Class AAAAA blog: Buford makes successful return to its old style

It would be silly to say Buford football is back. The Wolves went 21-5 over the last two seasons and won two region championships. So they actually never really went anywhere.

But it would be safe to stay that Buford-style football is back.

The return to the style of smash-mouth offense and bare-knuckle defense that made the program the standard for the rest of the state for more than a decade has returned under first-year coach Bryant Appling. And the green-clad fans and the golden-helmeted players are loving it.

The point was driven home on Friday when the Wolves gambled on a two-point conversion in overtime to beat Class AAAAAAA No. 10 Archer 29-28 and set off a wild celebration on the field.

“That’s just the way it’s been since coach App got the job,” junior quarterback Jarvis Evans Jr. said. “To come out every week and beat these amazing teams, being underdogs against these teams, a lot of people are saying Buford is back.”

The Archer win was the latest. The Wolves also defeated defending Class AAAAAAA champion Milton, outlasted a solid out-of-state Life Christian team from Virginia, and smoked Jonesboro and Newton.

“We’re able to follow a great leader like coach App,” Evans said. “We call it the App Era. I think that’s true. With him as our coach, anything is possible.”

Appling was a popular choice when John Ford left after two seasons. Appling had been the defensive coordinator for years and was part of the Buford cabal that began with Dexter Wood and continued through Jesse Simpson. That little group led Buford to seven titles in eight seasons and 10 championships since 2001.

Under Appling’s direction, the Wolves have ditched the spread offense and gone back to the days when the quarterback lined up under the center. On most plays there was even a fullback on the field. The offensive line was big and productive. It’s like watching a game film from 2010.

“That was Buford football,” Appling said after the Archer game.

Appling gives a lot of credit to his assistant coaches for helping the players transition back to Buford’s power game. He also credited assistants Fyrone Davis for his work with the running backs and Matt Winslette -- son of Hall of Fame coach Charles Winslette -- for his work with the offensive line.

“Coach Winslette has been awesome with out offensive line, letting them understand what they’re doing and making sure they’re physical and nasty coming off the ball,” Appling said.

The line features Seth McLaughlin, Malone VanGorder, Caleb Archer, Griffin Scroggs and Jacob Smith. McLaughlin has committed to Alabama.

“I love my offensive line,” running back Elijah Turner said. “They’re always fighting, even though they’re tired, they’re always pushing. They work hard every play and give me a good hole to run through.”

Evans said, “They work their butts off and it’s a testament to see how far they’ve progressed. To be able to drive a defensive line back for 48 minutes was amazing.”

Appling reminded well-wishers that the Buford team is not yet a finished product, even though a 5-0 start is worth celebrating.

“This (Archer win) will help us grow up a little,” Appling said. “We’re still young. We make way too many mistakes. We’ve still got a long way to go in the passing game and we’ve got to stop the running game on defense. But this will give us a confidence boost to play a game like that. It will make a huge difference in the long run.”