Clarke Central football coach Dave Perno believes the Class 5A championship game will be an old-fashioned slobber-knocker.
He, of course, speaks of Buford vs. Warner Robins.
Perno and his Clarke Central Gladiators stroked the only blemish on Buford’s schedule this season -- a 31-28 loss in the Region 8-5A title game in Athens on Nov. 8.
The Gladiators also have some experience against Warner Robins this season. A 49-14 loss in the quarterfinals to the Demons in November left a lasting impression on Perno. So why not lean on the coach that has coached against both for some analysis of the Class 5A title matchup game on Friday at Georgia State Stadium in Atlanta. Kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m. and can be heard live on WDUN AM 550 and FM 102.9.
Perno, via phone, sat down with AccessWDUN’s Jeff Hart to give his insight on the upcoming game earlier this week. Below are the questions and answers. You can also listen to the full interview by clicking play above.
How would you compare the two teams?
“(They’re) Probably very similar. The quarterback for Warner Robins is kind of an unknown commodity there. He’s just a junior. I don’t believe he played it last year because they had the (Dylan) Fromm kid. But he’s just a weapon. I think once he plays in this game, and it might have already happened, I think he’s going to be one of the top prospects in the state going into his senior year. I think he could be the difference. He’s a big, physical, a good runner and can make all the throws. (He also) Throws a good deep ball. He’s got a strong arm and he was a load. Both of them (Buford and Warner Robins) are physical up front and good in the trenches. Warner Robins may have a slight edge at linebacker. You know, a lot of similarities, but the difference maker is Warner Robins’ quarterback.
You played them both, how do you attack each and have success?
“We studied Buford a lot longer than a week. With Warner Robins, we had just a week. We moved the ball against Warner Robins. It was just a weird day. We had a tough time stopping them, so we didn’t have it enough and we had some turnovers, which was uncharacteristic for us. We probably had more turnovers in that game than we had in the last eight games. You know, you’ve got to credit Warner Robins, obviously, they were very prepared and on top of us. Nonetheless, we still had success moving the ball and we had chances. Warner Robins strength and they’re good up front -- very similar to Buford. Warner Robins linebackers are special. They have some guys that can run. They are aggressive. They’ll bring a couple. They do a really good job of giving you different looks -- not knowing who’s coming. The tough thing for Buford, I don’t think Buford is going to be able to line up and pound pound pound. I think they’re going to have to throw the ball a little more than they probably want to.
How were you able to put up numbers against Buford’s defense?
“We did some things that we hadn’t done all year. Once we got some confidence in the game, we felt good about ourselves and then we could run. We got some openings for our running back in the second half and he started going. Things just came together. We hit them with some big plays early through the air and then we were able to create some space in the running game.
Warner Robins will probably try to do a lot of the same. They’re a well-balanced team. The one area, again, is that quarterback run that can pose some big problems because if you can buy him some time, extend some plays and get them out of bad plays, they’ve got enough weapons on the outside that they’re going to be tough to contain. They can do a lot.
When I turn on the film for Warner Robins, I just didn’t see ... I mean… the kicking game is good… they’re just really, really solid and well-rounded, physical, fast and athletic. I don’t see a lot of holes. I just didn’t see weakness.”
What does Buford need to do to win this game?
“Third downs and, obviously, take care of the ball. They’re going to have to convert some 3rd-and-mediums and some 3rd-and-longs. They’re going to have to keep Warner Robins’ offense off the field and make it a four-quarter game. Warner Robins got beat early in the year by Colquitt and other than that, I think they’ve been in one game that was a four-quarter game. So I think that should be the plan for Buford -- push them into the fourth and see how they react. Buford is more than capable of doing it.”
What does Warner Robins need to do to win this game?
"Be Warner Robins. It’s good enough. They just have to make sure they travel. They’ve been sitting at home for a long time. They’ve just got to make sure what they’ve done over the last month travels and if it does, they’ll be in good shape.
Does this Buford team, in your opinion, have a little resemblance of some of those older Buford teams that were winning titles six or seven years ago?
“Oh yeah. Coach App (Bryant Appling) is phenomenal This is exactly what Buford should have been doing. They just wear you down and they keep coming. That’s how they beat two 7A schools this year -- Milton and Archer. It’s no secret. But they’re good at what they do. If they can hang in there and make it a four-quarter game, you’ve got to feel that they’re playing with a lot of confidence right now. Their road has made them battled-tested and I’m sure they’re going to be ready and excited.
Who do you think wins the game?
Obviously, my heart, I want Buford. We beat them. My knowledge, Warner Robins is much healthier, and their road has been a lot easier. I just think there’s so much in there. Warner Robins probably hadn’t had to show much. They probably got a lot more in there because no one has really pushed them. It’s going to be tough for Buford. I’m pretty certain it’s a close game. I think it’s going to come down to turnovers. It’s going to be an old-fashioned slobber-knocker when it comes down to it.”
Click here to read: Stats suggest Buford-Warner Robins could be a classic final
