After going just 8-7-1 last season, Pope's boys want what they've had for a while at Lovett: postseason success and a few state title trophies.
Since the GHSA sanctioned lacrosse in 2005, Lovett has been the state's premier boys program, winning state title in three of the six seasons, more than any other school.
Meanwhile, Pope has little to show for its short time as a program, but the No. 8-ranked Greyhounds have made plenty of noise with a 16-3 record and now a spot in the Class A-AAAA semifinals at home Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. against the No. 7 Lions.
Pope has already proven it can play with Lovett, winning a 7-6 overtime battle with the Lions on April 2. But Lovett coach Jim Buczek said May is a long way from April.
"We told our guys after the other night when the game was set, this isn't overtime from a month ago," Buczek said. "This is a whole new game. Pope has improved since then and we think we've improved since then."
If there's a lacrosse program in the state that's had more success than the Lovett boys since 2005, it's the Milton girls, who have collected five state titles, only failing to win it all in 2009 in a two-goal loss to Chattahoochee in the championship game.
As expected, the Eagles are ranked No. 1 and are back in the Class AAAAA semifinals, hosting No. 5 Walton at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
It's a popular prediction Milton is going to march to another title, given that the Eagles (17-1-1) haven't lost to a Georgia team since that 2009 loss in the finals. And coach Tim Godby agrees that his team probably should win if it performs at the level it's capable of playing.
"We know we're going to get our opponent's best game every night," Godby said. "We have to match the intensity, because we're higher ranked. We know we can't take it easy and get an easy win."
Other semifinal games:
Tuesday
AAAAA Girls
No. 6 Roswell (13-5) at No. 4 Alpharetta (15-3)
A-AAAA Boys
No. 10 Westminster (13-7) at No. 1 Lambert (19-1)
A-AAAA Girls
No. 3 McIntosh (15-0-1) at No. 2 Westminster (19-1)
No. 11 Holy Innocents' (17-3) at No. 9 Chattahoochee (10-6)
AAAAA Boys
No. 5 Milton (15-5) at No. 3 Harrison (14-3):
No. 4 Walton (16-3) at No. 2 Northview (17-3)
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