ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – In a battle of star-studded teams and some of the best talent in Georgia, Friday night’s showdown between the No. 7 Buford Wolves and the No. 1 Douglas County Tigers will put all eyes in the state on Tiger Stadium for this week’s “Drive for the GHSA State Title: Game of the Week,” presented by GeorgiaContructionCareers.com, a showdown of the top 10 programs in Class 6A.

The game will be broadcast live beginning at 8 p.m. ET on Peachtree Sports Network and digitally on Atlanta News First and National Federation High School Network.

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The two top programs have faced off only once before, when Douglas County traveled to Buford in 2020 for the first round of the GHSA 6A state playoffs. There, the Wolves defeated the Tigers 48-0 in Buford.

Both programs are coming off wins against talented programs a week ago. Buford went on the road and defeated No. 9 Roswell, 52-17 while Douglas County hosted No. 3 Langston Hughes and earned a tough 21-14 victory.

The Tigers enter the game undefeated, but the Buford Wolves have one blemish on their record: They lost their season opener 13-10 to Milton, one of the nation’s top teams, in a back-and-forth game that included a two-hour rain delay.

Now that they have played a few games this season, this is a highly anticipated showdown between a number of teams from the state. It is a clash of top teams and promises to be an interesting matchup with many eyes on Tiger Stadium.

“The trenches on both sides are the keys to the game,” Douglas County head coach Johnny White said. “Their D-Line and linebackers are big, their physicality, their speed, a lot of 4-stars there, their offensive line is huge and we’re going to have to try to maintain that.”

Buford head coach Bryant Appling is entering his sixth year at Buford and has left his mark on the Wolves football program since arriving in 2019. In his six years with the program, Appling’s Wolves have lost just seven games, including this year’s matchup with Milton. In his first three seasons, Appling and the Wolves have won back-to-back-to-back state championships, bringing Buford’s total to 14 state championships in football team history.

The Wolves’ roster is loaded with some of the best talent in the state, with 10 players already committed to power conference schools and 36 players with offers to play college football. It’s hard to look past the talent at the top of the lineup, with nine 4-stars on the team, spanning all different recruiting classes.

The Buford defensive unit is loaded with talent all over the field, from the front seven to the linebackers to the secondary, there aren’t many more talented units in Georgia high school football. Southern Cal commit and Mr. Georgia Football Watchlist member Jadon Perlotte is at the top of scouting boards with his tireless effort to get to the football and make plays for the Wolves.

Along with Perlotte, the Buford linebacking core of Colorado commit Mantrez Walker, Kansas commit Kenyon Rivera and South Carolina commit AJ Holloway are each a force to be reckoned with, with the four of them combining for more than 40 tackles through the first three weeks thus far. Holloway leads the team in tackles with 16 total tackles on his own.

While the defense is made up of seniors who are ready to play at the next level, the juniors on Buford’s defense have shown themselves early in the season.

Juniors 4-star defensive end Bryce Perry-Wright and defensive lineman James Morrow have combined for 11 quarterback pressures and 16 total tackles, creating chaos for opposing offensive lines and making it difficult for offenses to move the chains. Both Class of 2026 Buford products have received a plethora of collegiate offers, with both commitments still looming.

The Buford offense is led by sophomore quarterback Dayton Raiola, the younger brother of Nebraska starting quarterback Dylan Raiola, who is entering his first season as the starter in his sophomore season of high school football. Raiola leads a Buford offense that has averaged just over 30 points per game while throwing for 416 yards and three touchdowns to start the season.

“He’s getting better every day,” Appling said. “I think as a rookie, you’re not going to be perfect and you’re not going to do everything right. As a coach, you want your kids to improve from week one to week three or four, and I’m proud of all my players, but especially the quarterback.”

The young quarterback has had tremendous help from veteran players on the roster, such as the running back duo of 4-star Tennessee commit Justin Baker and 3-star FAU commit Ethan Ervin, who provide Raiola with a solid run game to rely on. The duo has produced 370 yards on the ground for the Wolves, along with four touchdowns.

While a solid run game is important with a young starting quarterback, the pass catchers on offense are just as highly regarded as any other position group on the roster. On the outside, 3-star Louisville commit Jordan Allen has been crucial for Buford, already putting up double-digit receptions on the season with 154 yards and a touchdown to add to his tally, averaging over 15 yards per catch. Ole Miss commit, 3-star tight end Hayden Bradley is another highly anticipated name and will look to get more involved in the offense against Douglas County.

White is entering his eighth season with the Douglas County football program and has perhaps its most talented roster to date. The Tigers were eliminated in the semifinals a year ago after being defeated 24-21 at home by Woodward Academy. The Tigers have their sights set on reaching Mercedes-Benz Stadium in an attempt to win their first state championship since 1964.

Like their opponent, Douglas County’s roster is filled with guys who will play on both sides of the ball at the next level. According to On3.com, the Tigers have 16 players with offers to play in college, including four players ranked in the recruiting sites’ top 40 in their recruiting classes.

The receiving room for Douglas County could be the most talented position group in the state with three highly recruited players who would start at any other program. USC commit, 3-star wideout James Johnson, recently committed to the Trojans and has been on a roll for the Tigers so far this season. Johnson’s ability to get into the open field and gain yards after the catch poses a major threat to secondaries across the state as he is a “jack of all trades” for the Tigers.

When the focus is on Johnson, defenses can’t forget about the two 2026 4-star wideouts in Devin Carter and Aaron Gregory. Both Gregory and Carter have offers from every major college football program and they both bring their own special skills to the offense. Gregory’s 6-foot-2 frame creates a full-field threat for secondaries as he’s fully capable of catching defenses from the top. Gregory’s size, paired with Carter and Johnson’s blistering speed and ability to run after the catch, creates the most polarizing receiving core in Georgia high school football in recent memory.

With immense talent at receiver, it will be easier for junior quarterback DJ Bordeaux to get the ball to their playmakers. Bordeaux has led an explosive Tigers offense this season that is averaging closer to 32 points per game. Up front, sophomore offensive lineman Joshua Sam-Epelle has helped protect Bordeaux with his 6-foot-8, 305-pound frame by holding down the line from his tackle position.

On defense, the Tigers are led by junior 4-star edge rusher Jordan Carter who has multiple Power 4 offers with one year of high school football remaining. The junior has totaled 21 tackles with four for loss and five sacks in the Tigers’ first four games. Carter leads an impressive Douglas County defense against a potent Buford offense. Along with Carter, senior defensive lineman Jaylen Ray has made a name for himself so far this season, totaling 25 tackles along with four tackles for loss and four sacks, forming a productive duo with Carter.

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