Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, October 14, 1995 TAG: 9510170047
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Medium
On Giles' third run, Kevin Slusser went straight forward out of the single wing for 58 yards and a Spartan touchdown.
It was the start of unbeaten Giles' 37-0 victory in which the Spartans, ranked No.1 in Group A, scored all their points before intermission to clinch a tie for the Three Rivers District title.
The loss leaves Radford struggling to make the Group A playoffs as a wild-card team.
``This was one of those nights where everything went bad for Radford and right for us,'' said Giles coach Steve Ragsdale.
In the first half, the Spartans (6-0, 3-0 in the district) ran 32 plays to 15 for the Bobcats (4-2, 0-1). Giles had 10 first downs and 221 offensive yards, while Radford failed to make a first down and was held to minus 5 yards.
Slusser scored two touchdowns and Reggie Hoston, who added 78 yards rushing, scored the other offensive touchdown.
``They played defense so well. They have excellent backs. And they blocked so well,'' said Radford coach Norm Lineburg.
It was the blocking that got the veteran coach's attention. ``They rode us out 10 yards at a clip and had us on our backs all night,'' Lineburg said.
While Giles refused to compare itself to defending Group A Division II Powell Valley, which beat Radford 28-7 earlier this year, Lineburg had no trouble sizing up these two contenders.
``Certainly tonight, Giles was better than Powell Valley. It's the best team we have faced. That doesn't mean Giles will beat Powell Valley, but it's the best Giles team I've seen.''
After that glowing report, what remains? Giles earned every bit of the praise, starting with Slusser, who racked up 158 yards rushing after getting his hair cut in thin strips from front to back by a girl at school Friday.
``It was all due to the hair cut,'' said Slusser, baring his head to show what looked like alternating strips. ``It's all because of the line. We have the greatest line.''
While the Giles offense racked up big figures, Ragsdale didn't want to overlook his team's defense. ``Our defense was outstanding. They were very aggressive. We had a real heads-up defensive game,'' said the veteran coach, who is shooting for his third state title overall and his second in three years.
Giles' defense produced four first-half turnovers. The most spectacular was a 16-yard pass interception for a touchdown by linebacker Brandon Steele.
``We've been practicing that play for a month. We knew they liked to run motion from a one-back set and throw a quick pass,'' said Steele.
``When I saw the man go in motion, I stayed low. I knew the quarterback wouldn't see me. When he threw, I stood up. It hit me in the hands, and there was no one in front of me.''
The second half, which was scoreless, was mercifully short. It took 33 minutes to complete, and Ragsdale shut down his offense while running reserves the entire last quarter.
Radford was without one of its best players, running back-linebacker Larnell Lewis, who was out for disciplinary reasons. The way Giles played, it would have taken more than one player to reverse this game.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
Keywords:
FOOTBALL
by CNB