Rusty Mansell's Georgia Game of the Week: North Gwinnett at Buford
The game of this week in the state of Georgia is between two teams that always have high expectations. North Gwinnett will make the short trip over to Buford on Friday night and both teams are loaded with talent. Those two programs are also well-coached and well-acquainted with one another due to proximity.
Buford is out of Region 8 is the No. 1 seed and it is facing an unbeaten North Gwinnett team. It’ll be broadcast on Peachtree Sports Network starting at 7:30 pm E.T., and digitally on Atlanta News First, ZEAM and the National Federation of High Schools Network. Buford is ranked 9th in the state of Georgia while North Gwinnett is ranked 8th according to the On3 Massey Ratings. This a quarter-final matchup with the winner taking on the winner of Carrollton/Hillgrove. North Gwinnett or Buford would host next week based off the coin toss conducted by the Georgia High School Sports Association.
Top 10
- 1New
Predicting CFP Top 25
Controversy is HERE
- 2
Updated CFP Projection
College Football Playoff bracket in focus
- 3
Alabama or SMU
Dramatic odds shift Tide, Mustangs
- 4Hot
Scott Frost
UCF re-hiring former coach
- 5
Carson Beck
Georgia QB returns game-winning play
The On3 Massey Ratings — which were officially used during the BCS era and have generated college and high school sports team rankings since 1995 — rank sports teams by analyzing game outcomes, strength of schedule and margin of victory.
Tale of the Tape…
These two schools are only seven miles apart. Buford has been on a roll and the Wolves have blown out their last 10 opponents, including a 42-7 win over Lowndes last week. North Gwinnett has quietly gone 12-0 and they are led by senior QB Ryan Hall, a three-year starter with 5,547 career passing yards and 1,965 rushing yards. He’s one of the most decorated triggermen in the state of Georgia
Both teams have several major college prospects on each side of the ball and across multiple classes. North Gwinnett’s strength is its defensive front with Braxton Kyle, a Rutgers DL commit, and Cole Funderburk, a Wake Forest DE commit. Buford is led by 2025 USC LB commit Jadon Perlotte (former Georgia pledge) and 2026 Four-Star DL Bryce Perry-Wright. The On3 Massey prediction has Buford winning this game 41-14.
