AJC > Sports > Highschools > Blog > Archives > 2005 > September > 09 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USBuford regains traditional supremacy
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Picking up the pieces Friday, Buford rewrote a fairy-tale ending to last year’s horror, when Georgia’s loftiest prep football victory standard came down.
The scene shifted, from Central Gwinnett’s stadium with the castle on high, to the Wolves’ den, laden with storied tradition rather than storybook décor.
Prodded all week, we’re sure, by their new head man in charge, Jess Simpson, Buford players would not pass on any thoughts of vengeance.
“Oh,” the collective retort went, “this is just the next game on the schedule.” Did Central really stop the Wolves’ state-best 47-game winning streak? “Why, that notion never crossed our minds.”
Central should have known better.
We all should have been more astute.
Reports of Buford’s demise are way overblown.
Not only did the Wolves flip the ledger on Central, prevailing 43-21, but Class AA Buford manhandled the Class AAAAA Knights, dominating both lines.
“It’s still Buford football,” Simpson said. “Maybe it looks a little different, but it’s still about blocking and tackling.”
On offense, Steven Singleton and line mates blasted holes for tailback Tom Pridemore to dart through. On the other side of the ball, burly sophomore tackle Omar Hunter camped out in Central’s backfield.
Buford (4-0) bedazzled as well. The band did, too. Drum major Shearon Eggleston and troops went way back and broke off some “Peter Gunn.”
Early in the second quarter, Buford broke a 7-7 knot by shifting to an unbalanced line, which plowed the way for Jordan Grant’s 7-yard score.
The Wolves’ 14 straight points took much out of the visitors. First, Central (2-1) dropped a pooch kickoff before recovering. Then, after Rolando Dyer dropped a pass, quarterback Trip Pognant’s shoulders fell down in a huff.
Buford next surprised even former coach Dexter Wood, pulling off a variation of the ol’ fumble-rooskie. As the Wolves’ line shifted right, quarterback Justin Roper slipped the ball to Zach Neason, who sped around the left side for a 32-yard score.
Just when it appeared the Knights were done, Dyer and Pognant reconciled, teaming on a 30-yard TD pass. That left the halftime count a deceptive 20-14, because, it seemed, Central was ripe for the KO.
And when Buford forged to a 26-14 edge on Grant’s one-yard smash, set up by the power running of Neason and Quinton Cantrell, the Knights appeared beat.
However, Central finally spread its attack, employing three and four wide receivers, which allowed Beau Johnson some running room. The bodacious Johnson broke off a pair of long gainers and then found the end zone from 11 yards out.
Now, with Buford’s lead down to a sheepish 26-21, we would find out if these Wolves were as bad as those who came before.
Edgar Arroyo’s 29-yard field goal made it 29-21, and for the Wolves, it was all downhill from there. A sterling Roper TD pass to Brandon McEachern, and then a 45-yard Pridemore scoring run, followed a pair of Buford fourth-down stops.
Order firmly re-established.
Buford’s future is as bright as its glorious past.
Permalink | Comments (24) | Categories: J.C. Clemons
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By Joe
September 10, 2005 07:48 PM | Link to this
As long as Buford continues to offer quality coaching, the ability for any athlete in Gwinnett County to play there for around $1300 a year and don’t level the playing field by moving up a class they will continue to be this good.
By slm
September 10, 2005 11:21 PM | Link to this
you maybe right if it only costed that much and enough children were in the school to qualify for the next level of play. need to get your info correct. Buford’s senior class has 155 kids. How may does other schools have to pick from.
By Joe
September 11, 2005 07:32 PM | Link to this
ok, it seems that you are close to the program so I will respect that you have good data. So let me ask you a couple of other questions, how many of those 155 kids play Varsity football at Buford and of those that play how many live “in” the Buford school district? My point being is that if you can write a check to play at Buford (regardless of the amount) then why doesn’t Buford get bumped up a class like GAC and other schools that you can write a check to attend? In the past I know from Buford boosters that over 50% of the football team came from “outside” of Buford. Don’t get me wrong, Buford is a great program! Just level the playing field with the other schools you are beating up on every week.
By GC
September 12, 2005 10:02 AM | Link to this
I agree with Joe. Buford should move up to at least AAA or stop using any palyers outside their district.
By Cal
September 12, 2005 02:12 PM | Link to this
Burford who? The last time I checked buford was destroyed in their own stadium. The fact the Burford Football program has to outside side their district, to find players is sad. Why don’t they do like every other team in the “AA” Regions and trust the players the have in their district? Until then Burford will continue to be less of a threat in my eyes and will continue to be beaten by teams who take ordinary boys and tranform them into stars…….
By Joe
September 12, 2005 04:44 PM | Link to this
Ok, Cal, your not helping me make the point I am making by saying that Buford will be less of a threat. Buford has dominated, yes, clearly dominated their classification since 2000 using players from outside their school district. Yes, they were runner-ups in 2004 as they were in 2000. They were state champions in 2001,2002 and 2003. To only reference one game from last season is short-sighted.
By mikey
September 13, 2005 03:19 PM | Link to this
If buford is so goodas people tend to belive just because they have a couple of state championships is just crap why wont they move up to 8 3AAA a play ocnnee county at lest but no their to worry about changing into a different 2AA clssafaction to stay out of Atlanta metro traffic well move on up a play some real kids that live in thier home towns.
By FanMan
September 13, 2005 03:48 PM | Link to this
If Buford had known that they were going to be realigned, they would have moved up to AAA. As for the Oconee Co. comment, did you not lose to Central Gwinnett by 25 points? I believe Buford beat Central by 22 points, so I don’t think you want to play Buford in your region either.
