December 11, 2025 — When the 2025 flag football season began, Cobb Schools teams had already created a rich history in the sport. In five seasons as a Georgia High School Association (GHSA)-sanctioned varsity sport, Cobb teams have won four state titles and finished as runners-up twice. In 2024 alone, the Pope Greyhounds won the second of their back-to-back Division 3 (D3) state titles, while the McEachern Indians finished a perfect 29-0 to bring home the Division 4 (D4) championship.
The 2025 season, however, saw all Cobb Schools move into the newly created Division 5 (D5), which teased the potential for a major showdown between these two defending state champions now in the same division. After sweeping through the first four rounds of the playoffs, a Cobb vs. Cobb championship matchup is a reality. The Greyhounds and Indians will face off in the all-Cobb state title game on December 17 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Tickets for the state championship are available here.
“Pope is a very well-coached team,” McEachern Flag Football Head Coach Jake Burgdorf said when discussing his upcoming opponent. “We have a lot of respect for them. We are looking forward to the challenge.”
Pope Flag Football Head Coach Kevin Fraser shares a mutual respect.
“McEachern not only has incredible athletes who are deeply committed to flag football,” Coach Fraser said, “but Coach Burgdorf and his staff are among the best in the country. They do an outstanding job preparing their team, and they operate like a college program. We know they’ll be very prepared and ready to go.”
While the Finals destination for both teams is the same, their paths through the postseason have been drastically different. The Area 3 champion Greyhounds’ first and second round playoff games were easy wins over South Forsyth (34-6) and Berkmar (35-0), respectively. Seniors Syra Patel and Lauren Ebersole were defensive giants in these games. In the quarterfinals, Pope overcame Woodstock 26-7 in a game that was more difficult than the score would indicate. Pope’s semifinals matchup came against Lambert, last year’s D4 state runner-up. This was a highly competitive game. Tied after halftime, neither team scored in the second half as both defenses tightened. The game required double overtime to produce a winner. Senior Lily Joswick made the game-winning deflection of a potential tying extra point in the end zone to secure the 27-26 victory and send the Greyhounds back to the Benz.
“This game was an absolute war,” Coach Fraser recalled. “I was so impressed and proud of our resilience and how we stayed together, playing for each other with everything on the line.”
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For McEachern, their postseason run has never had a moment of doubt. As Area 4 champions, they have sailed through the playoff bracket without allowing a single score, shutting out Collins Hill (40-0), Peachtree Ridge (35-0), Lithia Springs (19-0), and North Forsyth (33-0), respectively. This defensive dominance in the playoffs reflects their entire season. The Indians have locked down 16 shutouts this year and have only allowed 79 points over their 24 games. McEachern’s defense is led by sophomore Anais Fraser, who pulled 92 solo tackles and 47 sacks this season.
“Our defense rallied to the ball and played assignment football,” Coach Burgdorf said understatedly. “I was happy with how we came out and competed.”
This all-Cobb championship matchup promises to be a fun one to watch. Pope’s senior quarterback Abbey Bensman, the 2024 State Player of the Year, has amassed 3,073 yards and 55 touchdowns through the air this year while completing 69% of her passes. Frequent targets are junior Kourtney Kalman (426 yards receiving, 7 TD receptions), junior Elizabeth Kelly (672 yards/6 TDs), Joswick (375 yards/9 TDs), and freshman Talley Schuver (681 yards/13 TDs).
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Meanwhile, McEachern isn’t only a defensive force. They, too, put points on the scoreboard. Junior quarterback Ava George has thrown for 4,161 yards and 56 touchdowns with a 62% completion percentage. The Indians’ leading receivers are senior Desirae Holley (1,064 yards/15 TDs), and junior Ava Couzens (772 yards/8 TDs).
Both coaches understand that repeating as champions will be a true test.
“We must execute at a high level in all three phases of the game,” Coach Burgdorf emphasized. “It’ll take throwing, catching, and pulling flags at a really high level.”
“It’s going to be an incredible challenge,” Coach Fraser agreed before adding his thoughts on what brought his team to this point. “We have this opportunity because our team has committed to ‘preparation fueling performance,’ and trusting the process—working hard every day to be as ready as possible so that when game time comes, we can just go play. It’s about being disciplined, trusting your teammates and coaches, and finishing strong.”
It has been a strong buildup to this all-Cobb finish. With McEachern going for back-to-back titles and Pope looking for a three-peat, Cobb is guaranteed another title in our rich flag football history.
