Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, September 16, 1995 TAG: 9509180066
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PEARISBURG LENGTH: Medium
Once the balls started flying, though, the only machine that was out of this world was the one the Spartans fielded.
Totally unstoppable offensively and impenetrable on defense, Giles scored six first-half touchdowns - three in each quarter - on the way to a 63-0 non-district massacre.
It was 22-0 at the end of the first quarter and 43-0 and over at the break. Giles ran only 24 plays.
The assault began the first time Giles had the ball. Reggie Hoston bolted 48 yards down the right sideline and did a styling glide into the end zone.
Hoston did it again the third time he touched the ball, ripping 33 more yards for another score with 5:32 left in the first quarter.
Hoston finished the half with 98 yards on five carries, but he would have had 34 more yards and another touchdown had not a clipping penalty interfered.
The big numbers belonged to Kevin Slusser, who covered 211 yards on an economical six carries.
A 33-yard score, a 57-yarder, and a 67-yard scoring beauty were the adornments to his first-half totals.
"The first two, I only had one guy to beat; the third one, all I had to do was run,'' Slusser said. "The blocking was just excellent.''
And so it continued. Of all Giles' touchdowns, only one, fullback Matt Whitehead's 10-yarder, was less than 33 yards. Those were running plays, too. Nothing particularly fancy, unless you count the 53-yard punt return by Michael Perdue.
"We couldn't stop them,'' Narrows coach Don Lowe said. "We worked hard all week on things on defense, but tonight, it didn't look like we were paying attention to what was going on.'
Chris Hutchison's 65-yard scoring run and another 65-yarder by Whitehead were among the closing salvos for Giles, which had 482 yards rushing.
Narrows fared little better on offense. The Green Wave had 127 yards rushing, all but 31 of those coming in the second half when Giles had the second-stringers in.
"All I know is that a whole lot lot of times in the first half, every time you'd look up, here comes [linebacker] Brandon Steele,'' Lowe said. "He's really good.''
Everybody looked good for the Spartans.
"Our whole team was excellent,'' Giles coach Steve Ragsdale said. "Offense, defense, first team, second team, kicking team ... ''
In the history of a rivalry that dates to 1961 when Giles opened, this was the most lopsided game.
"It was the worst defeat I ever had,'' Lowe said.
The loudest cheer of the night was reserved for Giles second team defenders who stopped Narrows on four plays inside the Spartans 7 in the fourth quarter.
"We just wanted to show the fans that we appreciate them coming out to see us like this,'' end Anthony Myers said.
see microfilm for box score
by CNB