LOGANVILLE, Ga. — Buford left Grayson with more than a perfect record intact. In a 23-13 road win, the Wolves recovered from a scoreless opening quarter, took control with three straight scoring possessions in the second and delivered the decisive touchdown on special teams. The victory moved Buford to 4-0 heading into region play.
The Wolves had won each of their first three games by double digits, but extending that stretch required a response to an early 10-0 deficit. Grayson intercepted Buford on its opening possession and turned the takeaway into a field goal. A 23-yard touchdown pass from Deuce Smith to Cam Hurst later in the first quarter added to the challenge.
Buford found its opening when a mishandled Grayson punt snap gave the Wolves possession in the red zone. Jameer Cantrell finished the short drive with a 1-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter, and Evan Griffeth's extra point cut the deficit to 10-7.
The next touchdown came with considerably more ground to cover. Backed up at its own 13, Buford needed only three plays to move ahead. DJ Hunter connected with Jaxson Patterson for 50 yards, picked up another 16 on the ground and delivered a 21-yard touchdown pass to Braylon Williams. Officials upheld the touchdown after conferring about the catch, giving the Wolves their first lead.
Griffeth added a 26-yard field goal with 1:12 remaining before halftime. In one quarter, Buford had turned a 10-point deficit into a 16-10 advantage.
Grayson stayed within reach. A 31-yard field goal in the closing seconds of the third quarter trimmed Buford's lead to three, and the Rams later stopped the Wolves on three consecutive plays after Buford reached first-and-goal at the 2.
That left Buford facing fourth down at the 4 with less than eight minutes remaining. The field goal unit came on, but holder Ian Chafin took the snap, rose and ran untouched into the end zone. His 4-yard touchdown and Griffeth's extra point pushed the lead to 23-13 with 7:50 to play.
The call came from special teams coordinator Andrew Dasher with head coach Bryant Appling's approval. Buford had practiced the fake during the week, and Chafin's execution supplied the final points of the night.
The Wolves held Grayson scoreless in the fourth quarter to complete a non-region schedule that included wins over Gainesville, Mallard Creek, Miami Central and the Rams. All four victories came by at least 10 points.
Buford now turns to region play, opening at Seckinger next week with an unbeaten record and a road comeback to build on.
