Buford vs. Milton 2025 Preview: New Faces Set to Decide Georgia Heavyweight High School Football Showdown

Last year, Milton edged Buford in a defensive battle. In 2025, both offenses are reloaded with rising stars, transfers, and high-profile recruits ready to take center stage on August 14

Many of the names and faces have changed but the excitement and intensity will be just as high when Buford and Milton kickoff the 2025 Georgia high school football season on Aug. 14. / David McGregor

This year’s much-anticipated rematch between No. 2 Buford and No. 3 Milton, as they are ranked in the High School On SI Georgia Preseason Top 25 State Rankings, will have a lot of new faces helping decide the outcome of this nationally televised showdown on Thursday, Aug. 14. The teams are also ranked No. 10 and No. 15, respectively, in High School On SI's preseason national rankings.

With last year’s game going in favor of the host Eagles, 13-10, it was a game dominated on both sides by seniors. New faces have emerged for both teams, and they will be thrown into the fire in Week 1 when the two Georgia powerhouses meet at the grand opening of Phillip Beard Stadium in Buford. 

Buford's new $62-million football Phillip Beard Stadium will be setting for the 2025 Buford-Milton season opening showdown. / Courtesy of BXA Architects

Below, we take a look at how the Buford and Milton offenses are shaping up heading into Week 1 and who we could see making an impact in the game. 

Buford Offense: Raiola Returns, But Ground Game Faces Turnover

The Wolves offense will return starting quarterback Dayton Raiola, who threw for 1,953 yards and 19 touchdowns last season. It's the first time in several seasons that the Wolves will have a second-year starter at quarterback, and it’s coming at a great time with so much inexperience at the wide receiver position. 

Raiola’s favorite receiver last season, Jordan Allen (44 catches, 888 yards, 11 touchdowns) has graduated, as has their second-leading receiver in Sam Harkness, who caught 16 passes for 277 yards and a touchdown. 

Set to replace that production this season for the Wolves as Torre Costin, who returns with the most experience after catching 13 passes for 161 yards, as well as rising sophomore Cameron Hurst, rising junior Ashton Thomas, a Carver-Columbus transfer, and Dream Rashad, a big tight end. 

But if you know anything about Buford football, games are usually won and lost by how well they run the football. The Wolves ran the ball 456 times last season for 3,182 yards and scored 38 touchdowns. 

If they want to recreate similar numbers in 2025, they’ll have to do it without their Top 2 leading rushers Justin Baker and Ethan Ervin, who combined to rush for 1,831 yards and 21 touchdowns last season for the Wolves. 

Four-star Georgia Commit Tyriq Green will be one of several Wolves to get carries this season. He rushed 77 times for 527 yards and scored eight touchdowns last season. Dylan McCoy (91 carries, 428 yards, 4 touchdowns) is also back, and they’ll be joined by a new face in Parkview transfer Briant Stokes, who rushed for 851 yards and six touchdowns for the Panthers last season. 

Up front, the Wolves will return a couple of key pieces, including Georgia commit Graham Houston. He’ll be joined by junior Noah Nixon and seniors Preston Clark and Ben Mubenga as lineman returning with a lot of Friday night experience. 

Milton Offense: New Quarterback, New Playmakers

The Eagles scored a school-record 660 points last season and won their second straight state championship as a result. It was an offense loaded with standout seniors, and most of them have since graduated and moved onto the collegiate ranks. 

That includes three-year starter at quarterback, Luke Nickel, who became just the 14th quarterback in Georgia high school football history to throw for more than 10,000 yards for a career. 

Losing Nickel is a big loss for the Eagles, but they wasted little time in bringing in two out-of-state players to compete for the job. And as we inch closer to Week 1, it appears that job will belong to 4-star sophomore Derrick Baker, who transferred in from St. Thomas Aquinas in south Florida. 

With three-year starting quarterback Luke Nickel and star running back TJ Lester having graduated, Milton is reloading with a new crop of stars on offense. / Photo by Matt Christopher (2024)

While Baker has already acquired offers from the likes of Ohio State, Tennessee, Auburn and more, he comes to Milton without much Friday night experience. Last year as a sophomore, Baker was not the starter at St. Thomas Aquinas, and saw limited action, attempting just 14 passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns. 

The Eagles will have a brand new face at running back as well after the departure of TJ Lester, who was a workhorse, rushing for 1,848 yards and 27 touchdowns last season. He’ll be replaced by Bentley Hickman, transfer from Wisconsin. Rising senior Walker Davis returns with the most experience from last year’s team, carrying the ball 21 times for 87 yards and a touchdown. 

At the receiver, tight end position, the Eagles were hit just as hard. They lost their Top 2 pass catchers in CJ Wiley (62 catches, 1,122 yards, 15 touchdowns) and Ethan Barbour (51 catches, 989 yards, 12 touchdowns), both of whom are now at Georgia. 

They also graduated Tristen Payne, who was right behind that duo with 56 catches for 932 yards and 10 touchdowns. 

With 37 of their 45 receiving touchdowns coming from players that graduated last season, it’s the biggest question mark for the Eagles entering the season. They’ll turn to some talented, but inexperienced players in tight ends Grant Haviland, as well as wide receiver Jordan Carrasquillo. 

Haviland is currently ranked as a 4-star recruit with offers from Georgia, Alabama, Clemson and more, but will enter his first season as a starter after catching just nine passes last season in a backup role. Carrasquillo returns with the most experience at wide receiver after catching 17 passes for 317 yards and six touchdowns. 

Outlook: Coaching, Composure and Newcomers Will Decide the Winner

Milton took down Buford at home last season in their season-opener 13-10, but did so only using seniors on offense. No juniors, or underclassmen carried the ball, or caught a pass in the game. 

If the Eagles are to win again, it will have to do it with a completely new crop of players. And while they’re all super talented, that will be a tough task. But if there’s anyone that has proven they can do it, it’s the Eagles, who boast one of the best coaching staffs in the state led by head coach Ben Reaves. 

As for the Buford offense, the unit will have a mix of old and new faces when they take the field against Milton on the 15th. But much like Milton, the game will likely be won and lost by its new faces on offense stepping into bigger roles. Only Raiola at QB, McCoy at RB and Costin at WR registered stats in last year’s meeting against the Eagles.