Undefeated North Gwinnett and battle-tested Buford meet for the first time in the Class 6A postseason.

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – In a matchup of two powerhouse programs that haven’t played each other since the turn of the century, the undefeated North Gwinnett Bulldogs will make the 15-minute trip to Buford to face one of them. – The Wolves lost in a Class 6A quarterfinal matchup between prominent North Georgia teams.

The last time these two teams met was in 1999, with Buford Dexter Wood’s team earning a 27-6 victory over Tim Hammontree’s North Gwinnett Bulldogs.

The game will be broadcast live on Peachtree Sports Network starting at 8:00 pm and will also be streamed live on the Atlanta News First app. From the comfort of your home, download the free ANF+ app wherever you stream – FireTV, AppleTV, Roku and YouTubeTV – simply by searching for “Atlanta News First” on those platforms. If you’re on the go, you can download Atlanta News First for free from the app store on your Apple or Android device. You can also watch the live broadcast on WANF – Special Events.

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North Gwinnett cruises to a 24-10 win over Newton in the second round, where the Bulldogs total more than 400 yards of offense, including more than 300 yards rushing. North Gwinnett senior running back Tommy Lafayette single-handedly gained 188 yards in a win over the Rams to lead the Bulldogs to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2022.

The Buford Wolves defeated Lowndes 42-7, holding the Vikings to their lowest point total all season. The Wolves offense topped 400 yards, with a balanced offensive attack totaling nearly 160 yards through the air and just over 250 yards on the ground, with five different players rushing for 25 yards or more.

Both programs are hoping to get their first shot at the semifinals this decade, as Buford hasn’t made it to the semifinals since the 2017 season and North Gwinnett hasn’t made it since 2019.

The Bulldogs are looking to maintain their perfect record and record their first undefeated season in program history. Led by Eric Godfrey, who is in his second season with the program after eight seasons at Parkview, Friday’s win will mark the coach’s first return to the semifinals since 2019.

This year’s North Gwinnett team is a different breed, overwhelming any competition that is lined up in front of them. The Bulldogs have an explosive and skilled offense that averages more than 38 points per game and more than 4,000 yards of total offense, and a defense that has held opponents to 10 points or fewer in seven of 12 games this season, including two. postseason games and recorded 188 losses for the season.

The Bulldogs are led by senior guard and Georgia Tech baseball commit Ryan Hall, who has led a well-oiled offensive machine through 12 games. Hall threw for just under 1,800 yards on a 65% completion percentage, along with 23 passing touchdowns and just two interceptions on the season. While Hall wasn’t known for his mobility, he was able to use his legs to his advantage, totaling over 450 yards and five rushing touchdowns on the season.

“He’s probably our most productive player,” Godfrey said. “What he brings to the quarterback position: he can run, he can throw, he can make plays. For us, he is a dynamic player and he helps us a lot in attack.”

Hall’s legs were an added bonus to the Bulldogs’ already potent rushing attack, led by the recent Stanford suspension of Tommy Lafayette. The senior running back rushed for over 780 yards and 11 rushing touchdowns on 121 carries on the season. Lafayette is averaging more than six yards per carry and has two games of over 100 yards this season, including a second-round win over Newton.

North Gwinnett’s recruiting corps includes several high school seniors who have achieved many great successes throughout their high school careers. Seniors Erik Ronning and Nicholas Bookman were incredible for the Bulldogs, combining for nearly 1,500 all-purpose yards. Ronning leads the team in receiving yards with 570, while Bookman ranks second with just over 480 yards on the season.

With so many playmakers on offense, the Bulldogs’ defense is no stranger to giving opponents problems on offense with a devastating defensive line that is on par with some of the best in the state.

Led by senior edge rusher and Wake Forest commit Cole Funderburk and cornerback and Rutgers commit Braxton Kyle, the Bulldogs marked their territory in the backfield as the two combined for 117 tackles, a staggering 56 tackles for loss, including 16 sacks. between the two defensive line stars.

