Class 6A Blog: Carrollton, Buford stage first battle of unbeatens in highest class since 2015

Photo Courtesy of Lily McGregor Photography

Class 6A’s championship showdown between Carrollton (14-0) and Buford (14-0) is the only finals matchup this year that pins two undefeated teams against each other and it has been since 2015 that the state last had two unbeaten teams squaring off in the finals of Georgia’s highest classification. In 2015, Colquitt County and Roswell met at the Georgia Dome with perfect records and ultimately the Packers clinched the title with a 30-13 victory.

With both teams carrying perfect records into kickoff, this year’s Class 6A championship is one of the most anticipated matchups in years. In the semifinals, third-ranked Carrollton put together another emphatic postseason win, this time defeating visiting North Gwinnett by a margin of 48-21. The undefeated Trojans have won every matchup this season by at least three scores, except for a 28-21 win over Class 5A contender Rome in Week 3. CJ Cypher had a touchdown on the ground and another on a pass to Peyton Zachary, and the Trojans got a pair of scores apiece from Cam Wood and Nick Archer, along with another from Mason Holtclaw. Carrollton returns to the championship game for the third time in four years and looks to secure its first state title since 1998 when the Trojans take on Buford next week.

No. 2 ranked Buford booked its spot in the state championship game for the first time since winning three straight from 2019-21, closing out Friday’s matchup at Valdosta with 28 unanswered points for a 39-7 victory over the No. 5 Wildcats. The Wolves got touchdowns from Jameer Cantrell, Dylan McCoy, Tyriq Green, Torre Costin and Brian Stokes, and the Buford defense hauled in three picks off Valdosta quarterback Tyrieke Wade, who entered the contest having thrown just two interceptions all season.