BUFORD — It’s hard to imagine a Buford football team having to play with a chip on its shoulder. But if ever there has been a collective group of Wolves that felt the need, the 2015 squad is it.
Before the season began, whispers around the state could be heard that this may be the year that the 11-times state champion and three-time defending state champ took a step back. Inexperience in some key areas, lack of usual superstar talent, followed by some preseason suspensions, all helped fuel the whispers.
Follow all that with a slew of injuries just before the season began and a tough loss to McEachern on the road in the third game of the campaign to bring the doubting Thomas’s out in full force.
“I know people are talking about that,” Buford coach Jess Simpson said earlier in the season. “We’ll just wait and see where we are at the end of the season.”
Well, the end is not upon them yet, and the Wolves are already proving that there has been no dropoff -- and doing so in style, as they have marched into the Class AAAA quarterfinals, marking their 16th consecutive season across four classifications of reaching the third round.
Buford’s 35-0 dismantling of Worth County in last week's second round contest set the stage for what is expected to be a titanic showdown Friday night against Thomson on the road. It will pit the top two offenses in Class AAAA against each other. Buford (11-1) is No. 1 at 45.5 points a game while the Bulldogs (11-1) are second, averaging 44.9 a game.
But despite the obvious firepower, the game will probably be decided by defense. Buford comes in ranked No. 1 in AAAA, allowing just 75 total points (6.2 ppg) while the Bulldogs are just 39th in defense, allowing 20 ppg on the season. Both units will be put to the test.
Also, last week's shutout gave the Wolves their third straight and seventh of the season and is just one off the single-season mark of eight set in 2009. The return of senior defensive lineman Shug Frazier seemed to ignite the unit, which has allowed just 15 total points with six shutouts since his return midway through the regular season. The 2009 unit, considered perhaps the best Buford defense of all-time, allowed 21 points with six shutouts over its best eight-game stretch that season.
But, the current Wolves defense has not faced as prolific an offense as the Bulldogs all season.
“Comparisons are all relative,” Simpson said. “Different teams, different players. But this group is playing very well. It’s turning out to be a solid unit. But your legacy is set by what you do in November and December and hopefully we still have some games left to play.”
Adversity plays a factor on every team in every season. But the Wolves seemed immune to it in recent years, taking a 40-game win streak into the 2015 campaign.
However, the early suspensions and injuries took their toll. They escaped with a narrow, 27-20 seaso-opening win over Eastern Christian Academy out of Maryland and then came the loss at McEachern (37-14) to snap the win streak after a blow out win over hapless Meadowcreek.
But instead of a harbinger of doom, Simpson said the loss to McEachern may have been just the catalyst Wolves needed. They have reeled off nine straight victories since.
“We learned a lot about ourselves after (the McEachern) game,” Simpson said. “We needed to develop some depth and that opened up the competition at every position basically. That seemed to get the kids going a little more.
“Every team has adversity but it’s how you deal with it that determines how things will turn out. We hadn’t had anything happen to us like what was happening early in the season in a long time. With all of what they had to go through, to me, what they have been able to do so far has been amazing.”
About that chip?
“I think these guys do play with a little bit of a chip because they heard early on that maybe they weren’t going to be as good as some of the other teams in the past,” Simpson said. “The kids did a great job of just focusing on what they could do individually to help the team. It’s an unselfish group that has learned to play well together.”
Thomson certainly should provide more than just a challenge to the defending Class AAAA champions. The Bulldogs rolled over a Grady defense that had been yielding just 16 ppg last week for 44 points. They are averaging 283 yards a game on the ground behind a trio of running backs, led by senior Billy Mance, who has 1,698 yards and eight touchdowns. Juniors Tyrek Braswell (547 yards) and Michael Thomas (506 yards) and senior quarterback Rashad Sturgis (315 rush, 873 pass, 6 TDs, 4 INTs) are each scoring threats on every play, and 6-foot-6 junior receiver Trey Parker (460 yards, 7 TDs) gives Sturgis a huge downfield target.
“They have some big-time playmakers and a good offensive line to go with it,” Simpson said. “We can’t be weak in any area because they can score on any play. Plus, they may have the best kicking game of any team we’ve played this year. It’s going to be a huge challenge. We will be going into the hornet’s nest for sure.”
The winner will get the Woodward Academy-Marist winner in the semifinals next week.
However, Simpson also said they may not have seen the Wolves' best game yet. They have only had their projected starting group together for a few games.
“I definitely think this group can play better,” Simpson said. “We gave up some big plays last week and they had a couple of touchdowns called back on penalties. There were a lot of little things that we need to clean up.
"But I feel they’re still learning how to play together because we kept getting guys back one at a time it seemed like every week or two weeks or so. Their best game is still out there somewhere. I’m anxious to see it.”
Thomson and the rest of the Class AAAA field may not be so eager for such a sight.
