No. 1
Carrollton and No. 5
Buford will battle for the Georgia Class AAAAAA state title Tuesday on the NFHS Network. According to Zack Poff of MaxPreps, the game will also determine the national champion, giving the proud football state its first national No. 1.
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, a venue that hosted Super Bowl LIII, two college football national championships and next summer a World Cup semifinal, will be the stage for Tuesday's matchup.
Both teams enter the showdown unbeaten at 14-0 and averaging over 45 points per game.
How to watch
Date/location: Tuesday, Dec. 16
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium – Atlanta
Kickoff: 8 p.m. ET
Streaming: NFHS NetworkTickets: GoFan
Carrollton took the top spot in the MaxPreps Top 25 after a quarterfinal playoff win over then-No.1
Grayson (Loganville) 34-14 behind senior
Cameron Wood, who rushed for 177 yards and three touchdowns. In four postseason wins, the Liberty pledge had 580 rushing yards with nine touchdowns.
Buford is coming off a 39-7 semifinal win over
Valdosta, the eighth time this season the Wolves have held an opponent to seven points or less.
Texas A&M pledge
Bryce Perry-Wright has recorded a sack in all four playoff games for Buford.
In 2024, Carrollton took down Buford in the semifinals 30-17 before falling in the championship. Wide receiver
Peyton Zachary, who has 12 touchdown catches this season, caught a touchdown in that win for the Trojans.
The quarterback duel between Carrollton freshman
C.J. Cypher and Buford senior
Dayton Raiola will be worth keeping an eye on.
Cypher holds 16 offers already including Georgia and has thrown for 26 touchdowns this year against three interceptions.
Raiola is in his second year as Buford starting quarterback and has a career record of 26-2. A three-star prospect, he had been committed to Nebraska before de-committing in November.
In Buford's last championship run in 2021, the Wolves knocked off Carrollton in the semifinals en route to their 13 state crown of the century. Carrollton is looking for its first state title since 1998.
Players to watch
Buford: DL
Bryce Perry-Wright (6-3, 260, Texas A&M commit), ATH
Tyriq Green (6-0, 195, Georgia), OL
Graham Houston (6-5, 315, Georgia), DE
Dre Quinn (6-4, 235, Ohio State), QB
Dayton Raiola (6-1, 205)
Carrollton: WR
Ryan Mosley (6-4, 206, Georgia), CB
Dorian Barney (6-1, 185, Ole Miss), RB
Cameron Wood (5-9, 200, Liberty),
C.J. Cypher (6-2, 188), WR
Peyton Zachary (5-8, 175, UNLV)
