Buford has won more than 60 state championships in 10 sports in the school’s history but has never brought home a title in girls soccer.
The Wolves hope to change that this season, and they are well positioned for a deep run in the upcoming state playoffs.
The Wolves are 16-0-1 heading into Friday night’s regular-season finale at North Paulding. Buford is ranked No. 1 in Class 7A by the AJC and No. 13 nationally among spring teams by the United Soccer Coaches.
“Our girls our playing great together right now,” Buford coach Megan Hill said. “Every practice is competitive, which helps raise the level in games. Our mental focus has improved since the beginning of the season, and the team is really starting to come together as a whole unit. We are excited to compete and the girls are excited to showcase their talents as a team going into playoffs.”
Buford has been dominant this season, outscoring its opponents 86-1, including a 1-0 victory on Feb. 15 against seventh-ranked Walton, which knocked the Wolves out of the playoffs in the second round last season on its way to a state runner-up finish.
Buford was unbeaten and untied until a 0-0 draw against Class 5A No. 1 Jefferson last week at the University of Georgia’s Jack Turner Complex.
Ella Attaway, a UT-Chattanooga signee, had a goal Tuesday night in a victory over St. Pius in the Wolves’ most recent game. Abbi Kilman, Alli Treadwell, Addison Attaway and Yazzie Vargas have also signed to play in college.
The Wolves finished 10-0 in Region 8-7A play, winning two games each against Central Gwinnett, Collins Hill, Dacula, Mill Creek and Mountain View by a combined score of 69-1. Mill Creek registered the only goal allowed by the Wolves all season in a 2-1 overtime loss on Feb. 27.
Buford will be the No. 1 seed from Region 8-7A for the state playoffs, which begin Tuesday (in classes 7A, 5A, 3A and A) at the higher-seeded schools. The Wolves will open tournament play against Wheeler, the No. 4 seed from Region 5, with the winner advancing to a second-round game on April 23.
Other region champions in Class 7A include Richmond Hill in Region 1, Campbell in Region 2, Brookwood in Region 4, Walton in Region 5, West Forsyth in Region 6 and North Gwinnett in Region 7. Harrison and Hillgrove tied for first place in Region 3 and went 1-1 against each other, so the No. 1 seed will be determined by the region’s tiebreaker. All No. 1 seeds are guaranteed another home game if they reach the second round.
The first round of the playoffs in classes 6A, 4A and 2A will be played Thursday. The five rounds of play will conclude with the championships on May 7-10 at Mercer University, McEachern High School and Duluth High School.
