Flying Under the Radar
by Eddie Harper

After a very successful fall league for the boys basketball team, hopes were high and expectations were higher. However, this season has not gone as well as planned.

Starting shooting guard Dansby Swanson says, “I predicted this season to go very well. We are a very talented team but the record just doesn’t show it.”

Brandon Martin, who leads the team in rebounding, also thought the season would go a little better. “From fall league, I was thinking that we were going to be a great team. We’re starting to come along at the right time though,” Martin says.  

College prospect Jay Ellis says, “Our team is very underrated by our peers and other teams. And when a lot of big-time teams come to play us, they find that out. Our peers try and hop on the bandwagon, but we would rather keep the people who been with us from the beginning.”

The Blue Devils have lost several games by seven points or less. Two of their wins have come against South Gwinnett and Campbell, two top-ranked teams. Despite these wins, the Blue Devils have much to improve, according to head coach Matt Lyons. “We need to find some sort of consistency,” Lyons says. “We have not played a complete game yet. If we do play a full four quarters, we are able to compete with anyone.”

Despite its record, the team has remained committed and persistent. Leading scorer and future college prospect James Henderson says, “We always know how to fight back from a deficit.”

Fighting back has been the challenge throughout the season. “The team is undersized and not as talented individually as some other teams,” says Lyons.

When the team plays together as a unit, it is much more competitive. Rob Greer says, “We need to start playing more as a team, with less arguing.” Collis Clark says, “If we played well together every game, we would have a much better record than we have now.”

There is still more basketball to be played, with a region championship and a state playoffs berth being the team’s goals. The Marietta Daily Journal said the Blue Devils were a “dangerous team” to keep an eye on during the postseason.

In order to be successful this postseason, players have areas to improve. “We need to improve on rebounding and transition defense in order to be more successful,” says Lee Moore. If the team works well on these things as well as working better as a team and playing more consistently, the playoffs could go very well.

Martin adds, “Marietta, be ready. We are going to do our best to bring this thing home.”

Girl Power
by Eddie Harper

Going into the season, Lady Devils head coach Ken Sprague believed he had another solid team on his hands. Sprague said, “If we worked hard and gelled as a team, we would compete for the region championship.”

The region championship is nothing new for the Marietta girls basketball team, which has been to the state playoffs for eight consecutive years and has made it to at least the Sweet 16 for the past six.  They are one of only two teams in the 5A division to accomplish that feat. With the playoffs coming up soon, the Lady Devils are primed to make another run at the region and state championships.

The Lady Devils have played an extremely aggressive schedule, at one point playing 12 games against the top 10 teams in the state. They have also played two nationally-ranked teams. According to Sprague, the team needs to play better at every aspect of the game in order to reach its potential. “We need to work together as a team and try to do all the fundamentals right: setting screens, rotating on defense, making the right pass,” he says. If they can perfect these tasks, the postseason should be successful.

Basketball is more than a physical game. In order to win close games, the team needs to have mental and physical toughness. Sprague says, “I believe if we worked harder mentally as well as physically, we could have closed out games we eventually lost.”

The Lady Blue Devils are talented, which is why they have been a top team in Georgia for the past eight years. Anchored by Wake Forest commit Lauryn Webster, the team plays defense well. Another contributing factor to its competitiveness is the team’s ability to play well together.

With the season end nearing, hopes are high for Marietta. In clutch situations, the team has many players who can make a big shot. Courtney Sprague can hit a big three or knock down clutch free throws. Another exciting, deep playoff run is expected for the Lady Blue Devils.

Going to the Mat
by Jana French

The Marietta wrestling team has had a successful season thus far, winning the Region 5-AAAAA championship and qualifying 11 wrestlers for sectionals.

One of those qualifiers is senior Victor Perez, who became involved with wrestling during his sophomore year. “At lunch, I saw this wrestling video and signed up. At the first practice, I liked it. I found that it was going to be tough but I still wanted to be in it,” he says.  

Perez often gets nervous before matches, which sometimes helps him but at other times becomes a disadvantage.  Before each match, he performs warm-ups on the sidelines. “The team says it looks like I am dancing,” says Perez. His favorite move is the Fireman’s Carry. “You pull their head to the right with your right hand and you put your left hand over their shoulder into their arm pit. Then you take shot and use your fight hand to push the opponent’s legs to the mat with their body. I always keep their arm tight,” says Perez.

Perez says he is inspired by senior Austin Burris because “he just goes out there and wrestles.” To Perez, sportsmanship means that the wrestler is aggressive but not too angry. “They go out there and wrestle well,” he explains. “‘Don’t be too dirty,’ my coach says.”

The team is led by coach Tommy Carthers, who has been involved with wrestling for 22 years. Carthers strives to teach his athletes that hard work and determination pay off in all aspects of life. “An ideal wrestler always expects to win, so they always work for it,” he says. “Whether they win or lose, they do it with class.”

