FOREST, Va. – Two members of the Guilford football team—Bryce Smith and Cade Ratliff—were named Second Team All-ODAC in an announcement from the league office on Wednesday, April 21st.
Smith was the top defender for the Quakers in 2021, finishing with a team-best 29 tackles, making 15 solo tackles along the way. He also chimed in with one sack, which resulted in a loss of four years, while making 2.5 tackles for losses totaling seven yards. Smith, who played in all four spring contests for Guilford, forced two fumbles along the way.
Smith closed out his Guilford career by playing in 28 games, making 184 total tackles, including 129 solo tackles. He recorded three sacks and made 17.5 tackles for loss while forcing four fumbles. Smith used his defensive prowess to come through with four fumble recoveries as well.
Ratliff also appeared in four games for Guilford during the season, booming 25 punts for 867 yards (34.7 yards per punt). His longest boot of the season traveled 50 yards for the sophomore from Mount Holly, N.C.
Ratliff placed opposing offenses inside the 20-yard line on eight occasions and forced kick returners to make eight fair catches during the course of the four-game season.
Randolph-Macon College gathered a league-high 12 all-conference awards and garnered a pair of special individual honors to headline the 2021-AllODAC Football Awards.
Yellow Jackets signal-called Presley Egbers received J. Stokeley Fulton Offensive Player of the Year laurels, while R-MC mentor Pedro Arruza secured ODAC Coach of the Year recognition from his peers. Emory & Henry College defensive end Jay Swegheimer earned Lou Wacker Defensive Player of the Year accolades, and Hampden-Sydney College defensive back Will Pickren collected ODAC Rookie of the Year honors. H-SC offensive lineman Tyler Howerton was tabbed the ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete of the Year by the conference’s athletic communications personnel.
The first set of ODAC football awards honored in a spring season featured athletes from teams that were active during the campaign. Given the size of the schedule and with one team not in action this spring, the conference’s coaches and administration elected to reduce the amount of awards from three to two All-ODAC squads.
The majority of this year’s 53 honorees are in the awards circle for the first time, including both players of the year, but 13 returning stars picked up their second straight All-ODAC nods.
For more information on Guilford football check out www.guilfordquakers.com.