By Alicia Couch Payne
The Buford Wolves Football Team has been busy this Spring getting back up to form. Spring practices started on May 3rd and will wrap up this Friday night as the Wolves travel to Houston County for their Spring game.
The BHS Football practice fields have been a gathering place for college coaches and recruiters already. When Buford Head Coach John Ford was asked which colleges have stopped by to scout out his players, he responded with “Who hasn’t been here?!”. Gwinnett County is a magnet for college recruiters, Buford especially. Over 100 college representatives have stopped by to watch Buford hone their skills and potentially find a new recruit since Spring practice got underway.
While many key players will graduate from BHS on May 25th, Buford is still rich with talent for their Fall 2018 season. Quarterback Seth McLaughlin will return for his sophomore year. He has been piling up the college offers in the off season and during this Spring session with the likes of UGA, Alabama, Auburn, LSU, FSU, Arkansas, Miami, Notre Dame, UNC, Michigan, South Carolina, and Penn State extending offers to McLaughlin. He’s not the only Wolf to receive college offers this Spring. Elijah Turner, Jalen Huff, Ahmad Craig, Carter Colquitt, Jalar Holley Jr, Reece McIntyre, Derrian Brown, Jack Scroggs, JC Vega, and more have received offers.
When I asked Coach who his star players were for the Fall season, he responded back with we are not focused on that. Every player, veteran or not must earn their spot on the team. Nothing is given and must be earned through hard work. Ford and his coaching staff preach about it being a group effort and not the individual. Coach Ford went on to quote a saying that Assistant Athletic Director, Tony Wolfe says frequently, “Buford is the star of Buford.”
“ We are trying to have great brotherhood, great execution, and great physicality every day.”
Coach Ford will be able to see how his team will perform after all the Spring training on Friday when Buford travels to Houston County for their Spring game. Go Wolves!
Update: Buford soundly beat Houston County in their Spring game.
