No. 11 Buford opens its 2026 football season against Gainesville on Saturday, Aug. 22, and the game already carries the feel of an early measuring stick. It is the first meeting between the schools in 14 years, and it arrives on High School Football Kickoff weekend.
That is why the matchup is drawing attention now: Buford is coming off an undefeated season capped by a 28-21 win over Carrollton in the GHSA Class 6A state championship, but it has to begin this fall without several of the players who helped make that run possible. Starting quarterback Dayton Raiola, Tyriq “Ty Boogie” Green and leading rusher Dylan McCoy are gone, and the reset begins immediately against a Gainesville team that reached the GHSA Class 5A state championship last year under new coach Santavious Bryant.
Bryant Appling has tried to keep the focus on what is still in place. DJ Hunter, who played in eight games last season, completed 16 of 24 passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns while also running for 40 yards and three more scores. He said the biggest goal is to reset after last year’s championship run, and Appling has praised the way the quarterback has handled the transition, calling him even-keeled and steady after mistakes. Hunter also said he believes Buford can prepare its players for anyone in the country, and that the team still has a strong roster from top to bottom.
There are also new pieces expected to matter right away. Jameer Cantrell had 43 carries for 303 yards and three touchdowns last season and added 41 tackles as a defensive back. Braylon Williams, who missed the rest of last season after seven games because of injury, is expected to take on a bigger leadership role. He said he has always been like the little brother in the locker room, and now wants to help younger players while stepping into that role himself. His 199 receiving yards and four touchdown catches in seven games showed what he can do when healthy.
Buford’s defense should still travel well. It allowed 10.5 points per game last season, and returning defenders Luke Nabors, Joshua Echols and Brady Wagner give the Wolves some continuity even as the offense adjusts around new faces. Gainesville will bring its own challenge, with Kharim Hughley, a 3-star Clemson commit, lined up against Hunter in a matchup that gives the opener another layer of intrigue.
The first test is the one that matters most because it comes before the schedule gets any easier. Buford is set to face Mallard Creek next, but Saturday first tells the story of how quickly a champion can become a new team again. For Buford, the question is not whether last season mattered; it is whether this group can show, right away, that it is ready to start its own season on its own terms.
