Undefeated North Gwinnett, proven Buford meet for the first time in the Class 6A postseason

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – In a matchup of two powerhouse programs that haven’t played each other since the turn of the century, the undefeated North Gwinnett Bulldogs will make the 15-minute drive to Buford to face off-lose Wolves in a Class 6A quarterfinal between prominent North Georgia teams.

The last time the two teams faced off in 1999, Dexter Wood’s Buford team earned a 27-6 victory against Tim Hammontree’s North Gwinnett Bulldogs.

The game will air live on the Peachtree Sports Network beginning at 8 p.m. and will also be streamed live on the Atlanta News First app. From home, download the free ANF+ app wherever you stream (FireTV, AppleTV, Roku and YouTubeTV) by simply searching for “Atlanta News First” on those platforms. If you’re on the go, you can download Atlanta News First for free from the app store on your Apple or Android device. You can also watch live on the WANF – Special Events channel here.

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North Gwinnett is coming off a 24-10 win against Newton in the second round, where the Bulldogs totaled more than 400 yards of total offense, including rushing for more than 300 yards. North Gwinnett senior running back Tommy Lafayettte single-handedly accounted for 188 rushing yards in the win over the Rams, sending the Bulldogs into the quarterfinals for the first time since 2022.

The Buford Wolves are coming off a 42-7 win against Lowndes, leaving the Vikings at their lowest point total all season. The Wolves offense eclipsed 400 yards, with a balanced offensive attack that totaled almost 160 yards through the air and just over 250 yards on the ground, with five different players rushing for 25 yards or more.

Both programs are looking for their first taste of the semifinals this decade, as Buford hasn’t made it since the 2017 season and North Gwinnett hasn’t since 2019.

The Bulldogs look to keep their perfect record clean as they look for their first-ever undefeated season in program history. Led by Eric Godfree, who is in his second season in the program after spending eight seasons at Parkview, a win on Friday would mark the coach’s first return to the semifinals since 2019.

This year’s North Gwinnett team is a different breed and stifles any competition in front of them. The Bulldogs boast an explosive and experienced offense averaging over 38 points per game and over 4,000 yards of total offense, along with a defense that has held opponents to 10 points or fewer in seven of their 12 games this season, including the two postseason games and have recorded 188 tackles for loss on the season.

The Bulldogs are led by senior quarterback Ryan Hall, a Georgia Tech baseball player, who has commanded a well-oiled machine of offense for 12 games. Hall has thrown for just under 1,800 yards with a 65% completion rate, along with 23 passing touchdowns and just two interceptions on the season. Although not known for his mobility, Hall has been able to use his legs to his advantage, totaling over 450 yards and five rushing touchdowns on the season.

“He’s probably our most productive football player,” Godfree said. “What he brings to the quarterback position, he can run, he can throw, he can make plays. For us he is a dynamic footballer, he really helps us offensively.”

Hall’s legs have been an added bonus to an already strong Bulldogs offense led by Tommy Lafayette, who recently knocked off Stanford. The senior running back has rushed for over 780 yards this season and has 11 rushing touchdowns on 121 carries. Lafayette is averaging over six yards per carry and has two games of over 100 yards this season, including the win over Newton in the second round.

North Gwinnett’s receiving corps is made up of a handful of upperclassmen who have made several big plays during their high school careers. Seniors Erik Ronning and Nicholas Bookman have been incredible for the Bulldogs combining for nearly 1,500 all-purpose yards. Ronning leads the team in receiving yards with 570 and Bookman is a close second with just over 480 yards on the season.

With just as many playmakers on offense, the Bulldogs’ defense is no stranger to causing problems for opposing offenses with a disruptive defensive line that ranks among the best in the state.

Led by senior edge rusher and Wake Forest commit Cole Funderburk and defensive lineman Rutgers commit Braxton Kyle, the Bulldogs have marked their territory in the backfield as the two combined for 117 total tackles, an astonishing 56 tackles for loss, including 16 pockets. between the two-star defensive lineman.

