Buford defeats Carrollton to win state championship, lock up a national title

ATLANTA — The Buford Wolves are state champions once again. Their win over the Carrollton Trojans will also earn them national bragging rights.

Buford defeated Carrollton, 28-21, to win the GHSA Class 6A title at Mercedes-Benz Stadium just after midnight Wednesday. Georgia Bulldogs signee Tyriq Green scored the game-winning, 82-yard touchdown with 2:37 to play. He won the Most Valuable Player award.

Carrollton finished the season with a 14-1 record.

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The Wolves finished with a 15-0 record to win their first state title since 2021. Buford head coach Bryant Appling said his team set their goals back in July and stuck to them.

“They didn’t want to leave out here without a ring. They wanted to be the first team to go 15-0. When you have something to go six months ahead and they do it, it’s kind of special,” Appling told Georgia Public Broadcasting after the game.

The victory also likely secures the program its first national championship.

Entering Tuesday night’s game, MaxPreps ranked Buford as No. 5 and Carrollton as No. 1 in its national rankings. USA Today had Buford at No. 1 and Carrollton at No. 2. ESPN ranked Buford at No. 1.

The publications’ final rankings will be out following the Texas state championships later this week. But MaxPreps has already said that Buford secured its No. 1 spot after the win and it’s hard to see Buford moving out of the top spot for USA Today and ESPN.

The last Georgia high school team to win a national title was Colquitt County in 2015.

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