BUFORD — You might think Buford football has grown accustomed to nights like these -- after all the Wolves are set to embark on their ninth straight state semifinal contest on Friday.
And you’d be wrong.
Buford players were licking their chops like first-timers in anticipation of the impending showdown with Woodward Academy at Tom Riden Stadium in Buford.
Granted this one brings with it plenty to drool over.
Taking center stage will be the battle between the War Eagles (13-0) offense and the Wolves (12-1) defense. (NOTE: To watch a video preview of the contest, simply click play in the video box above. Also, you can watch a video preview of Mill Creek's semifinal vs. Colquitt County, as well as a preview of Commerce's semifinal vs. Clinch County.)
Woodward’s multi-faceted attack will be the stoutest that Buford has faced since a Sept. 4, 37-14 loss at McEachern, and it enters the contest averaging 39.8 points and 353 yards per game -- split almost evenly between the run (155) and pass (198). And while most eyes will be on Woodward running back Elijah Holyfield, a senior committed to the University of Georgia that averages 124 yards per game and has 19 touchdowns despite missing five games through injury, Buford coaches warn that they must be focused on the entire War Eagles offense.
“Offensively, they’re very multiple. Everybody knows about Elijah Holyfield and what kind of player he is, but you can’t spend all week working your favorite run script. The quarterback and the receivers, tight end, offensive line in pass pro, they are really talented everywhere. There’s not a weakness,” Wolves coach Jess Simpson said.
Woodward quarterback Ryan Glover has passed for 2,570 yards and 25 touchdowns, against just 5 interceptions while completing 65 percent of his passes (he also has 390 yards rushing and 6 TDs on the ground). Joshua Johnson has also been explosive at receiver, hauling in 49 catches for 1,082 yards and 11 scores.
The War Eagles have yet to face a defense like Buford’s, however, a unit that is yielding a paltry 6.3 points and 126 yards per contest, while also forcing 17 turnovers. And the Wolves are only getting stingier as the playoffs progress, yielding seven points through three postseason victories.
Players like defensive tackle Shug Frazier and linebacker T.D. Roof have been difference makers for a group that is getting fully-healthy at the right time. That facet also extends to the Wolves’ offense, where Xavier Gantt is back after battling injury through much of the season. And the senior has made an impact since returning to a deep backfield that is averaging 264 yards rushing per contest.
Yet the War Eagles defense -- which features a stout eight-man front -- is no slouch either, allowing 11.1 points per game.
“They’ve got some really talented defensive ends and linebackers, are very talented on the perimeter, can run and hit and really cover well,” Simpson said. “So there’s going to be a lot of battles out there, and we’ve got to find some we can win.”
Certainly Buford, which is still in the running for a fourth straight state title and eighth in nine seasons, has made a habit of winning plenty of those, but the Wolves know they cannot afford to lose many against War Eagles team making its second straight semifinal appearance.
“When we heard the Woodward score last week we were kinda like, this is the one we’ve been waiting on,” Buford senior lineman Cooper Simpson said. “Everybody in the state has kinda’ been looking forward to this game, circling it. They deserve every bit of that. They’re the number one team in the state right now, and we’re not. There’s kind of a buzz around it, at practice you can kind of feel it; it’s a little different.”
NOTES: Buford is the only team left in the AAAA semifinals that is not undefeated. Woodward Academy, Cartersville, and Bainbridge are all 13-0. ... The Wolves have never played Bainbridge but are 5-0 combined vs. Woodward (1-0) and Cartersville (4-0). ... Buford and Cartersville are 1-2 in both offense and defense in AAAA.. ... Every team left has won at least one state title in their history. Buford (11), Cartersville and Woodward Academy (2) each, and Bainbridge (1).