Sophomore linebacker Jake Godfree, son of coach Godfree, has done an impressive job leading an experienced North Gwinnett defense from his position in the middle of the defensive unit. The sophomore leads all Bulldogs in tackles with 117 on the season, including 18 tackles for loss. Godfree has collected offers from major college programs like Ohio State, Michigan, Tennessee and Florida State after an impressive sophomore outing.

Leading the backend for the Bulldogs is senior cornerback Malaki Weedon, who has made throwing at North Gwinnett very difficult for his opponents. The senior leads the team in interceptions with five on the season, including two last weekend against Newton. In addition to his five interceptions, Weedon has recorded six pass deflections and a pair of fumbles during his senior season of high school football.

Bryant Appling leads an impressive Buford team that has remained dangerous throughout the 2024 season. The only blemish on the Wolves’ season was leading nationally ranked Milton by just three points, the closest anyone has played against the reigning Class 7A champions since their title a year ago.

“We didn’t play bad or anything (against Milton), we just didn’t play in the red zone and couldn’t prevent the big play,” Appling said. “We have gotten better in all these facets of the game over the last twelve games, they have grown closer and they trust each other a lot more in difficult situations, which is paying off on the pitch.”

After reeling off eleven straight wins after the Milton match, including victories against Benedictine, Roswell, Douglas County and Collins Hill, the Wolves enter Friday’s quarterfinals tried and tested and ready to show why they are one of the top teams in the be able to. .

Buford quarterback junior Dayton Raiola was a key to the offensive success this season, leading a high-powered offense in his first season as a starter. The junior has thrown for over 1,700 yards and 18 passing touchdowns, along with a 58% completion percentage and just three interceptions on the season. Raiola is averaging just over 140 yards through the air per game while recording just one rushing touchdown on the season.

The four-headed monster of a rushing attack for the Wolves consists of two seniors and two juniors who have each gained over 300 yards on the ground this season. Senior running back and Tennessee commit Justin Baker was the lead back and leads the team in carries, yards and touchdowns with 93 carries for just under 900 yards and 11 touchdowns. Having a back like Baker and a committee that includes senior Ethan Ervin who has totaled over 600 yards and six touchdowns, along with a pair of junior backs in Tyriq Green and Dylan McCoy who have combined for ten touchdowns, are all great options turned out to be for the Wolves.

In the passing game, Georgia Tech’s recent effort, Jordan Allen leads all Wolves in receiving yards by a significant margin, with nearly 800 on the season, averaging about 25 yards per catch. He leads the team’s second-highest receiver with over 500 yards and was also a real threat in the return game for the Wolves with his speed and elusiveness.

Buford’s defense is as good as you’ll find in the state. The Wolves have several players on the defensive side of the ball committed to prominent college football programs across the country.

The leading tackler on this year’s Wolves team, senior LB and three-star South Carolina forward AJ Holloway, as he has totaled 64 tackles in 12 games this season, plus 10 tackles for loss. Along with Holloway, the linebacking corp for Buford is among the best in the country this year, including USC commit Jadon Perlotte. Perlotte is one of the top players in the state and switched his commitment from Georgia to the Trojans in July. The senior has recorded 23 tackles in just seven games of action this season. Along with Perlotte and senior linebacker Holloway, Colorado commit Mantrez Walker is another name who has caused problems from his linebacker position. The senior is second on the team in tackles with 53, which includes a fumble recovery and three tackles for loss.

The Wolves defensive line features multiple pass-rush threats that will make life tough for the North Gwinnett offense. Junior defensive lineman Bryce Perry-Wright and senior Wake Forest commit Nicco Maggio have been terrors in the front seven for Buford this season. The two rank first and second on the team in tackles for loss with 13 for Perry-Wright and 10 for Maggio. Perry-Wright has totaled 48 tackles this season and has collected offers from major programs like Alabama, Florida, Oregon, Ohio State, Georgia and many more.

The secondary for Buford is among the best in the country. Stanford commit Chris Garland and Tyriq Green have been exceptional for the Wolves this season. The two have combined for eight interceptions and 43 tackles this season, keeping the Wolves defense in check.

After not meeting for the past two decades and more, North Gwinnett and Buford will meet for the first time in the postseason on Friday at Tom Rosen Stadium in Buford.

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