The Buford Wolves led with a big offensive score, and the defense chipped in two scores of their own as they coasted to a 52-17 win over the Roswell Hornets Friday at Ray Manus Stadium.
The Wolves, who came in ranked No. 2 in 6A, are 2-1. They have one more non-region game next week at 6A’s No. 3 Douglas County. The Hornets, No. 7 in 5-A, fall to 2-1 and play 6A’s Westlake in their final non-region game.
The Wolves had a number of big plays in the game, perhaps the biggest coming on Tyriq Green’s 105-yard interception return for a touchdown, which gave the Wolves a 38-3 lead with 1:49 left in the half. On a ball thrown from 20 yards into the middle of the end zone, Green caught it with a running start, eight downfield blockers and no Hornets chasing.
“I looked back, saw the whole team behind me and it was smooth sailing from there,” said Green, a junior who also had 13 carries for 45 yards, including a 7-yard touchdown in the first quarter. “The plan was just make them lay down, quit and get them out of the ball game. That’s what we did.”
On the second play of the Wolves’ opening drive, senior Ethan Erwin scored on a 77-yard touchdown run. The defense forced two fumbles on Roswell’s next drive and recovered the second one, leading to Green’s touchdown run with 6:30 left in the first. They scored again on their next possession, which started on the Hornets’ 30 after senior Jordan Allen’s 80-yard touchdown on a punt return was called back for holding. Wolves junior quarterback Dayton Raiola hit senior tight end Cooper Berry on a 21-yard pass, then junior Dylan McCoy scored in a 9-yard run to make it 21-0 with 4:10 left in the first.
Raiola finished 6 of 10 passing for 99 yards, and a 23-yard touchdown pass to senior Sam Harkness, before he and other starters exited with 4:09 left in the third quarter and the Wolves leading 52-10.
“We came out worked on what we did all week and came out and executed,” Raiola said. “Every day in practice, we try to come out and set the tone early and get the juices flowing. I feel like we’re coming together as a team.”
The Wolves opened the second half with the ball and used eight plays and four minutes to score on Raiola’s pass to Harkness, which made it 45-10. On the Hornets’ next possession, Wolves senior Chris Garland stepped in front of a screen pass with an easy path to the end zone, running 20 yards untouched to give them a second defensive touchdown and a 52-10 lead with 7:32 left in the third quarter.
Erwin finished with 93 yards on four carries, and Justin Baker had 81 yards, including an 11-yard touchdown, on eight carries. Junior JD Gregory was 7-for-7 on extra-point attempts and drilled a 26-yard field goal.
Hornets junior Trey Smith was 15 of 34 passing for 127 yards and a touchdown to two interceptions, and had 11 carries for 60 yards and another touchdown. Junior Balint Borosmarty hit a 45-yard field goal. Senior Grant Cook had five catches for 86 yards and a touchdown.
Buford 21 17 14 0 — 52
Roswell 0 10 0 7 — 17
B — Ethan Ervin 77 run (JD Gregory kick)
B — Tyriq Green 7 run (Gregory kick)
B — Dylan McCoy 9 yard run (Gregory kick)
B — Gregory 26 FG
R — Balint Vorosmarty 45 FG
B — Justin Baker 11 run (Gregory kick)
B — Green 105 INT return (Gregory kick)
R — Trey Smith 1 run (Vorosmarty kick)
B — Sam Harkness 23 pass from Dayton Raiola (Gregory kick)
B — Chris Garland 20 INT return (Gregory kick)
About the Author
