Valdosta coach Rush Propst calls this week’s Class 6A title game “probably the biggest contrast in styles that I’ve seen in a long time in a championship game.”
That clash of styles will pit No. 2-ranked Buford’s disciplined, powerful running attack against top-ranked Lee County’s speed and athleticism when the teams meet for the championship at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Georgia State’s Center Parc Stadium.
Buford (12-1) is in the championship game for the 17th time in 21 seasons. The Wolves have won 11 championships in that stretch, including last year in Class 5A, and 12 overall. Lee County (12-1) had never advanced beyond the second round until 2017, but a victory this week would give the Trojans their third state championship in four years.
“They’re by far the best two teams in the state of Georgia in Class 6A football,” Propst said.
Propst, in his first season with the Wildcats after long, successful runs at Hoover (Ala.) and Colquitt County, is familiar with both teams, as Valdosta was the only team in the state to play Buford and Lee County this season. The Wildcats lost to Lee County 41-7 on Nov. 13 in the game that decided the Region 1-6A championship and lost to Buford 45-26 in the state semifinals.
Said Propst, “I guess the two key factors to me in the game would be Buford’s ability on first down to get positive yardage, keeping Lee County’s defense out of their backfield, and then for Buford to make [Lee County’s Chauncey] Magwood have an average night or a below-average night at the quarterback spot.”
Buford’s rushing attack averages 246.9 yards per game. Victor Venn has run for 1,152 yards and 18 touchdowns on 129 carries, and Gabe Ervin has 979 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns on 134 carries. QB Dylan Wittke has passed for 1,016 yards and 10 TDs for a team averaging 41.2 points per game.
“If Buford can put themselves in second-and-6, second-and-5, even second-and-7, I think they’ve got a great chance to do something,” Propst said. “If they can’t do that, if they’re tackled behind the line of scrimmage or they can’t gain anything on first down – I think first down is a huge down in this game for Buford – if they can’t have success on first down then they’re going to be in trouble. Now you’d have to do something a little bit different if you can’t run between the tackles and get positive yardage. It forces you to do some things in the throw game or the spread game, where Lee County has a huge advantage.”
Magwood directs a Lee County offense that is averaging 256.5 yards rushing and 94.5 passing. The Kentucky signee is rated No. 87 nationally at wide receiver, his projected position in college and his primary position last season. Magwood is 51-of-113 passing for 755 yards and 11 touchdowns with three interceptions, and he’s the team’s third-leading rusher with 634 yards and five touchdowns on 101 carries.
The Trojans’ primary focus on offense is a running game led by Caleb McDowell and Preston Simmons. McDowell has rushed for 1,258 yards and 26 touchdowns on 157 carries and has scored 16 touchdowns in the Trojans’ four playoff games. Simmons has run for 994 yards and 11 touchdowns on 155 carries.
“I think Magwood has gotten more comfortable being a quarterback, and if he plays like a quarterback in this game, Lee County’s going to be hard to beat,” Propst said. “But if he struggles at being a quarterback, then obviously Lee County’s point production will drop and Buford will have the advantage. If he’s hot and comes out firing and extending plays with his feet, then the advantage goes back to Lee County.
“I think it’s the biggest game of all eight of them. It’s the one that interests me the most, and it’s not because I played them both. It’s just two different styles of teams.”
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