“The atmosphere of the stadium was absolutely awesome,” said junior linebacker Hunter Hoots. “We had more fans at the stadium than I have ever seen and they were loud.”

This year Guilford celebrated the class reunions of 1970 through 2010 with numbers ending in five or zero in the College’s annual homecoming. In the homecoming football game, Guilford matched up against Averett University in a gridiron battle at beautiful Armfield Athletic Center.

“Honestly, we played a well-coached and well-disciplined Guilford College team,” said Averett University head coach Cleive Adams. “With a team like Guilford, once you start losing, it is very tough to come back.”

At the end of the first quarter, Guilford led by 13 and by halftime they led by 21, with a halftime score of 35-14 over Averett.

“We need to go out and play every game, from start to finish, like we did in the second half,” said senior linebacker Daytwyn Rascoe. “There is no doubt in my mind that we will be a championship defense.”

Guilford went on to nearly doubling their lead over Averett, only allowing one touchdown in the second half on a late fumble recovery. The final score was 58-21.

This moves Guilford to 3-0 on the season and has put them at 24th in the D3football.com Top 25 Poll and 21st in the latest Division lll HeroSports.com rankings.

“Guilford College, as a host, was incredible,” said Adams. “The experience was wonderful and Guilford did not let us down. The atmosphere of the game was incredible.”

This is not the first time that these two teams have met. They have played in multiple games against each other before, and the competition is always great.

“As for the future, we plan on moving forward in our partnership with Guilford College”, said Adams.  “It is a great Division lll matchup.”

The stadiums air was thick with smoke from the local food trucks. The smell permeated people’s noses. Fans packed into the stadium smiling and pumped-up, creating an unforgettable setting, as well as a huge ego-boost for Guilford players.

“Averett had a pretty good ball club,” said Hoots. “I fell like we performed great, we were excited to show the home crowd all the hype that has been behind us. I think that’s what made the stakes high for us. 

More than 3,000 fans, a mix of alumni, students, staff, parents and community members, helped make this year’s homecoming special.

“Homecoming at Guilford is different than a traditional homecoming at the high school level,” said senior defensive lineman Reggie Bullard. “There is so much going on throughout the week and weekend and it can become overwhelming.”

With records being broken on the field and NBA players making appearances at the game, this year’s homecoming was a night to remember.

“This years homecoming was a special night,” said Bullard. “We had a lot of alumni back in town and even had Stephen Curry in attendance. Also, Adam Smith broke a few records. It was also my last homecoming at Guilford.”

As the season continues, Guilford plans to move forward and continue this winning streak over their opponents.

“I was happy with the result,” said head coach Chris Rusiewicz.

“Winning is why we play the game.”