Tag: Buford Football

Cascade of upsets shakes up Georgia high school football rankings

Georgia was tied with Florida for the most teams in the Super 25 rankings. In the 7A quarterfinals, four of those teams were defeated. Let’s shake things up.

Georgia entered this week tied with Florida for most teams in the Super 25 national rankings (five each), making an argument as one of the two or three best high school football states of the 2023 season. On Saturday morning? It still may be one of the best, but it is infinitely more confounding.

Mill Creek (Hoschton, Ga.), ranked No. 10 in the nation, was 12-0 with a point differential of 481-182 (meaning an average score of 40-15) over the season and had won 20 games in a row stretching back to last season. With a Final Four appearance on the line, the Hawks fell 39-20 to the Camden County Wildcats (Kingsland, Ga.)

Camden County forced Mill Creek into its lowest-scoring performance of the season with a strong output from the defense that included a second-quarter interception on a screen pass and a fourth-quarter surge that didn’t allow a single point in the final 11 minutes of the game, helping the Wildcats increase its lead from 24-20 to a full two possessions.

Mill Creek, a surefire Super 25 team over the last couple of years, has fallen.

Three spots below was Colquitt County (Norman Park, Ga.), another 12-0 team. After winning 13 straight games last year but falling in the quarterfinals, the Packers were looking to move into the semifinals this year and prove themselves as the top team in the state.

Standing in the way was Milton (Ga.), which entered the game on a seven-game win streak in which it had outscored opponents 287-51 (an average margin of about 41-7). The Hawks took down the No. 13 team in the nation 39-37 as Luke Nickel, a Miami quarterback commit, passed for 302 yards and scored four touchdowns.

Colquitt County led 25-14 as the first half was winding to a close, but the Milton Hawks scored with less than a minute left to cut the deficit to 25-22. The Hawks then used that momentum to flip the score, going up 36-25 at the end of the third. Trailing by eight points with less than five minutes left, Colquitt County scored a touchdown but failed to convert the two-point attempt. Neither team would score again and the Packers went down.

No. 15 Walton (Marietta, Ga.) vs. No. 23 Carrolton (Ga.): Finally, a matchup in which there was no way a Super 25 team would not win.

Walton managed Carrolton with relative ease, winning 56-35 in a very high-scoring game, flipping last year’s 52-27 loss to the hands of the same Trojans team.

Three-star Wake Forest quarterback commit Jeremy Hecklinski threw for three touchdowns and rushed for a fourth while passing for almost 400 yards, according to MaxPreps. Three-star Memphis running back commit Makari Bodiford scored four touchdowns, two of which came in the second half after the lead had been cut to seven.

Walton and Camden County will now face off in the semifinals. On the flip side is Milton and Grayson (Loganville, Ga.).

Grayson reached after taking down No. 16 Buford 19-14. The defense was stellar, obliterating an offense led by Dylan Raiola, a top-five recruit on the 247Sports Composite. Raiola, committed to Georgia, passed 12-for-17 for just 136 yards while taking six sacks, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Rams forced and recovered three fumbles in the first half alone and held Buford to a negative number of rushing yards.

With that, the fourth-ranked Georgia team went down. The Nos. 10, 13, 16, and 23 spots are open. That shift doesn’t just affect the chase for the Georgia AAAAAAA crown — it shifts the landscape of the national rankings.

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Super 25 scoreboard

Watch: Not even the playoffs can slow down 5-star quarterback Dylan Raiola

Dylan Raiola continues his hot streak for Buford.

It is Friday night, which means that five-star quarterback and Georgia football commit Dylan Raiola is putting up video game numbers.

By halftime, Raiola had already thrown for five touchdowns for Buford (Buford, Georgia), who at that time were up 43-0 after two quarters. It is especially impressive since their opponent, Wheeler (Marietta, Georgia), is a solid 7-3.

They had won two of their last three games coming into Friday night’s opening round of the playoffs in Georgia. But Buford is simply steamrolling teams at the moment.

Three of the touchdowns from Raiola went to wide receiver K.J. Bolden, a Florida State commit. Bolden is a five-star recruit and one of the top-ranked athletes in the nation.

 

Buford hasn’t given up a point in their last three games. They have averaged over 61 points per game during that stretch.

That is the kind of offensive production one expects from the Buford basketball team, not their football team. But here we are, watching Raiola perform at a completely different level.

According to ESPN, Raiola is a five-star recruit and the No. 8 player in the nation. He committed to Georgia in May.

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Check out this throw from USC commit 4-star commit Julian Lewis

Watch: Georgia commit Dylan Raiola throws a dime to five-star K.J. Bolden

Dylan Raiola throws a beauty for Buford on Friday night.

Georgia football commit Dylan Raiola, a five-star recruit, threw an absolutely picturesque bomb to fellow five-star K.J. Bolden on Friday night.

Given that each of the two players involved are five-star recruits, does this make it a 10-star play?

Coming into this weekend, Raiola was 118-of-195, completing 61 percent of his passes for 2,042 yards and 22 touchdowns through nine games. He has no interceptions on the season.

Raiola and Bolden, a Florida State commit, made this 46-yard connection look easy. With just a little step up in the pocket and a snap of the wrist, a flick even, Raiola puts the ball out there for Bolden.

Without adjusting or breaking his stride, Bolden makes it six points for Buford (Buford, Georgia). Buford rolled to a 63-0 win over Gwinnett Central (Lawrenceville, Georgia).

Also, can we add that it is a nice, clean pocket to throw from for Raiola? There was also a very nice blocking pick-up from junior running back Justin Baker on the player to keep Raiola clean.

 

Raiola is the No. 1 recruit in the nation according to Rivals. Three recruiting services (247Sports, ESPN and Rivals) rank him as a five-star prospect.

