On the morning of Sept. 26, Lee County and Buford woke up with 2-1 records, looking at least a little bit more vulnerable than their reputations and preseason rankings would suggest.
They’ve both been dominant ever since.
Lee County defeated Westlake 35-14 Friday night in the Class 6A semifinals to reach the championship game for the third time in four seasons. Buford, which moved up to 6A this season after winning the 5A championship in 2019, is back in the state final after knocking off Valdosta 45-26.
Lee County and Buford will meet for the 6A championship on Dec. 29 at 7 p.m. at Georgia State’s Center Parc Stadium.
Lee County (12-1) opened the season ranked No. 2 but dropped two spots after a 38-13 loss to Lowndes. The Trojans rebounded quickly, moving to No. 1 two weeks later after a 27-7 victory over Class 5A finalist Warner Robins. The Trojans have remained No. 1 through the rest of the season.
Caleb McDowell scored four touchdowns in the Trojans’ victory over Westlake, which was their 10th straight. Lee County has averaged 45.3 points per game during the playoffs.
Buford (12-1) lost to Class 7A North Cobb 28-14 in its season opener and dropped from No. 3 in the preseason rankings to No. 6. After victories over Carver-Atlanta and Clarke Central, the Wolves were back up to No. 2, a spot they haven’t relinquished.
Buford got a 76-yard touchdown pass from Dylan Wittke to Jake Pope, a 70-yard interception return for a score by Tommy Beuglas and a 33-yard touchdown run from Victor Venn in the first six minutes Friday night for a 21-0 lead that grew to 31-0 by halftime. Buford led 45-14 with five minutes left before surrendering two late touchdowns. The 19-point victory was Buford’s closest game during its 12-game winning streak.
Here are some historical stories that will play out at Center Parc Stadium:
*Valdosta’s loss ended south Georgia’s hopes for a third all-Region 1 final in four years. Lee County defeated Region 1 opponents in the final in both its 2017 and 2018 championship seasons. The Trojans defeated Coffee (now in 5A) 28-21 in overtime in the 2017 final and beat Northside-Warner Robins 14-0 in 2018. Overall, six of the 10 most recent 6A finalists have come from Region 1.
*Lee County and Buford have never played each other, but Lee County has played three games against Gwinnett County opponents and is 1-2 in those matchups, all of which came in the playoffs. The Trojans lost to Dacula 56-21 in the quarterfinals last year and to Archer 56-13 in the 2014 second round. Lee County’s only victory against Gwinnett came against Lanier, 42-7 in the 2018 semifinals.
*Buford will be playing in the championship game for the 17th time in 21 seasons. The Wolves have won 11 championships, at least one in each classification from A to 5A, and finished as runner-up five times in that stretch. Buford’s run this century is likely matched or exceeded only by Valdosta’s 13 championships and two runner-up finishes under Wright Bazemore from 1950 to 1971.
About the Author
