LOGANVILLE — Senior running back Christian Turner returned after a nearly two-month absence to pound out 78 yards and three touchdowns to lead Buford to a 49-0 shutout win over Loganville Friday night in Region 8-AAAAA action.
Turner had missed the last six games but returns just in time to help the Wolves (7-1, 5-0 Region 8-AAAAA) make a run a second straight 8-AAAAA region title and get ready for the playoffs.
Buford will travel to Flowery Branch (8-1, 5-0) next with the winner claiming the region title.
Turner scored a runs of 1- and 2-yards in the first quarter and added a 9-yard run to cap a 21-point second quarter as Buford took a 35-0 lead into halftime. Anthony Grant had a 6-yard touchdown run and Aaron McLaughlin threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Gillis in the period as well.
But as good as the Wolves ground game was -- 322 of Buford 336 first half yards -- it was the defense that set the tone. Buford held the Red Devils (1-8, 1-4) to just 1-yard rushing and just 90 total yards of offense in the first half.
Buford finished all the scoring in the third quarter. The Wolves got a 72-yard scoring run from Derrian Brown and a 19-yard scoring run from Grant on the only two plays they ran in the entire quarter with a running clock.
Grant finished with 101 yards on 12 carries and McLaughlin had 144 yards passing for Buford.
