Buford coach Jess Simpson said the goal for his team this season was to “do it better than it had ever been done.” Mission accomplished.
Buford, the state’s most dominant dynasty, won its third straight state championship with a 55-10 victory over St. Pius X on Saturday in the Class AAAA title game at the Georgia Dome.
The Wolves (15-0)capped their second consecutive undefeated season with their 40th straight win, a streak that dates back to 2012. It's the program's 11th state championship and 10th in the last 14 years.
They did it in their typically impressive fashion, overwhelming St. Pius with a bevy of next-level talent and superior speed, size and strength. Five Buford seniors—linebacker Austin Smith, defensive tackle Quay Picou, defensive back David Curry and offensive linemen Nick Polino and Hunter Holland—have already committed to FBS teams, and several more will by National Signing Day. Plus, the Wolves feature a host of underclassmen, like junior tight end Isaac Nauta and defensive tackle Shug Frazier, who have already attracted numerous offers from elite college programs.
The Golden Lions, in contrast, didn’t have a senior with a college football offer of any level, according to coach Paul Standard. But that didn’t stop St. Pius from overcoming two losses to start the season and reaching the state championship game for the second time in the last three years.
Standard thanked his senior class and said they exceeded expectations by leading the underclassmen through the adversity of the 0-2 start.
“I can’t say enough about what this group of seniors did for our program,” Standard said. “It would have been very easy for the season to go the wrong way in a hurry, but these guys were willing to be coached and were willing to lead the younger ones. I couldn’t be any prouder of them.”
The Lions also lost to Buford 10-3 in the 2012 Class AAA title game. Saturday’s game wasn’t nearly as close, although St. Pius did start strong. The Golden Lions (12-3) jumped out to a 10-0 lead on a 60-yard touchdown run by Dalton Wilson and short Michael Matthews field goal early in the first quarter.
Buford (15-0) took over from there, scoring quickly and in a variety of ways. Wildcat quarterback Brett Shepherd had a 61-yard touchdown run. Wide receiver Aaron Auer threw a 39-yard touchdown to Brandon Marsh on a double-pass. Curry returned a punt 40 yards for a touchdown, and Picou returned a fumble for a touchdown. Evyn Cooper capped the Wolves’ first-half barrage with a short touchdown run that made it 34-10 at intermission.
“We really hadn’t had a moment like that, where we get down early and things were really going against us,” said Simpson, who improved to 7-1 in state championship games. “But keeping our poise and responding like that shows what this team was about all season. This team, with this senior leadership, was held to a high standard, one that’s very hard to live up to. But we were extremely consistent. When we’d have a bad day, we come right back and have great one.”
Buford marched right down the field on its opening drive of the second half, with Joshua Thomas capping the drive with a 15-yard run. Senior quarterback Luke Humphrey threw a 60-yard touchdown pass to Auer later in the third quarter that made it 48-10. Senior Connor Tarleton tacked on a short touchdown run late in a fourth quarter that was played with a running clock.
Humphrey, a first-year starter, wasn't the biggest name on this roster of stars, but Simpson didn't hesitate to point to his senior QB when asked earlier in the week about his team's biggest surprise.
"I just knew my role as a quarterback and didn't try to do too much," Humphrey said. "I just wanted to try to help everyone else be the best they could be."
Humphrey completed 8 of 15 passes for 144 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
The Wolves outscored opponents 666-85 during a campaign that included wins over two Class AAAAAA schools and eventual Florida Class AAA state champion Trinity Christian. They out-gained St. Pius 417-182.
Wilson led the Lions with 80 yards rushing. He also had an interception, and Joey Connors recovered a fumble that set up St. Pius' first score.
