No. 1
Carrollton takes on No. 5
Buford at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta tonight with the Georgia Class AAAAAA state title and national championship on the line.
Both teams are 14-0 and average over 45 points per game. Each team is equally dominant defensively as Carrollton has allowed seven or less points in five games while Buford has done that eight times.
How to watch
Date/location: Tuesday, Dec. 16
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium – Atlanta
Kickoff: 8 p.m. ET
Streaming: NFHS NetworkTickets: GoFan
Senior Cameron Wood of Carrollton has 1,473 rushing yards and 33 touchdowns for the 14-0 Trojans. Tonight No. 1 Carrollton takes on No. 5 Buford for the Georgia Class AAAAAA championship and the national title. (PHOTO: Corey Jones)
Since MaxPreps began recognizing national champions in 2005, no team from Georgia has finished the season No. 1.
These teams are familiar with one another after meeting in the 2024 semifinals, a game won by Carrollton 30-17.
At least 46 players in this game have received a Division I offer. Here is a closer look at five players from each squad that could make a difference tonight.
Carrollton
RB – Cameron Wood | 5-9 | 200 | Liberty commitThe senior has 10-straight multi-touchdown games for the Trojans, including four against Douglas County on Halloween. On the season he has 1,473 rushing yards and 33 touchdowns. Wood had just four career carries heading into this season and those came while playing for Buford as a sophomore.
WR – Ryan Mosley | 6-4 | 206 | Georgia The four-star senior started the season by catching a touchdown in five straight games. Mosley also plays defense and had an interception in the win over then-No. 1 Grayson.
CB – Dorian Barney | 6-1 | 185 | Ole MissBarney is a lockdown four-star senior who rarely sees the ball thrown his direction. Headed to Ole Miss, he burst on the scene by intercepting eight passes as a freshman.
QB – C.J. Cypher | 6-2 | 188Picked up a Georgia offer last month and has completed 71.6 percent of his passes as a freshman. He already has wins over a trio of five-star defenders in Tyler Atkinson (Grayson), Xavier Griffin (Gainesville) and Chance Gilbert (East Coweta).
WR – Peyton Zachary | 5-8 | 175 | UNLV Senior has been a playmaker since his freshman year when he caught 52 passes. In his four-year career he has 255 receptions for 3,641 yards and 38 touchdowns. Zachary has caught a touchdown in eight straight games, including all four postseason victories.
Buford
DL – Bryce Perry-Wright | 6-3 | 260 | Texas A&M commit The four-star senior is a force in the middle with 100 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and seven sacks this season. In three years as a starter the future Aggie has 208 tackles, 23.5 sacks and a record of 37-4.
ATH – Tyriq Green | 6-0 | 195 | Georgia Green never comes off the field and has scored rushing, receiving, interception return, punt return and kick return touchdowns as a senior. Headed to Georgia, the four-star has 37 career touchdowns and eight interceptions since making varsity as a freshman.
OL – Ben Mubenga | 6-5 | 290 | ArkansasIn the past two years Buford rushers have gained 5,935 yards and scored 79 touchdowns behind the three-star senior. Mubenga was born in the Congo and didn't play football until his freshman year of high school.
DE – Dre Quinn | 6-4 | 235 | Ohio State Quinn turns second and manageable into third and long with a dominant burst into the backfield toward the quarterback. The four-star senior has 86 tackles this year and had two sacks in the postseason victory over Douglas County last month.
QB – Dayton Raiola | 6-1 | 205Raiola has thrown for 45 touchdowns against seven interceptions while going 26-2 for the Wolves over the past two seasons. The three-star senior has never thrown a postseason interception in 107 attempts.
