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DEL.ICIO.USWhy doesn’t Buford play up?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Buford has won 40 consecutive region games by an average margin of 35.9 points. So why don’t they move up into a larger classification in order to play a little stiffer competition?
I asked former head coach and current A.D. Dexter Wood that question. Here is his response.
DP: Why don’t you play up in a higher classification?
Wood: I think you play where your numbers are. For our major sports here, winning state championships is the goal. And I think you have a better chance to win state championships when you play against similar enrollments.
Another major factor is because our older community loves and supports our sports programs and they love to travel and be there. But they don’t like getting on 85 and they don’t like going down in the perimeter. They’d much rather be going to Hall County.
DP: If you were to move up, in what region would you prefer to play in?
Wood: Geographically it makes a whole lot of sense with Hall County Schools[in Region 7-AAA], because you’ve got Flowery Branch, although they may go up, but you have West Hall, Gainesville, Johnson … all those schools are within 20 miles of us. So we’d have a perfect little sub-region of rivalries and attendance, and no travel issues heading north.
It makes sense for a lot of people to think that way. However, I’m wise enough to know that, with the Georgia High School [Association], things enter into their decision-making.
And it could be that there is an imbalance of teams. They might say, ‘Region 8-AAA doesn’t have enough teams. So let’s just put Buford up the 85 corridor.’ So now we’re playing Stephens County, Hart County … tell our people to try go 85 North on a Friday afternoon, now we’ve got some of the same issues.
I think if we were assured that we would be put in that sub-region with those schools that are 20 miles from us, I think the sentiment of the geographical concerns might override everything. But I don’t know that that’s going to happen, and with Georgia High School [Association] how do you know?
There’s a lot of talk about this year’s Buford team possibly being the best AA squad ever. It would be hard for me to argue after seeing the Wolves dismantle a talented AAA Cartersville team 40-0 last week.
DP: I wonder how high up Buford could play and still be competitive. Clearly, they can compete and maybe even win a AAA state title. But what about AAAA? Could they hang with the Tuckers and Marists of the world?
Any thoughts?
Fantasy Football Dork-Off Week 3
This is the part where I shamelessly talk trash about my fantasy football skills in an effort to draw out the top high school minds around. You guys stink, and I rule … expect for the first two weeks were my good buddy Kurt Aschermann spanked me.
If you’d like a chance to spank me, here’s the deal.
Post your team— 1 QB, 2 RBs, 2 WR, 1 Defense—on the blog before noon Friday.
You can use any combination of high school players from across the state, while Kurt and DP will use only Gwinnett County players.
One reader-submitted team will be selected each week based on the creativity of their username. That selected team will be posted on Friday’s blog, along with Kurt and DP’s. (Right now, Gordo’s Gridiron Goliaths are poised to make their debut.)
If that reader’s team outscores both Kurt and DP, they will receive a special prize from the closet of Kurt or DP.
Talk to you Friday … DP
P.S. My NFL fantasy team, featuring Reggie Bush, Cedric Benson, Roy Williams and the Bears defense, was outscored by more than 100 points in Week 1. Any suggestions?
Fantasy Football Dork-Off Scoring System (Note: Due to limited stats, QBs/WRs do not receive points for rushing yards; RBs no points for receiving yards). All touchdowns count.
Passing
100-200 yards - 6
200-300 yards - 9
More than 300 - 15
Rushing/Receiving
50-99 yards - 6
100-150 - 9
151-199 - 12
More than 200 - 15
Rushing/Receiving/Passing TDs - 6
Defense: Every point the opposing team scores is subtracted from your total.
Results will be posted on Tuesday’s blog.
Permalink | Comments (14) | Post your comment | Categories: David Purdum
Comments
By PUDINATORS TATORS
September 12, 2007 5:35 PM | Link to this
QB - ROSWELL KID. TALIFEIRO RB - BROOKWOODS MOOSE. MILES RB - NORTH GWINNETTS. JARRY WR - NORCROSS. D** WR - BUFORDS. HARRIS D - BUFORD.
By Jimmy Payne
September 12, 2007 7:25 PM | Link to this
I am always amused when people get on one of these internet deals and say Buford could not possibly win if they played a AAAA or a AAAAA school. Most of there reasoning centers around the fact that the bigger schools have more players therefore they are deeper and therefore again they are better or would wear Buford down.
Well let’s look at that. Buford has somewhere between 70 and 85 players depending on the year and other things. Buford plays mostly 2 platoon football but like Parkview and Coach Flowe has done for years they put the best 11 on the field so there is some cross over. This is also true for 90% of the schools in AAAAA. So that arguement holds no water. The next arguement is the size of the players. Well Buford is huge. Not large, huge. So that holds no water either. Let’s go to the skill of the players. Buford has had more total players sign D-1 than any school in Gwinnett County except posibly Parkview since 2000.
Here is the deal in a nutshell. Good high school football comes down to good players, COACHING, speed and size. Notice coaching is capitalized. In my opinion coaching is 80%. Here is were Buford actually has an advantage. Because they are a city school with great facilites, great administration, great city support, they can pay their coaches better than Gwinnett can. Better pay, better coaches.
At the end of the day, Buford can compete with any school at any classification. Been that way for years. For that matter so could Charlton. Great coaching there too by the way.
