Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, September 2, 1995 TAG: 9509060035
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PEARISBURG LENGTH: Medium
Had there been any doubt about the degree of difficulty in Giles' 18-14 season-opening victory over Blacksburg Friday, Spartans coach Steve Ragsdale could have cleared that up pronto.
"I'm ready for a vacation," he said.
No rest for the weary now, not with a potential 13 more games to go with only one open date.
While nobody was talking playoffs or anything like that on this humid evening on the Spartans' mushy field, these two teams have the look of those that will end up playing more than the standard number of games.
Giles made some mistakes - three fumbles and two lost were the critical ones - but the defense performed splendidly when needed as the Spartans scored 18 unanswered points.
"The execution, particularly the ballhandling, was poor,'' Ragsdale said. "But I was real proud about the way they came back.''
Giles finally crossed over the top on a 32-yard scoring run by senior fullback Kevin Slusser with 10 minutes, 10 seconds left. As with all three of the Spartans' scores, the conversion failed, further underscoring the execution problems they were having.
Slusser didn't play last year but you would have never known it by his 15-carry, 128-yard performance.
Giles scored twice after intermission, the first time on fullback Brandon Steele's 1-yard plunge with 3:57 left in the third. The defense made it hold up by limiting Blacksburg to three first downs and 61 total yards in the second half.
Finding that switch turned out to be the key to the game.
"Everybody talks about Giles' offense, but I bet if you look at it over the years, their defense has won as many games as anything for them by giving them that great field position,'' Blacksburg coach David Crist said.
True, Giles was wobbly on offense at times, but in the final analysis, the job got done. Making his first start at tailback, Reggie Hoston was impressive with 20 carries for 115 yards and Steele tacked on 49 more rushing yards.
The teams found out that this wasn't going to be some mundane, season-opening defensive slug-o-rama almost at once. Whereas the defense came out as fierce as expected, both clubs showed an ability to move the ball in the first 24 minutes.
Blacksburg broke through first after a Matt Whitehead fumble gave the Indians possession on the Giles 6. On second down, Michael Crist, in for his first series at quarterback, optioned right and took it all the way in for the score with 1:29 left in the first quarter.
Giles' response was an 18-play drive from its 10 that stalled at the Blacksburg 14. A fourth down heave from Slusser to Steele was broken up by Crist.
Blacksburg came back with a march from that point that concluded with Tucker LaForce's unobstructed 3-yard scoring run with 1:18 left in the half. Ben Pinkerton booted the second of his two conversion kicks of the half.
Giles didn't waste time. The Spartans required six plays to move 70 yards, the big one being Hoston's 33-yard TD toss to Anthony Myers with 10 seconds left. The conversion was botched because of a fumble in the backfield.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
by CNB