Carthers is proud of team’s strong bond this year, especially with younger wrestlers, which he says makes the future seem bright for the team.  The wrestlers always pray before each match, asking God to let them perform to the best of their abilities and come away from their matches injury free. “TNT” is their team motto, which Carthers explains: “It has a double meaning because we train to be explosive on the mat. The deeper meaning is that it’s an acronym for training, not trying. We believe the trying is attempting to succeed, while training is preparing for success. We train.”

Fastpitch Fever
by Eddie Harper • photography by Missy Hunter

Marietta’s 2010 softball season went fairly well in retrospect. The team won only a few games but that does not accurately indicate how well they played. “The season was good,” says senior Felicia Baker. “We were better than last year and we bonded better than last year as well.”

The team was led by experienced seniors. “They played for four years and knew what was expected of them. They passed those expectations on to the younger players,” says coach Nancy Donnelly, who realizes that the team will have to adapt. “We will have to have some younger players step up next year to fill the shoes of Molly Fagan, Tori Bratton and Felicia Baker,” she says. “Losing those three players will definitely hurt because they played major roles on the team. Tori had the biggest impact on the team. She was a leader on and off the field. She played anywhere she was asked to and never complained. She did what she had to do to help the team.”

A straw poll among players reveals another player who had a large, if not the largest, impact. “Macie [Poole] had the biggest impact because no matter what, she kept a smile on everyone’s face,” says Molly Fagan.

Despite the team’s losses, everyone played well together and did a great job when the game was on the line. They did not give up or become disheartened but continued to fight until the end. Many players believe that the team must work harder during the offseason in order to improve. “Even though we had our ups and downs, we still found a way to laugh and have fun,” says Fagan.

Victory Is Sweet
by Kaitlin Pressley

After seven years of coaching at East Paulding High School, coach Monica Jones just finished her first season coaching volleyball for the Marietta Blue Devils. “This was a very good season for the girls,” says Jones. “Now it’s just all about getting stronger and working better as a cohesive unit rather than as individuals so that we can get better for next season.”

Co-captain Miranda Houston recognizes the importance of working as a team, rather than individually, for a sport that requires such tremendous effort. “In the beginning, we didn’t play very well as a team,” she says. “Toward the end, we started to win because we actually relied on each other to win.”

On October 14, Marietta made the state playoffs, winning the first round against Canton. The team proudly advanced to the second round of state at Lassiter High School. “Although we didn’t win the second round of the state playoffs, we played hard for it,” says Houston.

The team placed in the top 16 teams statewide because of its record and impressive performance in the first playoff round. During the offseason, the team plans to participate in several camps, strength and conditioning activities, and summer tournaments. “We are also hoping to work a lot with the middle school kids and advance the whole Blue Devil program in general,” says Jones.

With a fairly young team, the girls hope to begin next season with an advantage and continue to make the Blue Devils proud.

Blue Angel
by Brittany Roth

Loyal, dedicated, loving, helpful, relentless, genuine, and fighter. Those are words that describe coach Robert Dodd, whose presence is deeply missed by Marietta High School.

Dodd suffered an untimely death this summer at age 49. He was born August 4, 1960, in Cartersville and was on the Cass High School football team. He attained degrees from West Georgia College and Jacksonville State University. His coaching experiences include Douglas County High School, South Cobb High School, Alexander High School and Marietta High School.

Coach Friday, fellow coach and family friend for 18 years, remembers Dodd as a unique person who was loyal to everyone. “One thing he said often was ‘He’s not a cowboy ‘til you see him ride,’” says Friday.

Players on the football team respected Dodd. Senior Adam Patrick says, “Coach Dodd was the perfect example of living life to the fullest.” Senior Jordan Little adds, “He pushed me like no other coach ever did. When he was around, I always wanted to improve.”

“My father taught me to be a better man overall. I learned everything I know from him,” shares Tripp Dodd, senior varsity football player.  His sister, Claire, recalls a sweet moment from this season’s first game. Seconds before Tripp Dodd jogged onto the field, she called his name. He turned toward her, and they both pointed to the sky and nodded in honor of their father. “He’s always been like a pineapple,” says Claire. “A tough coach on the outside, but sweet on the inside. I wish he were here for my freshman year, but I have Tripp.”

It was a tradition for Dodd to write motivational letters to senior players at the beginning of each season. Athletic director Paul Hall admired his ability to connect personally with players and says, “I will always cherish the time I spent coaching with him.”

The Game Changer
by Brittany Roth

Marietta High senior defensive end Robert “Tripp” Dodd has been playing football for nine years. He hopes to earn a scholarship but has not decided where he will attend college. Dodd wants to pursue a coaching career and return to Marietta, following his father’s footsteps.

Dodd’s role model is Tim Tebow because of his relationship with God and his missionary work outside of football. Dodd may admire Tebow, but friends, family and teachers have positive things to say about Dodd as well.

“He’s easy to talk to and always positive. He’s definitely been there for me,” says fellow teammate and senior Jordan Little.

