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By David Friedlander
Staff Correspondent

ATLANTA — Given the stakes, intensity and emotion involved, Tuesday’s Class AAAAAA state championship game between Lee County and Buford had more of a feel of a title fight than a football game.

Two of Georgia’s biggest, most powerful heavyweights went toe-to-toe throwing haymakers, and four quarters (rounds) weren’t enough to decide it.

In the end, Buford landed just enough figurative punches to out-point the Trojans on the judges’ scorecards.

Alejandro Mata kicked a 26-yard field goal in overtime, and River Wilson’s fumble recovery on the 3-yard line allowed the Wolves to score a 34-31 split decision to take the title at Georgia State’s Center Parc Stadium.

“The first thing is, I’ve got to give Buford a lot of credit,” Lee County coach Dean Fabrizio said of the Wolves (13-1), who claimed their 13th overall state championship in its sixth different (weight?) classification, and ended the Trojans’ (12-2) quest for its third state title in four years. “They stood in there and played one heck of a ball game. … My hat’s off to Buford and (head) Coach (Bryant) Appling.

“I’m so proud of our kids and the effort they gave (Tuesday) night. There were two champions on that field (Tuesday) night. Sometimes the ball just doesn’t bounce your way, and it was one of those nights. Our kids gave it all they had.”

Actually, there was very little to separate the two teams throughout the evening.

Buford wound up with 398 yards of total offense, including 192 yards and two TDs through the air from quarterback Ashton Daniels — both of the latter to Isaiah Bond, the latter a 16-yard scoring strike with 46 seconds left in regulation that forced overtime.

Meanwhile, Caleb McDowell (14-92, TD rushing, 3-58 receiving, 276 all-purpose yards) and Chauncey Magwood (9-11-1, 183 yards, TD passing; 19-91 rushing) had huge nights to keep Lee County almost even in total yards with 390.

Both teams also put up almost identical numbers in first downs (17 for Buford, 15 for Lee County) and time of possession (24:21 for the Trojans; 23:39 for the Wolves).

If there were two areas that may have spelled the difference however, is that the Trojans committed two turnovers, including the game-ending fumble, and converted only once on five trips to the red zone for just three points.

“One thing we talked about coming into the game is, with a team like Buford, you’ve got to take advantage of every opportunity,” Fabrizio said. “And we didn’t convert on some opportunities when we had the ball down there. That has to go to credit Buford, too. They’ve got a really good defense. They stiffened up and made some plays on us.”

Lee County made a few plays of their own coming out of halftime with the game tied at 14-all.

Magwood hit McDowell on a 38-yard completion on the first play of the third quarter, and then filled in a third-and-21 hole with a 46-yard scoring strike to Javell Fugerson to give the Trojans their first lead of the game at 21-14 just 2:08 after the second-half kickoff.

The two teams then stood in the middle of the ring trading proverbial punches the rest of the second half.

Buford pulled even at 21-all on C.J. Clinkscales’ 34-yard TD run with 2:57 left in the third quarter, while the Trojans and Wolves traded field goals – Alex Collins’ 24-yarder with 11:51 left in reguation and former Trojan Alejandro Mata’s 22-yard boot at the 10:28 mark – leaving the score tied at 24 apiece.

It looked like Lee County might have scored the knockout blow when Magwood capped a nine-play, 46-yard drive with his 4-yard TD run to put the Trojans up 31-24 with 1:58 left in regulation.

But Buford put the game in the hands of Daniels, who delivered in a similar situation a year ago to help the Wolves tie the Class AAAAA title game late to force overtime, where they eventually triumphed.

This time, the 6-foot-3, 190-pound junior took possession with his Buford comrades at their own 35 with 1:58 left and completed 5 of 6 passes for 42 yards to bring the ball to the Lee County 15 with 51 seconds left.

Then on second and 10, Daniels floated a pass to the right corner of the end zone, where Bond was waiting for the 16-yard touchdown that tied the game once again at 31-all after Mata’s extra point with 46 seconds remaining.

With McDowell battling leg cramps, Fabrizio decided not to take any chances after his team took possession at its own 20 following the ensuing kickoff with 39 seconds left, and took a knee to force overtime.

The defense did a solid job in Buford’s possession in the extra frame, forcing the Wolves to settle for Mata’s 26-yard field goal to take a 34-31 lead, leaving the door open for the Trojans.

