Buford defeats Carrollton in Georgia high school football Class 6A championship: Live score recap - Dec. 16, 2025

The Wolves forced four turnovers to take home the title

Carrollton freshman quarterback CJ Cypher in a game against Douglas County on October 21, 2025. / Corey Jones

The No. 1 Buford Wolves (15-0) defeated the No. 2 Carrollton Trojans (14-1) 28-21 in the GHSA Class 6A championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Tuesday.

The Wolves defense forced four turnovers, and senior running back Tyriq Green's 82-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter gave Buford the lead and the win.

The game began with the two defenses suffocating the offenses. Buford's Ethan Hauser and Nassir McCoy snagged two interceptions in the first half, and Carrollton's defense held the Wolves to zero yards rushing in the first half.

Buford didn't score a touchdown until late in the third quarter when Green ran around the edge and into the end zone for his first touchdown of the night. Green finished with 11 carries for 184 yards and two touchdowns.

The Wolves got their second touchdown with a little luck when Dylan McCoy fumbled at the goal line, but Deion Miller was there to recover it in the end zone.

Carrollton defensive lineman Zykie Helton harrassed Buford quarterback Dayton Raiola throughout the game. In the third quarter, Helton hustled to his Raiola from behind while he scrambled. The hit forced the ball out, and Trojan linebacker Jahmir Harris scooped-and-scored for a 23-yard touchdown to tie the game at 21 before Green's long run. Helton ended the game with three sacks.

Cam Wood led the Trojan offense. He scored one of two Trojan touchdowns, and he finished with 24 carries for 98 yards and one touchdown. He also caught three passes for 66 yards.

These two teams are No. 2 and No. 3 in High School On SI's Power 25 Football National Rankings, so Buford has a chance to end the season as the national champion.

The win gives Buford its 15th title in school history. The Wolves last won a championship in 2021, which was the last of a three consecutive title streak.

Top Players

Buford

• Bryce Perry-Wright, Sr., EDGE - 4-star signed to Texas A&M
• Tyriq Green, Sr., DB - 4-star signed to Georgia
• Dre Quinn, Sr., EDGE - 4-star signed to Ohio State
• Graham Houston, Sr., OL - 4-star signed to Georgia
• Nascar McCoy, Sr., ATH - 3-star signed to Ole Miss

Carrollton

• Ryan Mosley, Sr., WR - 4-star signed to Georgia
• Dorian Barney, Sr., CB - 4-star signed to Ole Miss
• Zykie Helton, Sr., OL - 3-star signed to Georgia
• Kweli Fielder, So., OT - 4-star uncommitted
• CJ Gamble, Sr., LB - 3-star committed to Georgia Tech

Buford defeats Carrollton in Georgia high school football Class 6A championship: Live score recap - December 16, 2025

Game stats.

First Quarter Updates

Carrollton receives the opening kickoff, and this game is underway.

Carrollton senior running back Cam Wood takes a direct snap and runs up the middle for a conversion on 4th-and-1. The Trojans went for it at their own 40-yard line - 9:12 1Q

Missed field goal by Carrollton's Landon Vargas-Jasso. The Trojans drove to just outside the red zone, but they miss a field goal from over 30 yards away. Now Buford gets the ball on offense.

Trojan senior Zykie Helton sacks Buford quarterback Dayton Raiola on third down, so the Wolves are forced to punt. It's a line drive punt, and the Trojans will start at their own 37-yard line - 1:56 1Q

END OF FIRST QUARTER: Buford 0, Carrollton 0

Second Quarter Updates

INTERCEPTION BY BUFORD! Wolves defensive back Ethan Hauser jumps a route from a pass from senior Mason Hotlzclaw. The Wolves now start a drive outside their own 20-yard line.

Buford goes nowhere on that drive. The Wolves punt, and the Trojans get the ball at the 20-yard line - 9:50 2Q

INTERCEPTION BY BUFORD! Senior defensive back Nassir McCoy intercepts freshman quarterback CJ Cypher, who tried to fit a pass into a tight window. The Wolves get the ball at the Carrollton 43-yard line - 8:20 2Q

Buford goes for it on 4th-and-3, and the Wolves hand it off to McCoy. He's stuffed by a group of Trojans defenders, so it's a turnover on downs - 7:10 2Q

Five minutes remain in the first half, and the Trojans have entered Wolves' territory.