By Jimmy Payne
September 12, 2007 7:28 PM | Link to this
David, E-mail me. Important.
By Ben
September 12, 2007 8:58 PM | Link to this
Let’s make sure that Buford goes undefeated in AA before we wonder if they are a possible all-time best; I believe they did lose to Charlton Co last year, after all.
By Brian
September 12, 2007 9:09 PM | Link to this
Hasn’t Buford been beaten by Charlton Co for the past 3 yrs? Weren’t all those games played in Buford? That’s what I thought. Get back to me after the season is over.
By Jimmy Payne
September 12, 2007 9:20 PM | Link to this
Ben, I don’t think the question was whether Buford was the all time best. The question was, could Buford compete with bigger schools. The best Buford team was the 2003 team. Was it the best team of all time. I doubt it. the best team of all time would be hard for anyone to judge.
By David P.
September 12, 2007 10:38 PM | Link to this
Jimmy … Playing against 5A competition week after week takes a toll on any team, especially one like Buford, which is used to resting its starters by the second half. I asked Coach Wood if he thought they could compete in 4A or 5A and his was answer was no. But I think he might be downplaying it a little bit. I don’t have your email address, but you’re welcome to email me at dpurdum@ajc.com.
By NG17
September 12, 2007 11:43 PM | Link to this
David, How many transfer students do you think they get each year.Does a football player actual have to be in the City of Buford to play.You can’t blame players for moving to a great program.The last time Buford won the State AA the QB Manley was from North Gwinnett.They have a Duluth star RB this year and did they really need him with all the talent they already have.Buford beat North Gwinnett the last time they played but they were AAA then .Next year let them play AAAAA team for scrimmage
By Jimmy Payne
September 13, 2007 7:11 AM | Link to this
David, I have asked Coach Wood as well and like you I think he down plays it big time. What is there to gain by him saying they could play with the AAAAA schools each week? You and I can speculate and it has little real meaning but if he came out and said it then we have started something. I know Buford has tried to schedule North Gwinnett for years because of the obvious financial and local benefits but they can’t even get them to scrimmage. So we probably can never find out so he leaves it alone. But remember this. Coach Wood was at Marietta for years, ask him which were the best teams he ever coached.
I don’t think playing AAAAA would wear on Buford anymore than it wears on say Norcross. Buford has depth. Parkview won a ton of games playing about 15 players a game so depth is over stated anyway I think.
By David P.
September 13, 2007 10:33 AM | Link to this
NG17 … No doubt, Buford has some advantages and can attract players from all over. But they’re definitely making the most out of their advantages as well. From some of the coaches from larger schools that I’ve talked to about playing Buford, they always say the same thing: “Why would I want to play a AA school and possibly lose? It’s a no-win situation.” That’s why I think, at least scheduling-wise, it would be beneficial for Buford to play up.
By FB FAN
September 13, 2007 11:16 AM | Link to this
I think the argument that Buford should play down because of their number is moot. Any team that has the ability to bring in other players should have the decency to play up in the most competitive class possible. Take Marist & Pius for example. They are both private schools, both have the ability to bring in players (and probably do) and both play up. I do not know exactly their enrollment, but I would guess it is well below the average of other AAAA teams. It sounds like Buford does not play up, because they know they would not be able to hang with the other schools. If a kid has the chance to win a state championship at a AA school (Buford) or go to a AAAA school (Marist) to possibly contend for a championship, why wouldn’t they choose Buford. But, and I think Buford knows this, if they move up to AAAA and have to compete with Marist & Pius not only in football but in recruiting they would be crazy to not just stay in AA. Say what you want about the drives, but some teams travel 30-40 miles 4 or fives times a season and they are still sucessful. Just my 2 cents…But NO, I do not think Buford could hang with Tucker or Marist or Pius for that matter.
By Fanman
September 13, 2007 5:27 PM | Link to this
What you have to consider in this discussion is that if Buford moves up, they must also play all other sports in that class.
Also, Buford could definitely hang with Tucker, Marist, and Pius. They could “hang” with any team in the state in a one game match-up. As for a complete season, it might be a little tougher due to slight less depth than the bigger schools.
By Ben
September 14, 2007 8:41 AM | Link to this
Jimmy, You’re right, I apologize.
Ben
By Dacula
September 26, 2007 8:20 PM | Link to this
Buford is nothing more than a bunch of cheaters who beat up on little schools. Could they compete with larger schools? Sure they could. They have the best players they can recruit and steal from other schools. However, week in and week out playing stiff competition takes its toll on you. There’s absolutely NO way Buford wins that many region games in a row playing in a gwinnett county region. In fact, I don’t even think they would win region 8AAAAA or 7AAAA. In terms of coaching, they haven’t won it all since Coach Wood retired and I don’t recall him having that kind of success at Marietta when he was on an equal playing field. Not saying he’s not a good coach because I think he was a great coach. But for someone to say that coaching is 80 percent of it is CRAZY. Cecil Flowe isn’t near as good a coach without Jeff Francouer and all the other studs on those Parkview teams. Many of Buford’s assistants have been at other schools and have not had the same success. If you want to know who the best coaches in the county are, you just need to know 1 name: Maloof. Kevin and Keith. Keith built Norcross from the ground up and Kevin always does more with less talent than any coach.