Last season, there was a three-way race -- this time it's not even close.
What Buford High athletics accomplished this school year may not have set a GHSA record for state championships won -- but you'd be hard pressed to find a more impressive season for any high school athletic department anywhere.
During the course of the 2010-11 school year, the Wolves won team titles in (in order) softball, football, girls basketball and baseball. They also played for another in boys basketball and saw two individuals claim GHSA crowns (Chip Ness claimed the Class AA 152-pound wrestling title, while C.J. Moore won the Class AA 100 meters at the Georgia Olympics.).
That's a bit like lapping the competition -- while running backward. That's an exaggeration, but certainly what Buford accomplished this season outstrips anything in recent memory from area schools and may go down as the most impressive school year in north Georgia history.
The previous school year (2009-10) was also exciting, as the Wolves won state titles in softball, football and girls basketball. But those achievements were given a run for their money by strong campaigns from Gainesville and Jefferson.
While other north Georgia programs claimed state titles this season (White County softball and, of course, Jefferson wrestling -- 25 total and counting), no other school could hold a candle to Buford's full range of exploits on the field, court, mat and diamond.
"I've never heard of anything like it," Wolves boys basketball coach Allen Whitehart said. "I came from a pretty successful sports program, and I grew up playing in one in North Carolina, but to play for five state titles and win four is unheard of."
Whitehart led the Buford boys basketball team to the Class AA finale in his first season in charge of the Wolves, but even those coaches who have been around the school for some time are shaking their heads in amazement.
"It's pretty unbelievable," said Tony Wolfe, who just coached the Buford baseball team to its first state crown since 1977 and also guided the Lady Wolves softball team to its fourth straight title during the fall. "It's hard to imagine I was part of two championships in one year."
This season also saw the Wolves repeat as state champs in three sports -- softball and football winning their fourth straight crowns, and girls basketball taking its third.
"Across the board it was our best year ever," Buford athletic director Dexter Wood said. "A lot of factors just came together."
According to Wolves coaches, all of those factors begin with Wood, whose tireless work has formed the base for Buford's astounding success (a factor discussed in our story here).
Whatever the source, the Wolves put together something extra special in 2010-11, maybe something for all time. And perhaps the strangest thing is that Buford didn't even win the overall points award for Region 6-AA as tallied by the state's athletic directors (that went to Westminster).
It's not as if the Wolves success was limited to its five title challenging teams plus two individuals -- Buford's girls cross country team also took fifth in Class AA; its volleyball team qualified for the state tournament, as did its competitive cheerleading squad. Meanwhile, the boys 4x100 meter relay team was second at state; Maya Dillard finished third in the Class AA 800 meters; and five different Wolves wrestlers qualified for the state tournament.
"That's a tribute to Region 6-AA," Wood said. "If you can make it out of our region, you know you'll be competitive at state. And I've got some programs that are amongst the best in the state and can't even get out of the region -- like soccer and boys tennis."
Both Wolves soccer teams were ranked in the top 10 in Class AA at points this year but neither claimed a top four (and playoff) spot in 6-AA.
That said, four state titles and five championship games is something most athletic departments could only dream of achieving. And while it's not ground-breaking -- Wesleyan won six GHSA titles in Class A in 2009 (baseball, boys cross country, girls basketball, girls golf, girls track and volleyball) -- it's certainly something that will be remembered for years around north Georgia.
Of course, those memories could be eclipsed shortly -- the Wolves boast plenty of returning talent in all programs that will defend state championships, and you can be sure there will be plenty of talent in those teams that didn't win their final game of the season. That said, something like this usually only comes around once in a generation, and Buford athletes, coaches and fans should savor just how impressive a haul 2010-11 presented.
Thursday
May 15th, 2025
3:52PM
