Woodland opens season with 28-10 victory at Pope

August 22, 2026

Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com

The Woodland Wildcats opened the 2026 football season in winning fashion Friday night, pulling away for a 28-10 victory over the Pope Greyhounds at Matt Hobby Field at Greyhound Stadium in Marietta.

Both teams entered the season opener looking to improve on their 2025 campaigns, in which Pope finished 1-9, and Woodland went 2-8.

Neither team scored in the opening quarter, but the Greyhounds broke the scoreless tie when Brayden Slorahn connected on a 36-yard field goal with 10:23 remaining in the second quarter to give Pope a 3-0 lead.

Woodland answered with 7:01 left in the half. Mitchel Sheppard scored on a 17-yard touchdown run, and Chad Waller added the PAT kick to put the Wildcats ahead 7-3.

The Wildcats extended their advantage just before halftime when Solomon James scored on a 4-yard touchdown run with 53 seconds remaining in the second quarter. Woodland carried a 14-3 lead into halftime.

The third quarter was scoreless, but the Wildcats added to their lead early in the fourth.

James broke loose for a 79-yard touchdown run with 8:17 remaining, giving Woodland a 21-3 advantage.

The Wildcats extended their lead with 2:34 remaining. Hayden Collins punched in a 4-yard touchdown run, making the score 28-3.

Pope scored with 35 seconds remaining when Wyatt Schuck connected with Luc McClendon on a 21-yard touchdown pass, but the Wildcats held on for the 21-10 victory.

The Wildcats' offense produced just over 300 yards on the ground, with James accounting for 224 yards.

"I couldn't be more excited for our kids," said Woodland head coach Andy Scott on Saturday morning. "It was rewarding to see their hard work pay off. I'm extremely proud of our defense. That group made four goal-line stands and forced four turnovers."

Coach Scott praised the individual play of his quarterback, Sammy Ray, and of Jonathan Hart on defense. "I'm excited about our quarterback's play. I thought he played well and added to our rushing total. Hart had a big interception to close out the first half, and he played well all night."

The win moves Woodland to 1-0 on the season. The Wildcats will return home Friday night to host county rival Adairsville at 7:30 p.m.

Pope falls to 0-1 and will host Forsyth Central on Friday.

"Going forward, we need to continue improving and have a great week of practice in preparation for a really good Adairsville squad," Scott concluded.

-- Stuart Morse contributed to this report.