Pebblebrook Falcons emerging into one of Cobb’s powerhouses
MABLETON, Ga. (BVM) — Eight years ago, if a GHSA fan read that the Pebblebrook Falcons were currently undefeated and searching for consecutive playoff berths since 2017, that fan wouldn’t even believe the fine print, but in fact it’s the truth.
The Falcons are on a revenge tour in region 2 7AAAAAAA and currently stand at 8-0-1 with two huge defeats under their belt for the season between East Coweta and Newnan. Pebblebrook’s stand-alone tie came against a tough and physical Riverdale team on the road with the final score being stagnant at 14-14.
The next game, the Falcons put up 50-points against North Atlanta, staggering the Warriors in the blowout and turning heads around the region at the same time. Before the victory against East Coweta, the Indians were the ninth-ranked team in the state and came out defeated by the Falcons, 38-21 — granting Pebblebrook a major upset win and notching one of their biggest victories in school history.
Following the 31-28 win over Newnan, the Falcons have jumped drastically within the Georgia rankings and now sit at 41-ranked in the state. Now, many are asking questions on how the Falcons are emerging into a definite powerhouse in the region. The simple answer is change.
In 2013, the Falcons ended the year at an embarrassing 0-10, leading to their second head coach fired in a four year span. Previous years before that, the Falcons saw back-to-back losing records and before that saw a good bit of successful and failed seasons with only a handful of trips to the playoffs, but this season has been completely different.
There is a different aura surrounding the Falcons, especially with the school being renovated with a new gym, stadium and an overall upgraded facility which could lead to more attraction towards the institution — something that the school’s been lacking for years.
“I would say that we are right on time,” says Pebblebrook’s head coach Leroy Hood. He added, “Veteran coaches always told me that year four is normally that year. So, I would say that from outside standards we are ahead of schedule, but for me, I think it’s right on time.”
In his third tenure, Coach Hood believes that it’s time for Pebblebrook to get what they deserve in the state with the Falcons taking everything they can get from each team they line up against.
Before accepting the head coach position in the Spring of 2019, Hood saw an opportunity to rejuvenate a team that he believed had such “great talent”, which is the reason why he accepted the challenge to become head coach after the team went 4-7 for the 2018-19 year, missing the playoffs and leading to the departure of former head coach Kevin Saunders.
Ahead of beginning his tenure at Pebblebrook, Hood already had a reputation for his previous success in Arkansas at Turner County High School, where he led the team to consecutive playoff appearances.
“Just the challenge of knowing that they have some great athletes, and knowing that I would have a chance to do something that hadn’t been done with the football program,” He continued saying, “Not that I am afraid of pressure, but I felt like it wouldn’t be any pressure for me to have results immediately. I felt like with Pebblebrook being a basketball school, they would give me time to put the pieces in place. A chance to mold these young men and a staff into a championship contender.”
With one more game on the schedule, it’s set in stone that this year has been one of Pebblebrook’s most successful seasons as they plan to do more damage with GHSA playoffs approaching next month.
This Friday, the Falcons will observe their second bye week of the football schedule and will be back at home in a Cobb County showdown contest against the McEachern Indians with kickoff at 7:30 pm EST.
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