Lemon Street Classic honoring the community

Lemon Street Classic honoring the community

By Robert Alfonso Jr.

Cobb County, GA – The Lemon Street Classic presented by Superior Plumbing is honoring history. This inaugural tournament is a three-day event on December 19, 21, and 22 highlighting young athletes and to honor the Lemon Street community in Marietta.

The name of the event pays homage to the area’s only school for minorities during segregation, the Lemon Street School. It was a place of community and pride for the Black community in Marietta and throughout Cobb County. Before the school integrated with Marietta High School, Lemon Street’s last graduating class was 1966.

“We are fortunate to have an event like the Lemon Street Classic in our community not only from a tourism standpoint but from a historical standpoint as well,” said Rachel Rogers, Director of Sports Sales and Engagement at Cobb Travel & Tourism and the Cobb Sports Alliance. “Lemon Street has such a rich history to see it honored in a unique way is a testament to the innovation and thoughtfulness of the sports community in Cobb.”

The Lemon Street Classic will showcase high school level basketball and serve as a catalyst for the change. More than 25 schools from across the state are scheduled to participate. Marietta High School, the host school, will be playing as the Lemon Street High School honoring the history and the legacy of the historical program.

Download the Lemon Street app on all Apple and Android stores. The schedules will be available. They are also subject to change due to Covid tracking and teams needing to follow protocol.

MARIETTA HIGH SCHOOL	MARIETTA MIDDLE SCHOOL
DAY 1 Saturday	December 19, 2020
12:30 pm Evans vs Tucker	12:30 pm Discovery vs Arabia Mountain
2 pm Grovetown vs Miller Grove	2 pm Osborne vs Americus
3:30 pm Heritage vs McEachern	3:30 pm Cedar Shoals vs Lithonia
5:30 pm Therrell vs Lemon Street	5:30 pm TBD
7 pm Lanier vs Cross Creek	7 pm TBD
8:30 pm Warner Robins vs Norcross	8:30 pm TBD

“We are honored to wear the Lemon Street Hornets uniforms and represent all of those that came before us, just as we do when we put on the Marietta Blue Devils uniform,” said Nicholas Estes, the assistant boy’s coach at Marietta. “We hope to inspire and unite our community through this event, and hope to make our city proud.”

Marietta City Schools announced plans to relocate its central office to the old Lemon Street High School near Marietta Square, and the new structure will are designed to replicate the Lemon Street High School building that was demolished in 1967. The also included details to renovate Lemon Street Grammar School as the new home of the Marietta Performance Learning Center, a division of Marietta High School. A small exhibition inside the school will tell the story of the once-segregated school system, while outdoor interpretive panels will focus on the surrounding community’s history.

“An event like the Lemon Street Classic is an excellent way to further connect basketball and community,” said Norcross boys head coach Jesse McMillan. “By spotlighting Lemon Street High and focusing on the school’s story and relation to the surrounding area, basketball fans can hopefully gain an appreciation for a significant piece of local history.”