Pope High School’s flag football team secured its third consecutive state championship in a close Division 5 title game against McEachern, held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The matchup brought together two of Georgia’s most successful flag football programs, both with impressive records since the sport began in the state in 2020.
Before this championship, Pope and McEachern had only met once on the field, with McEachern winning that encounter in 2021. Both teams have dominated their regions over the years, collecting multiple region titles and state championships between them.
The final was marked by strong defensive play and few penalties. McEachern led for most of the game, holding a 13-0 advantage until late in the fourth quarter. Pope mounted a comeback when senior quarterback Abbey Bensman connected with Elizabeth Kelly for a touchdown and Kourtney Kalman added an extra point to narrow the gap to 13-7.
After regaining possession, Pope tied the game with a one-yard run from Kalman. With just seconds remaining, Bensman found Lily Joswick for an extra point pass that gave Pope a 14-13 lead and ultimately the win.
Pope Head Coach Kevin Fraser commented on his team’s resilience: “I’m going to die young,” he said about the tense finish. “But, that’s what it’s all about, watching these girls refuse to quit. It would have been so easy to quit right there, and I’m sure our whole fan base was ready to quit. But they didn’t, and I really just can’t even believe it. I am so incredibly proud of their resiliency!”
Fraser also highlighted the importance of his coaching staff: “I played for Coach Fox in high school, so it’s super special to be able to get to do this with him,” he said regarding assistant coach Matt Fox. He also praised his father Mark Fraser: “And, yeah, my dad’s the man. The girls love him and he’s totally bought in to what we’re trying to do. He drives over an hour to practice to be here with us. It means everything to me to have these two on my staff.”
Player of the Game Abbey Bensman spoke about overcoming illness before playing: “I woke up with my head hurting so bad that I couldn’t get out of bed. I was in bed all day yesterday, and then this morning, it was a little better, but I’ve been taking a lot of medicine and drinking a lot of hydration drinks,” she said. After leading her team’s comeback victory she added: “Much better, especially after the win.”
McEachern coach Jake Burgdorf expressed pride in his team despite the loss: “I’m really disappointed in how things ended, but extremely proud of these girls and the work they put in to get here,” he said. “I’m really thankful for these seniors. They were actually my first senior class. They were freshman when I took over the program. So proud of them and everything they’ve done for the program to get us to this point. We have a strong group of underclassmen and we’re good enough to be back in this same spot next year. We’ll take a little time off and then get back to work.”
With this victory, Pope Flag Football continues its record-setting run as one of Georgia’s top programs.
