Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, November 25, 1994 TAG: 9411250014
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-12 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
That the Giles Spartans prevailed 17-14 should be of little consequence to Radford's Bobcats and their faithful. Even though Radford failed to get the measure of the defending Group A Division 1 state champs, the Bobcats threw a Pearis Mountain-sized scare into the Spartans by nearly coming all the way back from a 14-0 deficit in the fourth quarter.
When Giles coach Steve Ragsdale left the field following Friday night's contest, he was bear-hugged by his wife, Patti, and the couple's daughters. The scene resembled an old VE-Day photo, with Ragsdale as the soldier returning home from a fierce battle.
"Nothing is easy," he told Patti as she embraced him. "They don't get any easier."
No one had to remind him that this was just the first game of the playoffs.
Just moments before, Ragsdale was pacing the sidelines in front of the home fans' bleachers, trying to decide what play to call on a crucial fourth down play. The Spartans were at Radford's 35-yard line in need of one yard for the first down. The Bobcats had stopped the clock with 1 minute, 29 seconds to play with their last timeout.
The situation was simple. If Giles got the first down, Radford had no way to stop the clock. If the Spartans were short, the Bobcats got the ball with time to score the winning touchdown or tying field goal.
With offensive weapons like the terrific twins Raypheal and Maurice Milton and fine runners Chris Ratcliffe and Reggie Hoston at his disposal, Ragsdale chose the play and to whom to give the ball.
Enter Brandon Steele, star linebacker and second-team fullback, a guy who made his first carry just 20 seconds earlier.
``Coach came to the huddle [during the timeout] and said, `OK, this is it. Who's got the guts?''' said Steele, who was chosen to run the ball mainly because he has 240 pounds of guts packed onto his 6-foot frame.
Steele ran the football and was tackled just beyond the line of scrimmage. The chains came out.
``I knew it was close,'' said Ragsdale.
The chains were stretched.
``I really thought we had held them,'' said Radford coach Norman Lineburg.
First down, by half the length of the football. Radford would not get the football.
``We already had the play called,'' said Lineburg.
Added Ragsdale: ``I don't what I would have done if they had got the ball in their hands. They would had to have resuscitated me, I tell ya.''
Whether the Bobcats could have scored again is debatable. The Bobcats had been stuffed by the Giles defense entire game until the fourth quarter, when the Bobcats scored twice. Steele had supplied several teeth-jarring hits in the game, the kind that even makes a seasoned veteran like Ragsdale wince.
``He's a player,'' said Ragsdale.
Giles led 17-0 entering the fourth, but the defense was tiring. Radford, which used six different running backs in the game, had fresh legs to run the football in the final period.
``It was a combination of things,'' said Ragsdale. ``We were tired and we looked like we were playing just to hang on. We were playing cautious.''
Said Steele: ``The defense was tired. And they kept running in fresh running backs.''
Plus, Radford quarterback Foster Ridpath, who hadn't completed a pass through three quarters, was getting warmed up. He completed four passes on the Bobcats' two scoring drives, including a touchdown pass to diminutive receiver Tremond Hale, who made a juggling catch in the end zone. Kirk Perrow's kick made it 17-14.
Radford tried an onsides kick but couldn't recover. The Bobcats called three timeouts but couldn't stop Giles from gaining a first down. Raypheal Milton kneeled twice to run out the clock. He lost eight yards on the plays, giving him 43 rushing yards on the night, nearly 120 below his season average.
``When you get to the playoffs, you've got to expect it to be tough,'' said Milton, the Spartans' career leader in total yardage. ``If [the Bobcats] didn't have a good defense, they wouldn't be here. You expect that in the playoffs.''
Radford, which had losing seasons in its last two years in Group AA, ended its first Group A season with an 8-3 record. Two years ago, the Bobcats were 1-9.
``I'm proud of all the players,'' said Ridpath, who was a sophomore defensive back on that 1992 squad. ``We had a tough time back then, but we did what we had to do.''
As the players and coaches shook hands after the game, Lineburg sought out Raypheal Milton, embraced him around the neck and said to him - not quite loud enough for television microphones to pick up - ``You're one of the best players I've ever seen. You're a fine player and a fine young man.''
That sums up the kind of game it was.
Here's a glance at this weekend's playoff games:
Giles at Lebanon: Lebanon was the last team to beat Giles, but that was 25 Spartans victories ago in the 1992 regionals. Lebanon has won all but one home game in the past four years. Nathan McGloughlin rushed 300 for yards and two touchdowns against George Wythe last week.
Pulaski County at E.C. Glass: This is an eagerly awaited rematch. The Cougars have won nine straight games since losing to Glass 14-6 and could be playing their best football of the season right now. The starting defensive unit has not yielded a score in the past two weeks. This is the first time Pulaski County is playing an opponent twice in one season since 1979.
Richlands at Blacksburg: Richlands whipped Blacksburg 34-14 Oct.28, but the Indians were within a touchdown in the fourth quarter before fading. Blacksburg quarterback Greg Shockley went 17-for-33 for 143 yards but he was intercepted thrice and did not have a scoring toss. Jeremy McCommons and fullback Jason Lester combined for 348 yards rushing that night for the Blue Tornado.
Narrows at Bland County: This a rematch, eagerly hoped for by Narrows, of a game won by the Bears 17-12 Oct.14. The Green Wave, which is also a wing-T team, has firmed its rushing attack behind Norman Perkins, who ran for 115 yards and a touchdown against Bath County.
by CNB