Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, September 25, 1993 TAG: 9309250175
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RINER LENGTH: Medium
Maybe you should take it easy and not score points at such a furious clip. You might just be playing your way out of jobs.
Such was the case Friday night when the Spartans squashed Auburn 65-18 in a Mountain Empire District game that most of the Spartans' stars watched from the sideline after scoring 30 points in the first 12:05.
After watching his team take a 30-0 lead five seconds into the second quarter, Spartans coach Steve Ragsdale gave the night off to most of his stars in hopes of curtailing the rout. It was about the only Giles maneuver that failed.
"We pretty much played the second group for the last three quarters," said Ragsdale. "Thing is, our backups are capable players."
That has become obvious for Giles (4-0 overall, 3-0 in the district), which won its third straight lopsided game.
The most capable on this night was little-used running back Kevin Slusser, who rushed 12 times for 131 yards. He became the Spartans' fourth 100-yard rusher in as many games.
"I don't get to play too much, but when I get on the field I love it," said Slusser, a sophomore who is used primarily on special teams.
Slusser led a Spartans running game that gained 402 yards. So destructive was the Giles land offensive, strong-armed tailback Raypheal Milton threw only twice, completing one pass for 35 yards.
Then there was senior Byron Sargent, a fullback-turned-lineman who returned to the backfield Friday night - sporting the unfashionable No. 69 - and ran for 73 yards and scored two touchdowns in the second half.
"I guess I was a last-resort running back," Sargent said.
There were other stars for the Spartans, most of whom played themselves out of the game. Giles' nine touchdowns were scored by seven players: Chris Fields had two and twins Maurice and Raypheal Milton had one each, as did Reggie Hoston, Peter Janney and Bucky Burton, who scored on a 25-yard interception return less than two minutes into the game.
Giles scored touchdowns on its first six possessions. The Spartans' last three touchdowns came on two-play "drives."
Auburn (1-3, 1-2) scored its first touchdown when V.J. Lumia recovered a fumbled punt and ran it back 52 yards to make it 30-6. Giles closed the half with three straight touchdowns - a 9-yard run by Fields, a 27-yard dash by Hoston and another 7-yard run by Fields - to lead 51-6 at halftime.
Maurice Milton, who was 7-for-7 on point-after kicks and ran a pair of two-point conversions, scored 17 points.
Auburn improved its lot in the fourth quarter with a 3-yard touchdown run by quarterback Danny Dickerson and a 67-yard touchdown jaunt by Lumia.
"We knew with these first five games, it would be tough to keep our heads above water," said Auburn coach Steve Wright, whose team has played Rural Retreat and Floyd and plays powerful Grayson County next week. "We just want to avoid the habit of losing one game after another." \
see microfilm for box score
Keywords:
FOOTBALL
by CNB