Friday Game Night

What qualities go into the making of a great defense? Is it purely stats? Is it clutch performances? Is it by reputation with a large dose of intimidation added in?

Is it all of the above?

Region 8-AAAA may well become the beast of the northeast...

Four is a magic number, and for three area teams the state semifinals are moving quickly onto the horizon. Two of those contests will be broadcast live on Friday by the Jacobs Media family of radio stations, as the hunt for No. 1 continues.

Here

Gainesville has played its final game of the season at Bobby Gruhn Field, while Buford's Tom Riden Stadium will get to host one more contest.

It wasn't always pretty, but three area football programs found more than effective ways to march on through the postseason on Friday, as Buford, Gainesville and North Gwinnett each battled into the state semifinals.

Anyone wondering just how good the Buford defense REALLY is found out Friday night.

For all of Gainesville's precision and explosiveness, the Red Elephants have more than their share of grit and determination.

Displaying the kind of determination with which they have come to be known, the Jefferson Dragons battled until the end but could not keep their title defense alive on Friday.