Sophomore linebacker Jake Godfrey, son of Coach Godfrey, has done an impressive job commanding North Gwinnett’s experienced defense from his position at the center of the defensive unit. The sophomore leads all Bulldogs in tackles with 117 on the season, including 18 tackles for loss. After an impressive showing as a sophomore, Godfrey amassed offers from major college programs such as Ohio State, Michigan, Tennessee and Florida State.

The Bulldogs’ defensive leader is senior guard Malachi Weedon, who made North Gwinnett’s offense very difficult for its opponents. The senior leads the team in interceptions with five on the season, including two last weekend against Newton. In addition to five interceptions, Weedon recorded six pass deflections and a pair of pass breakups during his final season of high school football.

Bryant Appling leads an impressive Buford team that has remained dangerous throughout the 2024 season. The Wolves’ only blemish this season was finishing behind nationally ranked Milton by just three points, the closest anyone has ever played the defending Class 7A champions since their title a year ago.

“We didn’t play poorly or anything like that (against Milton), we just didn’t execute in the red zone and couldn’t prevent the big play,” Appling said. “Over the last 12 games we have improved in all aspects of the game, they have become closer and trust each other a lot more in difficult situations, which has paid off on the pitch.”

Coming off 11 straight wins since the Milton game, including victories over Benedictine, Roswell, Douglas County and Collins Hill, the Wolves enter Friday’s quarterfinal match battle-tested and ready to show why they are one of the best teams in the state. .

Buford junior guard Dayton Raiola has been the key to the offense’s success this season, leading a potent offense in his first season as a starter. The junior threw for over 1,700 yards and 18 passing touchdowns to go along with a 58% completion percentage and just three interceptions on the season. Raiola is averaging just over 140 yards per game through the air while recording just one rushing touchdown on the season.

The Wolves’ four-headed monster rushing attack consists of two seniors and two juniors, each of whom has amassed over 300 yards on the season on the ground. Tennessee senior running back and punter Justin Baker was the lead back and led the team in carries, yards and touchdowns with 93 carries for just under 900 yards and 11 touchdowns. Having a quarterback like Baker and a committee made up of senior Ethan Ervin, who has combined for more than 600 yards and six touchdowns, and a pair of junior backs in Tyreek Greene and Dylan McCoy, who have combined for 10 touchdowns, is everything. this turned out to be a great option. for the Wolves.

In the passing game, a recent commitment from Georgia Tech, Jordan Allen leads all Wolves in receiving yards by a significant margin: nearly 800 on the season, averaging about 25 yards per catch. He is more than 500 yards ahead of the team’s next leading receiver and is a legitimate threat in the return game for the Wolves due to his speed and elusiveness.

Buford’s defense is as good as it gets in the state. The Wolves have several players on the defensive side of the ball who are committed to prominent college football programs across the country.

The Wolves’ leading tackler this year is senior LB and South Carolina 3-star AJ Holloway, as he has 64 tackles in 12 games and 10 tackles for loss this season. Along with Holloway, Buford’s linebacking team ranks among the best in the country this year as it features USC’s Jaydon Perlott. Perlotte is one of the top players in the state and committed from Georgia to the Trojans back in July. The senior has recorded 23 tackles in just seven games this season. Along with Perlotte and Holloway, senior linebacker, Colorado’s Mantrez Walker was another name that caused problems at his linebacker position. The senior ranks second on the team in tackles with 53, along with a fumble recovery and three tackles for loss.

The Wolves’ defensive line offers plenty of pass-rushing threats that will make life difficult for North Gwinnett’s forwards. Junior defensive lineman Bryce Perry-Wright, along with Wake Forest senior Nicco Maggio, have been terrible players in Buford’s front seven this season. The two rank first and second on the team in tackles for loss, with 13 for Perry-Wright and 10 for Maggio. Perry-Wright made a total of 48 tackles on the season and amassed offers from major programs such as Alabama, Florida, Oregon, Ohio State, Georgia and many more.

Buford’s secondary is ranked among the best in the country. Stanford’s Chris Garland and Tyreek Green have been exceptional players for the Wolves this season. They combined for eight interceptions and 43 tackles during the season while holding down the Wolves defence.

After not meeting for the past two decades or more, North Gwinnett and Buford will meet for the first time in the postseason this Friday at Tom Rosen Stadium in Buford.

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