Coming off an 0-10 season you might think that members of the Guilford football team might be somewhat dubious about their return to the field. Nothing could be further from the truth. “I’ve been counting down the weeks and months (till the season starts again)”, said redshirt junior wide receiver Ben King. “It’s been a tough transition and we lost some guys.”
The Quakers lost junior offensive lineman Jordan Moss, senior defensive lineman Brennan Choate, rookie defensive lineman Shawn Moore, junior defensive lineman Sage Luley, and junior defensive lineman Chris Ward to injury. Additionally, All-ODAC defensive back senior Kenneth Hyman left the team during the preseason.
“We’ve come a long way and we’re ready,” said first-year head coach Chris Rusiewicz. Rusiewicz was happy with the performance at every position coming out of camp and felt the team was ready get the season going following two intersquad scrimmages.
An apparent sign of the readiness of the Quakers came last Saturday during the Crimson-White scrimmage, won by the Crimson team, 17-10. The scrimmage saw King catch a 28-yard touchdown pass from sophomore Sam Griffin for the White squad and rookie Rod Walker run in a 66-yard score on a reverse for the Crimson team.
“A lot of guys showed us something today,” said Rusiewicz. He was particularly impressed with the work of freshman Owen Bridges, who made all three extra points and two field goals kicking for both teams in upwards of 20 mile-per-hour winds.
Looking ahead to the season offensive coordinator Chris Barnette ‘07 stressed the importance of the offensive line. “Those five guys act as one person,” he said. “If those guys can do their job we have the skilled guys who can make some plays.”
Rusiewicz noted the importance of ball security and responding to adversity. He pointed specifically to how both defenses dealt well with turnovers. The defense allowed just one field goal after the game’s combined four turnovers.
The Quakers lost junior offensive lineman Jordan Moss, senior defensive lineman Brennan Choate, rookie defensive lineman Shawn Moore, junior defensive lineman Sage Luley, and junior defensive lineman Chris Ward to injury. Additionally, All-ODAC defensive back senior Kenneth Hyman left the team during the preseason.
“We’ve come a long way and we’re ready,” said first-year head coach Chris Rusiewicz. Rusiewicz was happy with the performance at every position coming out of camp and felt the team was ready get the season going following two intersquad scrimmages.
An apparent sign of the readiness of the Quakers came last Saturday during the Crimson-White scrimmage, won by the Crimson team, 17-10. The scrimmage saw King catch a 28-yard touchdown pass from sophomore Sam Griffin for the White squad and rookie Rod Walker run in a 66-yard score on a reverse for the Crimson team.
“A lot of guys showed us something today,” said Rusiewicz. He was particularly impressed with the work of freshman Owen Bridges, who made all three extra points and two field goals kicking for both teams in upwards of 20 mile-per-hour winds.
Looking ahead to the season offensive coordinator Chris Barnette ‘07 stressed the importance of the offensive line. “Those five guys act as one person,” he said. “If those guys can do their job we have the skilled guys who can make some plays.”
Rusiewicz noted the importance of ball security and responding to adversity. He pointed specifically to how both defenses dealt well with turnovers. The defense allowed just one field goal after the game’s combined four turnovers.
The Quakers take on Greensboro College Saturday in the 15th Annual Gate City Soup Bowl, held this year at Jamieson Stadium. The all-time series is tied, 7-7. This fierce rivalry will provide a good test for the Quakers and how they will respond to adversity and stiff competition.
