The Pope baseball team’s hopes of winning three consecutive state championships is alive. There’s also a chance for an all-East Cobb boys lacrosse state final.
The Greyhounds, who ousted Lee County 2 games to 1 in a home baseball series this week, moved up the finale of that series on Thursday to avoid the rain, and came away with a 9-1 victory.
The victory came in a rematch between the finalists for the 2017 Georgia Class 6A title. Lee County won the opener 8-7 and Pope rallied with an 18-8 win in the second game of a doubleheader.
Pope is 28-7 on the season and won’t have to travel far in the semifinals, meeting Harrison, which eliminated Houston County Friday in a game that was delayed by rain from Thursday night.
This will be the fourth consecutive semifinal appearance for Pope. The series with Harrison begins with a doubleheader on Tuesday, and a third game, if necessary, would be played on Wednesday.
Walton’s baseball season came to an end this week when the Raiders were swept in the Class 7A quarterfinals by Parkview, by scores of 5-3 and 7-4. The teams have won two of the last three titles.
Lacrosse playoffs
The Lassiter boys lacrosse team has reached the semifinals of the Class 6A-7A tournament after defeating Mill Creek 16-9 this week. The Trojans, who have reached the finals three years in a row, will next play the team they’ve met in those championship games.
The Lambert Longhorns downed North Gwinnett 12-4 and will play host to Lassiter on Tuesday or Wednesday. Lambert, in Forsyth County, has beaten the Trojans in two of those three title games.
The Walton boys reached the other semifinal match in Class 6A-7A, as the Raiders toppled Etowah 8-5 on the road on Friday. They will be playing host to Centennial.
The Walton girls team was eliminated Friday in the quarterfinals, losing at North Paulding 14-13.
Soccer semis
The Pope boys have reached the Class 6A semifinals, and will be playing at Dalton on Tuesday. The Greyhounds defeated Tucker 3-2 in the quarterfinals this week.
The Kell boys were eliminated in the first round in Class 5A by Lithia Springs, while Walton reached the second round in Class 7A before falling to Hillgrove. The Lassiter boys also lost in the second round in 7A to another Cobb school, Kennesaw Mountain. 
In girls soccer, the Walton girls also were ousted in the second round by Hillgrove, while Lassiter beat Kennesaw Mountain to advance to the Class 7A quarterfinals, where they were beaten by Parkview.
In Class 6A, the Pope girls were eliminated in the quarterfinals this week by Heritage of Conyers, and Johns Creek downed Sprayberry in the first round.
Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
