ATLANTA, GA – Buford soccer (12-5-2) is in the midst of making a run in which no one can even fathom, and that historical journey continues as they defeat Grady (14-5-1) by a score of 2-1 in an absolute thriller.
In the first half, both teams seemed to get a feel for each other, but multiple shifts in momentum and open looks for each team throughout the first forty minutes led many to believe that the quarterfinal matchup was setting up to be a nail-biter, and it was just that. Buford had a breakaway chance to score with senior Colin Tarala and couldn’t cash it in, but the ability to spread the field and attack with an up-tempo approach showed that Buford would exploit Grady’s scheme.
Defensively, Buford was rock solid as the backfield of juniors Brian Sullivan and Johnny Solis, sophomores Evan Sampers and David Orosco and senior goalkeeper Will Davis prohibited Grady from jumping out to a first-half lead with multiple stops and jaw dropping saves.
As defense appears to be Buford’s identity, the senior goalie elaborated on the team’s mindset throughout their spurt in quest of a state title. “Our motto is ‘Hard on D’, we strongly believe that if they can’t score then they can’t win,” Davis said. “Ultimately, we fight. We aren’t the most talented team but (in addition to our gameplan), we have more heart and and chemistry than any team I’ve seen.”
In the second half, Buford’s relentless efforts began to pay off as the ball started to find the net past the Knights’ goalkeeper. Senior Colin Owen jumped at a miscue from Grady’s offensive attack, capitalizing and tapping it in on the other end in the 55th minute. The nerves began to set in for the Wolves fans as the clock seemed to move at a sluggish rate. A few minutes later, it seemed as if Buford had capped it off as junior Fredy Benitez turned on the jets and proved to be hero again for the Wolves as he swiped it away from Grady on their back line and dashed 20 yards to deke the goalkeeper and surge the ball into the back of the net.
Buford would need that goal as things got tighter near the end, as Grady was able to get on the board in the 75th minute with a header. However, Buford’s defense would toughen back up at the tail end in order to give the Wolves the historical win, that places them in the AAAA ‘Final Four’ for the first time in program’s history.
Sophomore Evan Sampers elaborated on the team’s goals after the quarterfinal victory. “We want that ring more each game as we progress,” the lockdown defender said. “We are improving every single game and will keep working until we make it to the state championship.”
The elusive hunt for the state title continues as the Wolves only have one more hurdle to surpass, but it could be their toughest one yet. The rivalry between 8-AAAA foe and the region’s top seed Johnson will await Buford as they will face-off for a trip to the title game. Johnson currently stands with a 20-0-1 record, and advanced by way of a 1-0 victory over Southeast Whitfield on Friday night. Buford faced the Knights on the road in the regular season, falling by a narrow 1-0 margin. They’ll travel to nearby Oakwood in seek of revenge, as that showdown will take place on Tuesday at 7:30p.m., and both fanbases will be in full force as both teams have ample to play for.
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