Pope Greyhounds Archives

New Pope gym — *The Pope girls basketball team attacks the rim in the first game played in the new gym, which opened to the public Saturday. (East Cobb News photos by Wendy Parker)*

After dignitaries, architects, construction engineers and school administrators were honored for their work making the new Pope High School gymnasium possible, the varsity girls basketball team made easy work of their opponent in the facility’s first event on Saturday.

The Lady Greyhounds trounced Chattahoochee 55-13, and the Greyhounds boys team also downed Chattahoochee 70-58, adding to the celebrations that brought out the Pope community.

The multi-level gym includes a running track on the top level, and peeking room at the floor down below.

Nick Parker, the executive director of the Cobb County School District SPLOST program, which oversees school construction, said the building of the new gym and adjoining theater (next to the existing gym) was one of the smoothest he’s experienced. He said the gym, which along with the theater cost nearly $24 million and took two years to build, will eventually have a capacity of 3,000, and will add 200 or so seats on the top level.

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The last home games of the season for the Pope softball team were close, but were clinchers for the Greyhounds as they advanced to the Georgia High School Association finals once again.

Pope defeated Harrison 1-0 and 3-0 in a doubleheader Wednesday afternoon, and will be headed to the GHSA Final Eight next week in Columbus.

That’s the fifth time in the last six seasons for the Greyhounds (29-4), who reached the Class 6A semifinals in 2016.

Pope’s first game in the double-elimination round will be next Thursday morning at 11 against Evans High School of Augusta.

Another East Cobb team playing in the Class 7A state tournament was eliminated Wednesday. Lassiter lost a doubleheader on the road to Lowndes by 2-0 and 4-3 scores. The Lady Trojans finished with a 22-10 record.

Freshman pitcher Hallie Adams won both games for Pope, getting the game-winning run in the first game from Bailey Chapin, another freshman. Adams followed her one-hitter in the nightcap with a little more run support, as Chapin, senior Hannah Rogers and Leah Higgs drove in the runs for the Greyhounds to book another trip to Columbus.

Grace Kittrell was 2-for-4 at the plate for Pope.

In the Class 6A finals, another Cobb County team, Allatoona, also will be competing. But the biggest obstacle for Pope, should the Greyhounds advance, may be a team in their own region. Pope recently defeated Cambridge High School of North Fulton to win the Region 7-AAAAAA title.

However, Cambridge returns to Columbus as the defending state champion. Should Cambridge and Pope continue to advance, they could meet for the state championship as well.