Guilford saw its first Friday night football game ever at Armfield Athletic Center and the first Friday football game since 1949. The fans had plenty to cheer about Friday night, Oct. 3, when Guilford improved to 3-0 at home and 3-2 for the season. Guilford ended their two-game losing streak by overpowering Southern Virginia University’s (SVU) defense for 420 total offensive yards and 47 points.
“Our offense played great again for us. The balance attack of senior quarterback Josh Vogelbach and senior Justin Parker (14 carries, 109 yards, two touchdowns) really helped us score points,” said head coach Kevin Kiesel.
Vogelbach continued his dominance, completing 21/39 passes for 268 yards and three touchdowns. The fourth-year quarterback led the offense to 28 second-half points as Guilford pulled away from Southern Virginia.
“The score was 19-14 at half-time and we needed a strong second-half to put Southern Virginia away. They (SVU) fought till the end and played very well,” Kiesel said.
Penalties, turnovers, and big plays were the themes of Friday’s game. The teams amassed eight fumbles, three interceptions, and 18 penalties for 142 yards. Vogelbach had two touchdowns, one for 36 yards, and the other for 60, both to senior wide receiver Kevin Vaughn. Vaughn played lights out and recorded 12 catches for 193 yards.
As the second half began, so did the onslaught brought on by the Quakers. Sophomore defensive back Jordan Nelson’s returned the second-half kick-off 90 yards for a touchdown, opening the floodgates.
“The 90-yard kick return by Jordan was a huge spark for us,” said Kiesel. That set the tone for the rest of the game.”
Parker scored his second touchdown when he ran for a 28-yard touchdown with 5:57 minutes left in the game. On the following SVU possession, Chris Cain forced a fumble on Guilford’s three-yard-line, which was scooped up by Josh Singletary and returned for a 97-yard touchdown. After the fumble return, the fat lady sang her sweet song of victory.
“The touchdown was the first of my career,” said Singletary. “But I was just glad to help my teammates get a win over Southern Virginia.”
Sophomore line backer Ryan Hammond and junior defensive back RJ Lassiter were strong forces on the defensive side of the ball. Hammond led the team with 13 tackles and Lassiter had eight tackles and two interceptions which were both returned for touchdowns.
At the end of the day, freshman fan Greg Nash said it best, “This was an exciting game; there were so many big plays that helped us win the game.