By: Kenneth Harrison

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

The Buford Wolves are always contenders to win the state championship.

They have won from the smallest classification up to 6A. They have won 14 football state championships and only one of those was before the year 2000.

Last year was the first season in Georgia’s highest classification, 7A. They were the No. 1 team all season and went 10–0 in the regular season. They lost to Walton in the second round of the playoffs, 42–35.

This season they look to win again and they have the most talented team in the state. They have three players ranked in the top six in the Class of 2024.

The first player to mention is the top ranked recruit in the nation, quarterback Dylan Raiola. He’s from Arizona and committed to Georgia, so it looks like his family moved here to get acclimated to living in the state. He did attend three high schools previously so I’m not sure what that says about him.

Raiola is 6’3 and 220 pounds so he has prototypical size that should help him adjust to playing tougher competition.

Safety KJ Bolden is a five-star recruit and the No. 3 player in the state for the 2024 class. He has also committed to UGA. He’s a playmaker and stands 6’1 and 185 pounds.

They have another five-star recruit and the No. 6 player in the class of 2024, defensive lineman Eddrick Houston.

Houston is 6’3, 255 lbs. already, so he’s a man amongst boys on a high school field. He will be in the opponent’s backfield all season getting sacks and tackles for loss. He has committed to Ohio State.

Senior safety Tyshun White is a three-star recruit and the No. 56 player in the state. He’s currently committed to North Carolina.

Junior linebacker Jadon Perlotte is the No.4 player in Georgia for the class of 2025 and a four-star recruit. He is also a UGA commit.

Fellow junior corner back Devin Williams is also a four-star recruit.

Offensive tackle Brayden Jacobs is the No. 24 player in the class of 2025. He’s 6’7, 310 pounds so you can expect him to dominate 99% of the competition based on size and intimidation alone.

Junior linebacker Mantrez Walker has committed to Michigan.

They have a stacked team and that will come in handy based on their schedule.

They start the season at home August 18 against St. Frances Academy (MD). St. Frances Academy finished their 2022 season ranked No. 8 by MaxPreps and had a 9-1 overall record. I think this will be a close game that the Wolves will lose.

The following week they travel to Mallard Creek (NC). Last season, Buford thoroughly defeated Mallard Creek with a score of 56-7. Expect a similar outcome.

September 1 is at North Cobb for the third matchup in three seasons. Buford won last year to tie the series up and they will win again.

They have a bye week then return to Tom Riden Stadium to host Carver-Atlanta, a AAA team. Last season Buford won 44–16.

Marietta travels to Buford on September 22. Last season the Wolves won 14-0 at Marietta.

The Wolves begin region 8-AAAAAAA play on Sept. 29 at Collins Hill.

They have another bye week then Oct. 13 travel to play the defending state champs, Mill Creek. Mill Creek lost several players from last year’s team.

The final three games are against Dacula, Mountain View and Central Gwinnett. They should finish the regular season 9-1.

The teams with comparable talent are Grayson and Parkview, so I look forward to them meeting in the playoffs.