Buford takes different path to title game

By Michael Carvell

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

No. 1 Calhoun and No. 3 Buford, the two finalists in Friday's Class AA championship, are the only teams in a rematch from last year's title matches.

Buford defeated Calhoun 45-21 in the 2008 finals to capture its second consecutive championship.

"I know Calhoun coach Hal Lamb will have his kids and his community fired up to win a state championship," Buford coach Jess Simpson said. "But I also know that our boys are going to show up, too.

"We just feel fortunate to be back in the Georgia Dome with a chance to win again. I think we're playing loose, coaching loose, and playing with a "nothing to lose" mentality."

Buford has been humbled this year. The Wolves nearly were eliminated by Jefferson in the playoffs and lost 28-21 to Lovett on Sept. 11 -- Buford's first loss to a region opponent since the 2000 season.

However, it turned out to be good medicine for Buford.

"It was a fork in the road for our kids," Simpson said. "I told them that night after Lovett, if they were really committed to this season, then we could grow from that experience.

"We lost that week, and were off the following week ... those were two of the hardest weeks any Buford team has ever been through. We had to go back to the drawing board and re-invent ourselves."

Buford hasn't won with dominance as in past years, but the Gwinnett school is winning. The Wolves will go for their third consecutive championship at 4:30 p.m. Friday.

"We've just had to do it differently this year," Simpson said. "It hasn't been easy, but it sure has been satisfying."

Word spreading about Sandy Creek

Sandy Creek is ranked No. 3 in Class AAAA, but has been playing in the shadows of other teams all season, In the playoffs, the Fighting Patriots knocked off last year's state champion (Tucker) and this year's No. 1 team (Griffin).

"I think everyone has picked against us the last three weeks," Sandy Creek coach Chip Walker said. "We've been the underdogs, but we're fine with that. This week, let them pick [opponent] Clarke Central. That would be good."

Sandy Creek has maintained a low-profile despite one of the state's more heavily packed rosters with college prospects. Five seniors have committed to major colleges, including Mississippi State-bound tailback Rajion Neal, while three others are mulling over big-time offers.

It will be Sandy Creek's first appearance in the championship since the Fayette County school opened in 1992. Walker has directed the program the past five years, and he last coached in the Dome when he was an assistant at Mary Persons in 1998 (They lost to Early County in the semifinals).

"Being the underdogs helps a little with motivation, but the kids are more focused on what we want to accomplish. They believe in themselves, so they really don't care what anybody else thinks."

North vs. South football in Class AAAAA

Camden County coach Jeff Herron was given a chance to say that South Georgia football reigns supreme in the state's largest classification but declined to do so. Four metro teams, including No. 1 Grayson and No. 2 North Gwinnett, were eliminated in the quarterfinals, and No. 3 Newnan was defeated by No. 7 Northside-Warner Robins on Friday.

"Grayson deserved to be ranked No. 1, they beat us, and North Gwinnett had a great season ... a play or two here or there, and both of them could be playing this week," Herron said. "It has been a strong year in Class AAAAA. There are probably 6-7 teams, if they had a play here or there, that could be playing in the championship game instead of Northside and us."

No. 8 Camden is the defending state champ, but the Wildcats were discounted by many after starting off the year with a 1-2 record.

"I've always been a fan of winning and improving," Herron joked.

"But with this year's group, coming off a state championship with so many young and inexperienced players, I think getting beat early in the season really helped us," Herron said.

"Any time you get knocked down in life, you have to get back up. But you also have to figure out why you got knocked down. We had to examine a lot of things."

Camden or fellow South Georgia powerhouse Lowndes has won five of the past six Class AAAAA championships. Camden defeated Northside in the second round last year.