Those three services also rank him as the top quarterback recruit in the nation.

Watch: No. 1 overall prospect, Georgia football commit Dylan Raiola is once again dominant

Dylan Raiola continues his strong senior season at Buford with a big performance on Friday night.

Dylan Raiola was nothing short of spectacular on Friday night. What else is new for the top prospect in the nation and Georgia football commit?

Every week, it seems like the nation’s top quarterback is finding new ways to top what he did the week before.

In leading Buford High School (Buford, Georgia) to a 43-0 win on Friday night over Collins Hills (Suwanee, Georgia), Raiola threw for five touchdowns and showed on multiple passes an ability that projects to the next level.

He is the No. 1 player in the nation according to 247Sports and Rivals. ESPN ranks him as the nation’s second-best player. All three media outlets rank him as a five-star recruit.

Wherever he ranks, he is impressive.

His touch is certainly elite, as is his ability to make throws while on the move. He has great pocket presence, steps up well and mechanically is strong.

With the win, Raiola’s Buford is simply rolling and is now 6-0 on the season.

Check out a few of Raiola’s plays from Friday night’s win for Buford:

 

 

And this is just a nicely executed and clean play action with a nice touch for the six points.

 

5-star DL Eddrick Houston sets commitment date

Five-star Buford defensive lineman Eddrick Houston has Georgia football in his top schools.

Five-star defensive lineman Eddrick Houston is one of the elite recruits in the class of 2024. Houston plays high school football for Buford High School in Buford, Georgia. Buford is one of the top high school football programs in the country.

The 6-foot-3, 265-pound edge rusher has planned to announce his commitment on Aug. 22 for several months.

The Buford star is the No. 23 overall recruit in the senior class and the No. 4 defensive lineman. Houston is the sixth-ranked class of 2024 recruit in Georgia.

The standout defensive end is a star wrestler and participates in track and field. In wrestling, Houston has won a state championship in the 285-pound weight class.

Who are Houston’s top schools and who is favored to land his commitment?

5-star Buford athlete KJ Bolden names top schools

KJ Bolden, the fourth-ranked class of 2024 recruit, has named his top schools. Bolden plays football and runs track for Buford High School.

Georgia football offered a scholarship to Buford High School (Buford, Georgia) star KJ Bolden in 2021. Bolden, a member of the class of 2024, is now a five-star recruit.

Bolden is the No. 4 recruit in the junior class. He is ranked No. 2 in Georgia, which is loaded with talent in the 2024 cycle, and is the top-ranked safety nationally.

The 6-foot-2, 185-pound athlete also runs track. The five-star recruit has excellent speed and is one of the top track athletes in Georgia.

Bolden has taken recent visits to Ohio State, Georgia and Clemson. The junior primarily plays receiver and safety for Buford. The five-star has great acceleration and quickness. He is a threat to score a touchdown on any play as a wide receiver.

Bolden named his top 15 schools via Twitter:

The Buford standout ranks Georgia, Tennessee, USC, Oregon, South Carolina, Alabama, Michigan State, Ohio State, Florida State, Michigan, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, LSU, Clemson and Colorado as his top schools.

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Georgia football offers Buford star RB Justin Baker

The Georgia Bulldogs have extended a scholarship offer to Buford High School running back Justin Baker

The Georgia Bulldogs have extended a scholarship offer to another Buford High School standout in running back recruit Justin Baker. Baker is a member of the class of 2025.

Justin Baker is currently an unranked recruit. However, he plays and practices against some of the best high school talent in the country at Buford High School in Buford, Georgia.

The 5-foot-9, 185-pound running back is an excellent student. Justin Baker has recently visited Athens, Georgia. The class of 2025 running back prospect has scholarship offers from USC, Arkansas, UAB, Penn State, and more.

The Buford sophomore has good strength and has experience playing as a defensive back. Baker shares the Buford backfield with five-star running back recruit Justice Haynes, who is committed to the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Baker announced his scholarship offer from the University of Georgia via Twitter:

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5-star ATH KJ Bolden spotted wearing Michigan State football gloves in first game

A 5-star in the 2024 recruiting class was spotted sporting Michigan State gloves in his first game of the season

Michigan State has made a major impression on KJ Bolden to this point in his recruitment. Bolden was in East Lansing on an unofficial visit to end the month of July, where the Spartans continued to make a strong impression on Bolden.

Bolden is a 5-star prospect that ranks as the No. 3 overall recruit in the 2024 recruiting class. He attends Buford High School in Buford, Georgia, a place Mel Tucker has made a major priority.

All cameras were turned on Buford’s first game of the season, and within a shot of warmups, Bolden was seen sporting Michigan State gloves for the game.

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Cory Linsner on Twitter @Cory_Linsner.

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Michigan State football lands commitment from DB Malik Spencer

Michigan State has earned a commitment from Malik Spencer, who has become the fifth member of MSU’s 2022 recruiting class.

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Mel Tucker and Michigan State’s staff have struck again, earning a commitment from 3-star defensive back Malik Spencer.

Spencer is a native of Buford, Georgia and plays for Buford High School, a powerhouse among Georgia high school football.

New cornerbacks coach Tavares Tillman is the man to credit with Michigan State’s recruiting win today, the Georgia native himself gives the Spartans a lot of new connections to the peach state, which paid dividends already.

Spencer will most likely translate to the safety position at the next level for the Spartans. He currently ranks in the top-550 players in the country.

A huge recruiting win for the Spartans, beating out the likes of Auburn, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Miami, Michigan, Nebraska and USC for Spencer’s commitment.

Spencer becomes the fifth commit in Michigan State’s 2022 recruiting class, joining Kris Phillips, Gavin Broscious, Tyrell Henry and Ashton Lepo. You can find all the info on the 2022 class here.

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