BUFORD, Ga. — Buford head coach Bryant Appling said his team is "kind of in playoff mode right off the bat."
Of course, he's talking about the massive showdown against three-time defending Alabama Class 7A state champion Thompson.
"It's a big game because it's the first," Appling said. "But we understand the opponent we have and how many challenges they pose all over the field. It's kind of like you're in playoff mode right off the bat."
Buford, playing in Class 7A for the first time this season, is ranked No. 1 in the state and No. 11 nationally. Thompson is Alabama's top-ranked team and sits at No. 14 in the national polls.
The two giants will clash on Friday at Milton High School in the Freedom Bowl. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m.
Both programs have enough state title trophies to fill up a tractor-trailer, with both coming off their third straight state title. Thompson has won three straight in Alabama's largest classification, while Buford has won three consecutive titles across two classifications.
The Wolves head into the battle with many new faces in new positions, but many of those athletes are already rated by the top recruiting services in the country. Thompson is much the same, with several young, talented Power 5 recruits up and down the roster.
(CHECK OUT THE TEAM PREVIEW HERE)
"They are replacing a lot of kids like we are," Appling said. "But they have a lot of talented kids on both sides of the ball and are really well coached. We're going to have our hands full."
Thompson has defensive back Tony Mitchell (No. 3 in the 247 composite rankings), defensive lineman Peter Woods (No. 5) and offensive tackle Stanton Ramil (No. 15), among other talented players.
Meanwhile, Alabama-commit and five-star running back Justice Haynes headlines Buford's roster this season. The senior back rushed for 2,375 yards as a junior at Blessed Trinity.
Haynes is joined by quarterback Dylan Wittke (Virginia Tech commit), cornerback K.J. Bolden (No. 1 recruit in his class), offensive tackle Paul Mubenga, defensive end Eddrick Houston and defensive end King-Joseph Edwards.
"We're not short of talent," Appling said. "Talent doesn't always translate to greatness on the field as far as a team, and it doesn't always translate on the field for individuals. But we're definitely happy with where they are. We got a chance to scrimmage last week, and we had guys step up. We're definitely excited of what we could be by midseason."
Finding ways to be successful on both sides of the ball so early in the season has been top priority for Appling and his staff. He said establishing the run will be the biggest key on offense and on defense, stopping the run.
"We've got toe stable the run and put the ball in the air off of our run game," he said. 'Defensively, they set up like a spread team but run it more than 50 percent of the time. So, we'll focus on stopping the run first, then look to be efficient on the RPO stuff they do."
Not often do programs like these two open the season against each other, and when they do, it creates a massive buzz. Appling said he's well aware of all the social media and press on this game.
"It's going to be different," he said. "It's going to be the first time these kids get under lights against a really, really, good opponent. It's going to be a mountain climb, for sure. I think our kids are up for it and ready to go. I'm excited about what it's going to be. I want them to go out, fly around and have fun and whatever happens, happens. We just want to keep improving to where we need to be."
