After going 15-0 and winning the Class 6A GHSA state championship, Buford High School was named the consensus High School National Champion by MaxPreps, ESPN, USA Today, SportingNews.com, HighSchoolFootballAmerica.com, and Blue Star Media Elite 25.
This marks the first time a Georgia team has been named No.1 since 2005, when MaxPreps began recognizing national champions.
In the Class 6A state championship, the Wolves faced then-No. 1 Carrollton at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. They defeated the Trojans 28-21 to cap off their perfect season.
Among Buford’s coaching staff is Eatonton native, former Greene County football star, and 1998 Sports Network and Associated Press All-American center Matt Winslette, who now serves as offensive line coach for the Wolves.
He is the son of current Putnam County assistant football coach Charles Winslette, who also won a state championship as head coach at Greene County in 1993.
The 2025 state title represents Winslette’s fourth state title with Buford and his sixth career state championship as a coach.
UGA-bound Tyriq Green showed his versatility in the state championship game by rushing for 184 yards and two touchdowns against Carrollton, while also recording five tackles on defense. With the game tied 21-21 in the final three minutes, Green sprinted 82 yards for the ultimately game-winning score.
For the season, Buford averaged 44.1 points per game while limiting opponents to just 10.5 on average. The Wolves’ defense held 11 opponents to 14 points or fewer, with the most points allowed coming in a 34-26 win over Douglas County in September.