Class AAAAA blog: Preview of Warner Robins-Buford title game

Buford has won 11 state championships and have worked their way up the classification ladder. The Wolves – behind the run of success started by Dexter Wood and continued by Jess Simpson -- have won state titles in Class A, AA, AAA and AAAA. This will be their second – and final – bite at the AAAAA apple since Buford will be moving up in classification in the fall.

Both teams have first-year head coaches, both of them coming from the defensive side of the ball. Warner Robins promoted Marquis Westbrook into the head position after Mike Chastain headed to Jones County. Buford elevated Bryant Appling, a longtime popular assistant who had been the people’s choice when Simpson stepped down after the 2016 season.

Both coaches answered the call. Westbrook found a way to re-tool a team that lost 38 seniors and 13 starters. Appling lost the school’s quarterback prospect, who transferred to Denmark, and focused his attention to shifting the culture back to what it had been under Wood and Simpson. Both men have been quite successful in getting the job done.

Each team has a lot to prove. Warner Robins has reached the final the last two years and fell short each time – getting smoked by Rome in 2017 and falling victim to a Bainbridge upset in 2018. Buford hasn’t won a state title since 2014, which seems like a hundred years to the Gang in Green.

Here’s a breakdown of both teams:

The Buford offense: When the coaching change was made last spring, the new regime decided to return to the type of attack that helped the Wolves dominate the state for more than a decade. There was a return to power football, with Buford able to make great use of its big offensive line and simply smear a lot of opponents. Sometimes you can even see – gasp – a fullback in the backfield and the quarterback under center.

The Wolves keep producing tailbacks, too. And when Elijah Turner was injured in the playoffs and Jake Ervin rolled his ankle, sophomore Victor Venn stepped in and the offense never missed a beat. Venn ran for 255 yards two weeks ago in the showdown with No. 1-ranked Carrollton.

The Warner Robins offense: The Demons may be as well-balanced as any team in the state. The known factors were running back Jahlen Rutherford and James Smith; they'd both been important pieces of the attack. And wide receiver Marycall Jones (a Memphis commit) set the state receiving record in 2018. Tackle Manny Thompson (a Georgia State commit) anchors a very good line.

The question mark was at quarterback, where Tyler Fromm graduated and took his million yards with him. But Jalen Addie has grown into the role and the junior has proven he can throw the ball effectively and isn’t afraid to run with it. Addie has the sort of escapability that can infuriate and frustrate opposing defenses.

The Buford defense: This is a speedy hard-hitting group loaded with talented players. In other words, a typical Buford defense. The most lauded player is Jalen Huff, a senior cornerback who has committed to Georgia Tech. But the Wolves had three other defensive players who were named to the All-Region 8 team: defensive lineman Jackson Powell, linebacker Tommy Beuglas and defensive back Danny Benitez. Amari Wansley – another in the long line of Wansleys who have starred at Buford – is a bigger recruit at receiver, but is also an outstanding defensive back.

The Warner Robins defense: One reason the Demons have squeezed out so many points this year has been the ability of the defense to come up with turnovers and give the offense good field position. And in many instances, the defense will produce a pick-six or a scoop-and-score or block a punt and return it for a score. The defense, led by the ever-present junior linebacker Ahmad Walker – one opposing coach called him "unblockable" – is active, physical and experienced. Another coach said, "They're never out of position. You can tell they've played a lot of football."

The weather: The forecast calls for a rainy afternoon, but that shouldn't bother either of these teams. Both prefer to run the ball and the artificial turf at Georgia State Stadium can withstand a lot of rain – the Panthers had three rainy home games this season.