartown and Carrollton — it will be a great
regional draw with some powerhouse teams.
So it should really be an exciting time at Barron
Stadium,” Hortman said.
All four teams made the state playoffs last
season, with Rome and Rockmart having played
in their classification’s state championship game
in recent seasons. The Wolves won the Class 5A
state title in 2016 and 2017, while the Jackets
finished as the Class AA runner-up in 2018.
Carrollton has been a perennial power and
was undefeated before losing a heartbreaker to
eventual Class 5A state champion Buford in the
quarterfinals last season. Cedartown played in a
tough Region 5-4A and had a tough draw as the
No. 4 seed, losing to Marist in the opening round.
This year’s Corky Kell Classic will span four
days for the first time in its 29-year history with
four separate venues showcasing 11 games,
including an out-of-state team.
The action begins Aug. 19 at West Forsyth with
Carver-Atlanta facing Cherokee, followed by Mays
against the host Wolverines.
Competition moves to Dacula High School on
Aug. 20 with Denmark going up against Tucker
in the opener and the host Falcons facing Archer
afterward.
Following the games in Rome, the series moves
to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Aug. 22
with five-games, beginning with Kell and Walton.
Four big school showdowns will cap the schedule.
Brookwood takes on Collins Hill, Parkview battles
Mill Creek and then Lowndes will play Hoover
(Ala.) in the first cross-state matchup in event
history in what is likely to be a clash between two
nationally-ranked teams.
The final matchup will feature McEachern
against North Gwinnett.
“The Corky Kell Classic is such a prestigious
series, I think it speaks very highly for our
community to host an event of this caliber. It has
such a great legacy behind it,” Hortman said.
The legacy of Barron Stadium is also a big
draw for fans and the organizers of the Corky Kell
Classic. Situated just across the Oostanaula River
from Broad Street with its restaurants and shops,
the historic sports venue has a capacity of 6,500
without the addition of movable bleachers.
“Again, it goes back to the great thing about
Barron Stadium is that it's an intimate venue but
where you feel like you're at a big time stadium
playing in front of a big time crowd,” Hortman
said.
Fans fill the bleachers at Barron Stadium during The Corky Kell Classic