A double-pass gets Carrollton to the Buford 5-yard line. Senior receiver Peyton Zachary caught a backwards pass and then threw a pass to Wood, who pointed to the crowd as if he was about to score, but he was tackled from behind.

TOUCHDOWN CARROLLTON! On 4th-and-1 at the goal line, freshman running back Nick Archer was hit in the backfield by Buford senior Deion Miller, but Archer drove his legs and pushed Miller into the end zone with him - Carrollton 7, Buford 0 - 0:50 2Q

Helton sacks Raiola again, and this pushes the Wolves outside of field goal territory - 0:10 2Q

HALFTIME: Carrollton 7, Buford 0

Despite two turnovers, the Trojans lead 7-0 thanks to a defense that is dominating the Buford offense.

Third Quarter Updates

Buford receives the second half kickoff, and the game is back underway.

FIELD GOAL BUFORD! Senior Andrew Ivanciuc makes a 44-yard field goal to finish the Wolves opening drive in the second half. Senior running back Tyriq Green's long run put Buford into field goal range - Carrollton 7, Buford 3 - 10:01 3Q

Carrollton gets to the 50-yard line, but Buford's defense forces a punt after Cypher escaped a sack but couldn't complete the pass - 7:16 3Q

Raiola rolls left but he can't hit an open receiver on 3rd-and-13. The Wolves punt, and the Trojans will start at their own 43-yard line - 5:39 3Q

INTERCEPTION BY BUFORD! Senior defensive end Cameron Simmons intercepts a screen pass. The Wolves now have the ball at the Carrollton 29-yarde line - 5:22 3Q

FIELD GOAL BUFORD! Ivanciuc makes a 39-yard field goal. Carrollton sacked Raiola and pushed him back on the drive, so the Wolves settle for three points - Carrollton 7, Buford 0 - 3:39 3Q

FUMBLE RECOVERED BY BUFORD! Carrollton quarterbacks commit their fourth turnover. Cypher fumbles the ball when he's hit by senior defensive lineman Zion Benyard. The Wolves start a drive at the Trojan 23-yard line - 2:50 3Q

TOUCHDOWN BUFORD! Green gets to the edge and uses his speed to get to the pylon for the 19-yard touchdown. The 2-point conversion is good when Tank Watson throws a pass to Dawson Wittke on a trick play - Buford 14, Carrollton 7 - 1:56 3Q

END OF THIRD QUARTER: Buford 14, Carrollton 7

Fourth Quarter Updates

TOUCHDOWN CARROLLTON! Wood scores on a 3-yard touchdown run up the middle - Buford 14, Carrollton 14 - 11:57 4Q

Raiola throws a 75-yard pass to junior wide receiver Malikai Speed to get the Wolves to the 5-yard line. Speed was open down the field and caught the deep pass.

TOUCHDOWN BUFORD! A Carrollton defender hit McCoy as he ran up the middle and stopped him short of the goal-line, but he fumbled as he reached the ball forward, and Buford's Deion Miller recovered in the end zone - Buford 21, Carrollton 14 - 9:34 4Q

Buford gets the ball back after the Trojans don't go far on their drive. Buford has the ball at the 21-yard line - 8:02 4Q

TOUCHDOWN CARROLLTON! Senior linebacker Jahmir Harris scoops a fumble, and he returns it for a touchdown. Helton hit Raiola from behind while he scrambled, and the ball came out - Carrollton 21, Buford 21 - 7:01 4Q

On 3rd-and-4 in Buford territory, Helton forces Raiola to scramble, and Carrollton teammate Kadan Spratling hit Raiola as he threw to force an incompletion. The Trojans will get the ball back - 5:00 4Q

Buford's Bryce Perry-Wright stops Wood on a run up the middle to force 4th-and-1 and a Trojan punt. Vargas-Jasso boots a punt, so the Wolves have the ball at their 13-yard line - 3:17 4Q

TOUCHDOWN BUFORD! Green runs up the middle untouched for an 82-yard touchdown run - Buford 28, Carrollton 21 - 2:37 4Q

Carrollton sophomore Rontre Welch returns the kickoff to the Trojans 45-yard line - 2:28 4Q

The Trojans face 4th-and-15 as trainers attend to sophomore offensive lineman Kweli Fielder - 1:26 4Q

Cypher's pass is slightly behind Zachary on fourth down. Buford will try to get one first down. Carrollton has all three timeouts - 1:20 4Q

Green gets a first down, so Buford will be the state champion.

FINAL: Buford 28, Carrollton 21

---

More from High School On SI

feed