Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, September 11, 1993 TAG: 9309110177
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: FLOYD LENGTH: Medium
That's because by the fourth quarter, he had put in a full night's work.
Milton, who was used sparingly last week in a win over Blacksburg because of a sore shoulder, rushed for 121 yards and scored three touchdowns in just three quarters of action as Giles flattened Floyd County 29-6.
The game was advertised as a key early season Mountain Empire District matchup, but Giles (2-0 overall, 1-0 in the district) was in control from the beginning behind the running of Milton and fullback Chris Fields, who gained a career-high 100 yards.
"We knew we needed to give them a run for their money," said Milton, a junior tailback.
Giles did just that. Of the Spartans' 357 yards of total offense, 284 came on the ground. Giles registered 20 first downs and of 50 running plays, only three went for negative yardage, all in the fourth quarter.
"If I don't say something about the offensive line, they'll kill me," Fields said. "Every year, that's our strength. They blocked especially well."
Giles scored on its first three first-half possessions, including a 15-play drive on its first possession that chewed up 78 yards and nearly 7 1/2 minutes.
Running almost exclusively up the middle or around the right side, Giles' single-wing attack turned the Buffaloes' defensive front into oatmeal.
Fields ran six times for 35 yards on the march and his 1-yard plunge put the Spartans on the board. Milton ran for the conversion that made it 8-0 with 1:04 left in the first quarter.
"That first drive of the ballgame is patented [Giles offense]," said Spartan head coach Steve Ragsdale. "That's what we like to have, ball-control offense. I believe that drive set the tone for the rest of the game."
Giles made it 15-0 on its next drive on Milton's 7-yard sweep. He put the Spartans in scoring position with 31-yard pass completion to Patrick Steele three plays earlier.
Milton scored on a 2-yard run with 40 seconds left in the first half, and twin brother Maurice's extra point made it 22-0, effectively putting the game away. Milton carried for 63 yards on that 11-play scoring march.
After scoring on a 13-yard run that made it 29-0 with 6:41 left in the third, Raypheal Milton got the rest of the night off.
"Our deception opened lots of holes," Milton said. "When you get the kind of execution we had tonight, it's hard to stop this offense."
Floyd (1-1, 0-1) got the ball back and finally scored when Jason Harmon made a diving endzone snag of Monty Moran's 5-yard pass.
"We did some things better in the second half, but it's hard to judge how much better," Floyd coach Winfred Beale said. "Giles had already done everything they needed to do." \
see microfilm for box score
Keywords:
FOOTBALL
by CNB