Many predict that Dodd will be successful with football and that this year will be his best. “He has more purpose and maturity than he has had in the past. He could definitely be a game changer,” principal Leigh Colburn says. Athletic director Paul Hall adds, “Tripp must be a leader. All eyes are on him. But he’s got a good head on his shoulders.”

Dodd’s sister Claire says, “He’ll be very successful because it [football] has always been his passion.”

While Dodd is most often described as friendly and kind-hearted, senior Jaylen Reid says, “He can get mean on the field. He’s always friendly and caring yet when it comes time to play, he doesn’t take any prisoners.”

Better Than Ever
by Kaitlin Pressley

The Marietta High cross country teams are better than ever. With both teams placing first in the Border Clash Invitational on Jekyll Island and the Darlington Invitational, they rank higher than any other team in Marietta High history.

Led by junior Cole Robertson and sophomore Ben Pleak, the boys cross country team has broken multiple records, including those of the two previous teams that won region.

Throughout his freshman year, Pleak was considered one of the best junior varsity runners. He successfully made it through this season as the number two varsity runner. “My change from JV to varsity was a result from all the miles that I put in over the summer as well as the change in my work ethic from last year to this year. If you work hard, you will always get better,” says Pleak.

Pleak hopes to break 16 minutes in the 5K. He also hopes to assist the boys team at the state championship by making it to the podium. However, this cannot be done without the devotion and hard work from the rest of the team. “I think our team has all around good chemistry, which creates the potential for us to be even more successful as the season progresses more toward the end,” says Pleak.

The girls team works better as a group than individually during practice, but each runner is on her own during each race. Senior team captains Maggie Henderson and Beth O’Connell strive to make each race comfortable for the team. One of Marietta’s newest runners, freshman Mary Allred, joined the team with roughly no idea about what the sport would entail rather than the obvious aspect – running. "I wasn't sure what to expect when I first started running with the team, but it didn't take me long to find out how much work you really have to put into the sport if you want to be good,” says Allred.

Jack Coleman has been coaching cross country for 12 years at Marietta. Year after year, he puts everything he has into improving the team and preparing the runners for success. “I honestly don’t know how I could be any happier,” says Coleman. “Everybody has really stepped up this year.”

For the first time in Marietta High history, both teams plan to go to the state championships in Carrollton on November 6. With the boys team currently ranked eighth in the state and the girls team 10th, the verdict depends on their performances at the region championships on October 30.. “I figured we would make it to state, but I never knew that we would be as good as we are,” says Coleman.

The varsity teams are established, and the remaining runners support their team by taking a place on JV. However, cross country teams are always changing as they are commonly affected by injuries. For this reason, runners are regularly replaced and it is crucial for every runner to be, or at least close to, the same level as the others.

Coleman’s hope at this point is for the runners to hold together until the end. “Beating Walton at region won’t necessarily put us on top but beating them at state will, and we need everyone’s participation to reach the final goal,” says Coleman.

New Digs for a New Coach
by Robert Schoonver • photography by Ally Chastain

New Marietta Blue Devils head football coach Scott Burton has seen success everywhere he’s been. After a storied high school coaching career in Virginia, Burton accepted a job as an assistant coach at Richmond University. After two successful years, Richmond head coach Mike London accepted a position at the University of Virginia, leaving Burton without a job.     

Meanwhile, Marietta coaching legend James “Friday” Richards retired after 15 seasons and more than100 wins to his credit. As Marietta searched for a replacement, London recommended Burton for the job. “After looking at over 120 applicants for the job, we sorted the ones we liked and didn’t like. Then the Virginia coach called and recommended him and coincidentally, he was in the pile we liked,” says athletic director Paul Hall.

“I said about 12 years ago that my dream job would be a job in the South,” says Burton. That dream came true and Burton has changed MHS football. Burton runs the spread offense, which is new to Marietta. In addition to the spread, Marietta will also be using a no huddle. “We’ve been practicing it all summer and the kids have really caught on to it,” says Burton.

“It’s a lot more intense but it definitely pays off in the end,” says junior offensive lineman Logan Marshall. In the first games of the season, the freshman, junior varsity and varsity teams didn’t receive a single delay of game penalty between them.

Burton stresses the importance of the offensive line to his team. “It’s nice to get the respect that we finally deserve,” says Marshall. Offensive linemen know it is unlikely to see their names in the paper or their faces in magazines. “A lot of people say they respect the offensive line but they still call them the ‘fat guys’ or the ‘slow ones,’” says Burton. The benefits go beyond words. “You may see some players wearing shirts that say ‘ATM’ on them. Well, only the offensive line and a few coaches actually know what it means,” says Burton.

In addition to a new system, there is a strict code of conduct the players must follow off the field in order to play. Each football player has a massive blue binder containing a contract stating what they need to strive for academically. Some of their goals include greeting teachers and sitting in the front of class. Each player must have their teachers complete a weekly progress report. The coaches have determined “character education” to be the team’s highest priority.