GHSA First-Round PlayoffsClass AAAAAlexander (6-4) at Dalton (8-2)Northwest Whitfield (9-1) at Carrollton (9-1)Class AAANorth Hall (8-2) at Ringgold (8-2)Sonoraville (4-6) at Buford (10-0)Class AAManchester (7-3) at Calhoun (9-1)Kendrick (6-4) at Dade County (7-3)
The high school football postseason is expected to be challenging, but for three area northwest Georgia teams beginning play tonight, those challenges are extreme.
No team has a bigger obstacle to clear than Sonoraville (4-6), which gets to celebrate its first playoff berth by playing at Class AAA top-ranked Buford, a team many believe is the best in any class in Georgia. Phoenix coach Roger Gentry understands the reality of the situation, but that hasn’t put a damper on the team’s excitement.
“We took a huge step forward this season, and to be able to practice this week and to feel the excitement in our community is something we can use to build on,” Gentry said. “I only know one thing about Friday, that our kids will play hard until the final whistle. We know we’re going to play a team with nine [NCAA] Division I recruits, so, yes, it’s a big challenge.”
The cream of the Buford crop is senior linebacker Korie Rogers, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound tackling machine with 4.5 speed who is headed to Clemson, while running back Thomas Wilson is even faster (4.4) and is headed to Missouri. The 10-0 Wolves have outscored their opponents by an average of 51-6.