Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, September 30, 1995 TAG: 9510020104
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PEARISBURG LENGTH: Medium
Of course, the Group A Spartans are no longer in that AA league, but for the third year in a row, Giles has knocked off two of the three New River teams. The trick was completed again Friday night as Giles whipped Christiansburg 35-6 as a partisan audience packed the bleachers to holler its approval.
Giles, the No. 1-ranked team in the Group A poll, stopped Blacksburg 18-14 on the opening night of the season, thus starting a five-game winning streak that was extended with Friday's triumph.
"Giles is as good as anybody we've played, but we knew that before we came down here,'' said Christiansburg coach Mike Cole, whose team already has met possible playoff teams from Richlands, Tazewell and Graham.
Giles (5-0) two-stepped to a 267-69 yardage advantage and a 27-0 lead in the first half before Spartans coach Steve Ragsdale politely gave his starters the rest of the night off.
"We played really well,' he said. "Our kids were ready to play right off the bat.''
Giles tailback Reggie Hoston had 191 yards total offense and scored four touchdowns and a pair of two-point conversions. Of his 140 yards rushing, 121 came in the first half. Of the other seven Giles backs who carried the ball, Kevin Slusser was the leader with 62 yards in nine attempts.
At least as distinguished a performance as the offense was put on by Giles' defense, which limited Christiansburg to 161 total yards (112 rushing) and nine first downs, two of those in the first half.
``People tend to overlook their defense because of their offense, but Giles is and always has been a good defensive team,'' Cole said.
Christiansburg didn't score until the fourth quarter, which underlined the problems the undermanned Blue Demons were having offensively. Down to just three backs because of an ankle injury to wingback David Epperly, Cole scrapped his base wing-T offense and went to the unfamiliar I.
"We didn't have enough players,'' he said. "Giles wore us down."
The first half was a time for some of Giles' most accomplished players to spruce up their totals. Hoston ran for three touchdowns, the second of which, a 36-yard rip down the right boundary, was the showiest.
The other two, a 15-yard rumble with 8 minutes, 8 seconds left in the first quarter, and 3-yard plunge 2:57 in advance of halftime, were testimonials to the craftsmanship of the splendid Spartans offensive line.
The guys doing the interior blocking included linemen Jared Dalton, Alex Webb, Marty Midkiff, Zeb Bowden and center Roger Simpkins.
Hoston added a pair of two-point conversions and Jeremy Saunders booted a 31-yard field goal and creamed a PAT kick to complete the first-half carnage.
Others made a nice showing, too. Anthony Myers was all over the field both offensively at end - he set up a touchdown with his only catch, a 51-yarder from Hoston - and defensively at defensive end.
Linebacker Brandon Steele blew Christiansburg running back Larry Carter almost out of his shoes in one line of scrimmage collision; another time Steele battered Carter on a kickoff return; then there was Steele's tipped pass and interception.
``I enjoyed that,'' Steele said.
see microfilm for box score
by CNB