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 2016 METRO PCS CORKY KELL CLASSIC

  Today, we continue our preview of the 25th annual Metro PCS Corky Kell Classic with a look at Buford and Roswell.

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Thursday, August 11, 2016



2016 CORKY KELL SCHEDULE
 

Thursday, Aug. 18 @ Mercer University - Macon
5:30 p.m.: Houston County vs. Mary Persons
8:30 p.m.: Lee County vs. Jones County
Live on FOX Sports South and streaming on FOX Sports GO
Friday, Aug. 19 @ McEachern High School
5:30 p.m.: Buford vs. Roswell
8: 30 p.m.: South Forsyth vs. Hillgrove
Live on FOX Sports Southeast and streaming on FOX Sports GO
Saturday, Aug. 20 @ Georgia Dome
9 a.m.: Kell vs. Tucker
11:45 a.m.: North Gwinnett vs. Brookwood
2:45 p.m.: Walton vs. Norcross
5:45 p.m.: Colquitt County vs. Mill Creek
8:45 p.m.: McEachern vs. Archer
Live on FOX Sports Southeast and streaming on FOX Sports GO

BUFORD PREVIEW
 

Buford to make Corky Kell debut
Buford once again advanced to the GHSA state championship game last season after a 9-1 regular season record.  This was the ninth-straight season the Wolves advanced to the state championship game, winning the previous three coming into last season.  The Wolves finished the season 13-2 after falling to Cartersville in the Class AAAA State Championship game in the Georgia Dome, 10-0.
Buford graduates 22 seniors from last year's roster but return a host of impact players.  Key offensive returners include Mic Roof, T.D. Roof, Christian Turner, Joshua Blackwell, Anthony Grant and Jake Simpson.  Mic Roof threw 1,507 yards and 15 touchdowns to go along with 46 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown.  Mic's brother T.D., also a senior, ran for 168 yards and five touchdowns to go along with 76 receiving yards and one touchdown, while recording 55 tackles and six sacks on defense.  Turner ran for 788 yards with an astonishing 9.4 yards per carry and 10 touchdowns to go along with 13 tackles and one sack.  Blackwell ran for 261 yards and five touchdowns to go along with 44 receiving yards and one touchdown, while recording 32 tackles and one interception.  Grant ran for 743 yards and nine touchdowns to go along with 74 receiving yards and two touchdowns, while recording 20 tackles and four sacks.  Simpson had 261 receiving yards, averaging 18.6 yards per catch and three touchdowns, while recording 48 tackles, two sacks, and two interceptions.
As a team, the Wolves averaged 42.1 points per game and allowed just 7.3 behind a dominating defense. This season Buford looks to extend their streak of undefeated region play to four-straight years.
Buford starts the 2016 season against Roswell in the Corky Kell Classic at the Dome.  Roswell is coming off one of their best seasons, going 14-1.  This will be the first time Buford and Roswell face off since 1983, a game in which Buford won 34-10.  Buford trails the all-time series with a 3-11 record against Roswell.

 BUFORD 2016 SCHEDULE


8/19 Roswell (McEachern)
9/02 Bishop Timmons, Buffalo NY
9/16 Jefferson Davis, Montgomery AL
9/23 International School of Broward, Hollywood FL
9/30 at Clarke Central
10/07 Johnson-Gainesville
10/14 at Cedar Shoals
10/21 at Walnut Grove
10/28 Loganville
11/04 Flowery Branch

ROSWELL PREVIEW
 

Hornets continue rise to state's elite
Roswell has gotten themselves back to their normal winning ways under Head Coach John Ford.  Ford's been the head coach for three seasons now and has an overall record of 26-11.  Last season Roswell finished 14-1 after falling to Colquitt County in the state championship, just five years after the Hornets went 0-10.  Prior to Ford taking over the program, the team had not had a winning season since 2010.  Last season Roswell jumped up into the national rankings for a couple of weeks in the Top 25.  Entering the season this year, Roswell is ranked No. 7 in the nation and No. 2 in the state according to the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 poll.
Last season Roswell had a historic dominance over the All-Region 5-AAAAAA team, earning 12 first teamers to pair with three second teamers and three Honorable Mention selections. Coach Ford won Region Coach of the Year and standout linebacker Tre Lamar won Defensive Player of the Year.
The team loses 16 seniors from 2015. The key contributors lost from last season include Tre Lamar (four-star, Clemson), linebacker/defensive end Tyrone Hopper (three-star, UNC), safety Marcelino Ball (three-star, Indiana), quarterback Quintarius Neely (Tuskegee), offensive tackle Jared Lyons (University of the South), offensive guard Cam Whiteman (three-star, Harvard), slot/returner Myles Blouin (Pikeville), running back/slot Kendrick Jackson (VMI) and center Will Stapelfeldt (West Alabama).
Coach Ford has a plethora of talent returning this season on ball sides of the ball however.  On the offensive side returns tight end Tyneil Hopper, three-star running back Sheldon Evans, three-star wide receiver Jayden Comma, offensive tackle Jordan Tucker(three-star, Tennessee), three-star athlete Corey Reed and athlete Malik Willis (three-star, Virginia Tech). 
The Hornet defense that allowed 12.2 points per game returns linebacker Sam Diroberto, two-star defensive end Koby Cumberlander, three-star cornerback Justus Harris, cornerback LeAnthony Williams, Jr. (four-star, Clemson) and four-star safety Xavier McKinney. 
Roswell's secondary will be one of the most feared in the state of Georgia. Between the three returning defensive backs, they combined for over 15 interceptions in 2015, McKinney with a team-leading nine while Harris defensed 20.  McKinney ranked second on the team in tackles with 111, shy of Lamar's 139 mark.
The front-seven should have no problem dominating with Cumberlander returning for his senior season.  Cumberlander recorded a team-high 15 sacks while rising senior Max Boyd placed third with eight sacks behind Lamar's 10. Diroberto can rush from his linebacker position at times as well and tallied 69 stops last year.
ROSWELL 2016 SCHEDULE

8/19 Buford (McEachern)
9/02 Central Gwinnett
9/09 Colquitt County
9/23 at Archer
9/30 at Milton
10/07 Lassiter
10/14 at Walton
10/21 at Etowah
10/28 Woodstock
11/04 Cherokee









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