And it looked like they might kick that door down when Magwood used second effort on third and 5 for a 6-yard gain to give Lee County first down at the Buford 4.

But on the next snap, McDowell looked for running room around the right end, only to be met by Buford’s Jake Pope, who popped the ball loose at the 3, where Wilson pounced on it to end the Trojans’ hopes, and the game.

The first half as filled with penalties – 13 in all for 106 combined yards, including nine on Buford for 71 yards worth of mark offs.

But both teams overcame the hamper full of laundry with key big plays – usually with the Wolves striking first, prompting a quick answer by the Trojans.

Buford got the first break when linebacker Malik Spencer leapt on a pass rush to pick off a Magwood pass to set the Wolves up at the Lee County 33-yard line late in the first quarter.

After moving inside the 1, Daniels followed his offensive line into the end zone on a 1-yard sneak to put Buford up 7-0 with 10:14 left in the first half.

But McDowell had a quick response by fielding the ensuing kickoff on his own 5-yard line, finding a hole up the right side and dashing through it for a 95-yard TD to pulled Lee County even at 7-all at the 10:02 mark.

Daniels struck again on Buford’s next possession, hitting Isaiah Bond in stride for a 53-yard scoring strike to put the Wolves up again at 14-7 with 8:43 left in the half.

Once again, McDowell and Lee County had a lightning fast answer.

This time, the South Carolina-bound speedster took came up with a 34-yard kickoff return, which, aided by a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Buford’s TD, set the Trojans up at the Wolves’ 32.

On the next snap, the offensive line opened up a gaping hole for McDowell, who sprinted through it untouched for a 32-yard touchdown to knot the game again at 14-all with 8:28 left in the half.

After a fourth-down stop, the Trojans had the ball at the Buford 47 with 5:50 left in the half, and had a chance to take the lead before halftime.

But on fourth down, McDowell took the snap on a trick play and tried to find Magwood in the end zone for the score.

Magwood appeared to snag the ball and get a foot down in the back of the end zone, but the Kentucky-bound senior couldn’t control the ball and lost possession when he hit the ground for an incomplete pass with 37 seconds left, sending the two teams into intermission tied at 14.

Lee County 0 14 7 10 0 – 31

Buford 0 14 7 10 3 – 34

SCORING SUMMARY

FIRST QUARTER

None

SECOND QUARTER

Buford: Ashton Daniels 1 run (Alejandro Mata kick), 10:14

Lee Co.: Caleb McDowell 95 kickoff return (Austin Hunt kick), 10:02

Buford: Isaiah Bond 53 pass from Daniels (Mata kick), 8:43

Lee Co.: McDowell 32 run (Hunt kick), 8:28

THIRD QUARTER

Lee Co.: Javell Fugerson 46 pass from Chauncey Magwood (Hunt kick), 9:52

Buford :C.J. Clinkscales 34 run (Mata kick), 2:57

FOURTH QUARTER

Lee Co.: Alex Collins 24 FG, 11:51

Buford: Mata 22 FG, 10:28

Lee Co.: Magwood 21 run (Collins kick), 1:58

Buford: Bond 16 pass from Daniels (Mata kick), 0:46

OVERTIME

Buford: Mata 26 FG

LC Buf

First Downs 15 17

Rushes-Yards 41-207 32-181

Passing Yards 183 217

Comp.-Att.-INT 9-12-1 17-22-0

Fumbles-Lost 1-1 1-0

Penalties-Yards 7-65 11-81

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing: Lee Co. – McDowell 14-92, Magwood 19-91, Preston Simmons 6-19, Juwan Bailey 1-8, TEAM 1-(-3). Buford – Gabe Ervin Jr. 13-62, Victor Venn 8-59, Clinkscales 1-34, Dylan Wittke 4-18, Daniels 5-16, TEAM 1-(-8).

Passing: Lee Co. – Magwood 9-11-1, 183; McDowell 0-1-0, 0. Buford – Daniels 13-17-0, 192; Wittke 4-5-0, 25.

Receiving: Lee Co. – Fugerson 3-69, McDowell 3-58, David Goodwin 2-47, Tyrus Washington 1-9. Buford – Amari Wansley 5-41, Bond 4-91, Ervin 3-63, Jake Pope 2-14, Tobi Olawole 1-6, Tommy Beuglas 1-1, Clinkscales 1-1.

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