Ted Sparks is going to have to find some new goals for 1974. All the old ones have been filled.
A year ago Sparks aimed for his Southwest-Atlanta team to win the AA state championship, but the playoff trip was cut short. He learned from experience and came back in 1973 not to be denied.
Southwest finished the year undefeated, untied and wearing the state AA crown.
It was also Sparks’ goal to become the first black coach in Georgia to win a football championship. He did that, too, and along the way has picked up every coaching award available to him.
Sparks is a native of Little Rock, Ark., but attended college at Atlanta’s Morehouse, graduating in 1956. He has been in coaching since then.
Sparks has long been known for his baseball teams and has taken a team to third place in state playoffs and has coached the all-star game. But 1973 has to be his favorite year.
CLASS AAA — Carlton (Corky) Kell — Wheeler (Marietta)
Playing in state championship games is nothing new to Corky Kell. Since he has been at Wheeler his teams have been in state championship games four times — but three of those were girls’ teams. He also coaches girls’ basketball and just this season took both his girls’ team and his football team to state championship games. Wheeler was overlooked in preseason ratings, but Kell, in just his third year, went through a regular season and two playoffs undefeated before losing to Thomasville, 40-35, in the AAA title game.
CLASS AA — Jim Rakestraw — Druid Hills (Atlanta)
Jim Rakestraw had been at Druid Hills four years before he returned the Red Devils to the glory days of yesteryear. The Red Devils were 3-7 last year, but shocked everyone by finishing the 1973 season 9-1, losing only to Southwest DeKalb, the defending state champion.
CLASS A — Ted Missildine — Briarwood (East Point)
After checking Ted Missildine’s record for the past three years at Briarwood, his team’s 10-2 finish this season is no surprise. His first team finished 4-6; next was 6-3-1; third was 8-2; then came 1973 and Briarwood’s first trip to the playoffs.
CLASS B — Cecil Morris — Duluth High
Cecil Morris, in his 13th year of coaching, turned out his best team yet. Duluth failed to make the playoffs last year, but left no room for doubt on the way to the state finals.
