Pope Vaults into Big Lead

Pope coach Jim Haskin called his team out after a slow start to the Georgia Class AAAA traditional wrestling finals. 

The Greyhounds got the message on Friday, as they wrestled their way back into a comfortable lead heading into today's finals at the Gwinnett Arena.

They start today with 93 points, with second-place Alexander totaling 65 and third-place Loganville with 59. 

In other words, it's Pope's title to lose. 

"They realized that just having the name ‘Pope’ on your singlet doesn’t give you a state championship," Haskin told The Marietta Daily Journal. "This sport doesn’t play favorites. You have to handle the pressure."

In the Class AAAAA meet, Wheeler and Walton are in 21st and 23rd places, repsectively, in the team competition, but have some individual wrestlers still alive. 

Consolation matches began Saturday morning, with championship finals beginning at 4 p.m. 

WSB-TV will televise the wrestling finals live from 4-6 pm and on METV on Comcast 248 / Charter 127 from 6-7 pm. 

GHSA.tv will video stream live all 14 weight class finals on each of the five (A - 5A) classification's championship mats.