By big guy
September 14, 2005 10:20 AM | Link to this
stop hateing on bufor their the best in the stae and u all know buford will play and team in 3A and kill them don’t u recall they just played a 5A playoff team and beat them by 22 oh u forgot about that so bring 3A on and see what happens.
By mikey
September 14, 2005 02:46 PM | Link to this
hey fanman well forget about Oconee co.lets see buford play hart county or elbert at one of the most famous stadiums in the state the granite bowl i don’t think buford makes it out and lets dont forget about stephens county and winder barrow who is doing good this year yes oconee did lose by 25 but thats what you get when your in 3-AAA with half the kids theres to many good teams in 3-AAA for buford to beati bet at least 2 loses out of those games.
By mikey
September 14, 2005 03:07 PM | Link to this
big guy learn how to spell first before you start to talk second how do you figure that if buford plays any team in 3-AAA they will kill them i mean you can’t even spell so how do you know about the teams in 3-AAA and third i’ll just name some teams hart,stphens,oconee,winder,franklin they are all good teams and two of three of them are geting good looks for the 3-AAA top ten in the state.
By FanMan
September 14, 2005 11:35 PM | Link to this
Mikey, what qualifies you to make fun of someone else’s spelling. Read your first post; it is a perfect example of excellent grammar and spelling. Not! Do you really expect people to think that region 8-AAA teams would beat Buford? You are living a dream world.
By mikey
September 15, 2005 02:03 PM | Link to this
Well you have a point about my spelling but anways look you must be high to think that buford could beat every team in 3-AAA, yes you have a point about 8-3AAA teams but yes i do think that buford could lose a game to a 8-3AAA team I mean come on man do you really follow high school football or just buford,do you know abou hart county or stephens county or elbert county we are one of the fastest regions in the state,and yes faster than buford if you don’t belive it go around a look at each teams top skill players 40 times my point for 4 quaters gainsville gave ya’ll a game with thier speed my point so don’t say three A teams can’t play. that’s it’s not adream world it’s reality.
By FanMan
September 15, 2005 02:27 PM | Link to this
No, I am not high. I never wrote that Buford could beat every team in AAA. I know that you have good teams in Region 8-AAA. Speed is very important in football, but the fastest team does not always win. If talking about this year alone, Buford would easily defeat five of the teams in that region. The other three games would be close. Do you just follow Region 8-AAA?
By mikey
September 15, 2005 03:12 PM | Link to this
no I don’t just follow region 8-AAA teams i play for one so i have to stick to me region that’s why i can’t spell im a football player i just tend to belive that are region is stacked except for monroe,crapalachee,franklin but they are geting better. but i think winder barrow is getting better and could take 8-AAA this year
By mikey
September 15, 2005 03:17 PM | Link to this
true speed does not win games all by it self but i saying put buford up in hart or elbert with that kind of atmosphere and then it tends to be a little hrder to play in speed with what some 8-AAA teams offense runs is the key to a win or lose on friday nights we take are football very seriously since in some towns that’s all there is todo
By Hank
September 15, 2005 11:58 PM | Link to this
Buford is a public school. Is it fair that they can recruit from all over North Georgia? I didn’t see that anyone answered the question about how many athletes actually live in Buford. I understand that private schools have kids from different areas. Public schools should be treated the same.
By big guy
September 16, 2005 10:20 AM | Link to this
i play for buford and only two seniors live out side of buford and they don’t even play so all you guys out there can get off their nuts b/c we are a young team and still kicking butt all over the place so get off my nuts
By mikey
September 16, 2005 01:56 PM | Link to this
big guy i’ll give you and buford your prop’s but who’s ridding your nut’s looks like your ridding your teams nut’s too much just cause you have justin roper and a couple of good lineman doesn’t mean your guy’s can’t loose a game i’ll be laughing at all you guy’s when ya’ll lose i’m crossing my fingers that yall pick up a Loss.
By mikey
September 16, 2005 02:53 PM | Link to this
well i play for winder barrow and everyone will see how good we tonight aganist oconee county we will stop russ calaway and be 4-0 just like in 2003 when we went 8-2 so get right buford
By Joe
September 16, 2005 03:28 PM | Link to this
They won’t answer the question because they know it will raise a red flag. Notice the kid above only mentioned Seniors? How about the Hunsucker kid? I believe he lives in North or Dacula’s district. That is just one of many studs Buford has brought in from outside their city limits. I must be honest and say that I cannot confirm this, but I have been told by many that the great Darius Walker also lived “outside” the Buford school district.
By FanMan
September 17, 2005 03:21 AM | Link to this
Mikey, what happened to Winder-Barrow? Sounds like Oconee Co. put a hurting on ya’ll. I don’t want to hear anything else from you. Buford beat Central by 22, Central beat Oconee by 25, Oconee beat Winder-Barrow by 20. Based on those facts, I don’t think Buford would have any problem with W-B.
By mikey
September 19, 2005 02:04 PM | Link to this
the only reason they beat us is because i got hurt on the first play of the game at QB so i can still talk and when i came back in in the fourth quater after geting treatment on my shoulder. and i threw for 100 yards so i think i would have had a big game.
By big guy
September 23, 2005 10:10 AM | Link to this
buford is playing good football right now and we are not even at the best we can play it’s only the 5th game of the season ans about the not living in the district darius did live in buford but he moved out b/c his parents did not like the house. what about brookwood’s cam smith the booster is paying for him to live in the district and i know parkview got some guys. so why are only focusing on buford.