Since the 1994 death of Atlanta-area football coach Corky Kell, Dave Hunter has been the driving force behind the Corky Kell Classic. Now, Hunter is now sharing the marquee with his late friend.
On Tuesday, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home of the Atlanta Falcons, the kickoff classic, a staple of the Atlanta high school football scene since the early 90’s, added Hunter’s name to the game. From here on out, the 11-game event will be known as the Corky Kell Dave Hunter Classic.
Hunter, who led Brookwood to a state championship in 1996, has been serving as the event executive director since retiring coaching. During Tuesday’s news conference announcing the new name, Hunter told the crowd that he’s been driven to grow the event since having a conversation with Coach Kell before his death in 1994.
Really cool to be a part of renaming the @CorkyKell classic to the Corky Kell Dave Hunter classic! Well deserved honor for coach Hunter for all he’s done for not only Brookwood, but for HS football in Georgia. @samcrenshaw23 @Mansell247 @scoreatlanta @najehwilk @CraigSagerJr pic.twitter.com/l2nQgVH0NS
— Brookwood Athletics (@Bwoodsports) March 21, 2023
The Corky Kell Classic began in 1992 at the Georgia Dome with just two games. Since then, the event has grown to 11-games at four different venues, including Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
