HOSCHTON, Ga. — Rain. Two power-rushing teams. Stingy defenses. It figured to be a monumental ground battle between No. 1 Buford and No. 2 Mill Creek for early supremacy in Region 8-7A and Class 7A.
Wrong.
The two teams combined for 73 passes for 519 yards and 5 TD passes, with Shane Throgmartin's 21-yard strike to Justin Content with just 1:20 left the ultimate game-winner in a thrilling 31-24 Mill Creek victory at Markham Field Friday night.
The win for the Hawks (7-0, 2-0 Region 8-7A) avenged last year's 39-27 loss to the Wolves, their only blemish on the way to the Class 7A state title.
"It's not a rivalry until you beat them. Now it's a rivalry," Mill Creek coach Josh Lovelady said. "These kids all grew up playing each other. This was Gwinnett County football. This was a big win for us."
Throgmartin, a junior, went toe-to-toe with the nation's top-rated quarterback, Georgia commit Dylan Raiola, matching crucial drives nearly every time the Wolves looked ready to take control. He finished 15-of-28 for 237 yards, 2 TDs and one interception.
Cam Robinson churned out 101 yards rushing, a rare feat against a Buford defense, including six carries for 26 yards on the final drive, which chewed up over five minutes late in the game.
"Our passing game did some good things, but we were able to finish it off running the ball," Lovelady said. "The defense made some plays. We weren't that surprised that they went more to the pass, but we did a good job of stopping the run."
Neither team ever led by more than a touchdown. The lead changed hands three times and was tied four other times.
Still, it was inches from being tied for a fifth time and going to overtime. After a 21-yard kickoff return by Buford's Devin Williams to the Mill Creek 48, Raiola drove the Wolves to the Hawks 15 after a 19-yard strike to Tyshun White with 15 seconds left.
But the Mill Creek defense thwarted three passes into the end zone, the final one as time expired to preserve the win.
Despite having their 22-game regular season win streak snapped and their first region loss of any kind since losing to Clarke Central in 2019, Buford coach Bryant Appling had little to complain about.
"The kids played hard to the end. We had some balls slip through our hands, but you can't blame the weather because that's hard to control," Appling said. "Dylan played great. He gave us a chance at the end, and that's all you can ask for."
Raiola finished 19-of-45 for 282 yards and 2 TD. He connected with 10 different receivers, led by White, who had 5 catches for 95 yards and both TD catches.
Perhaps a key difference this time was the usually punishing Buford ground game. The Mill Creek defense held the Wolves (6-1, 1-1 Region 8-7A) to just 20 yards on 15 carries for the game.
"They did a good job of packing the box, and we felt like we had some good matchups on the outside in the passing game. That's why we threw it a little more," Appling said.
It was a slow start for Buford. After a quick three-and-out on three Raiola passes, Mill Creek's Trajen Greco returned a short punt to the Buford 47.
The Hawks quickly moved inside the Wolves 20, but Robinson was thrown for a 3-yard loss on third down, setting up a Brady Lane 35-yard field goal for an early 3-0 lead.
Buford followed with a long 80-yard, 10-play drive, capped by a 30-yard field goal from Mario Ventura.
The offenses then showed off their quick-strike ability. Throgmartin connected with Greco on back-to-back passes for 48 and 25 yards and then finished off the 4-play drive with a 1-yard TD run for a 10-3 lead.
The Wolves answered right back in just four plays and 94 seconds when Raiola found a wide-open White for an 18-yard TD pass to tie the game at 10.
Raiola showed why he is the top quarterback recruit on Buford's final drive of the half. Raiola went 7-for-11, connecting with six different receivers, and engineered a 93-yard drive in just 2:22, culminating with an 8-yard TD pass to White, his second of the game, for a 17-10 lead with just 7 seconds left in the half that they took to the break.
The Buford defense started the second half strong, forcing a quick Mill Creek punt. But Jordan Allen muffed the punt, and the Hawks' Kaymon Bolden recovered at the Buford 39.
Mill Creek wasted little time. Throgmartin connected with Jaiden Patterson on a 38-yard pass, and Robinson tied the game at 17 on a 1-yard TD run.
Buford looked poised to retake the lead, driving to the Hawks 1. But the Mill Creek defense stuffed a pair of runs around an incomplete pass. The Wolves then fumbled on fourth down, turning it over on downs at the 6.
The Hawks used that momentum to reclaim the lead. Throgmartin hit Greco for 26 yards and Patterson for 20 on consecutive plays. Robinson split the Buford defense for 23 yards, and Throgmartin and Greco connected on consecutive plays, ending with a 13-yard touchdown pass for a 24-17 lead.
Mill Creek then held Buford on a quick three-and-out and looked ready to begin taking control. But the Buford defense answered again.
Nassir McCoy picked off Throgmartin on the next play and returned it 9 yards for a score to tie the game again at 24.
Before Mill Creek's game-winning drive, Buford looked to have reclaimed the lead yet again when Raiola and Jordan Allen connected on a 55-yard touchdown with just over seven minutes left. But they were called for an ineligible man downfield to nullify the score.
"We had the tight end covered up," Appling said. "A tough call, but it is what it is."
"Nassir does a great job in practice. He just jumped the route and made a great play," Appling said of McCoy's interception.
Buford will play its third consecutive road game next week at old rival Dacula.
Mill Creek will travel to rival Collins Hill.
