ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, November 16, 1996 TAG: 9611180121
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: PEARISBURG
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
MEMO: shorter version ran in the Metro edition.
GILES OPENS UP ITS OFFENSE and shuts down Patrick Henry-Glade Spring 35-13 in a Division 2 Region C playoff game.
Now that Giles High School is in the Division 2 Region C playoffs, it can make greater use of its offensive play book.
The Spartans broke out the passing game to go with the usual thunderous ground attack and punishing defense to whip Patrick Henry of Glade Spring 35-13 on a chilly Friday night.
The Spartans (11-0), the No.2-ranked team in the state sportswriters' Group A poll, snapped a nine-game Rebels winning streak and will meet the winner of today's matchup between Chilhowie and Grayson County on Nov.22 or Nov.23.
Giles did most of its damage in the first half, when it outgained its guests 246 yards to 24 and led 28-7.
Patrick Henry (9-2) had a more respectable second half, but never really was in the game after the early stages.
``The first half, I think we were just glad to be here,'' said Richie Thomas, the Rebels' coach. ``In the second half, we did a better job of reading our keys.''
Giles had numerous stars, as usual this year. Shaun Vaught, the fullback and the only non-senior who starts, rushed for 105 yards, caught a 43-yard scoring pass from tailback Chris Ratcliffe 59 seconds before intermission and a a touchdown on the ground.
Ratcliffe rushed for 86 yards, threw for 112, scored two touchdowns and passed for two. His heave to Vaught near the end of the second quarter pretty much put the game out of reach, despite the fact there still was a half to play.
``The first time I looked for Shaun, he was covered,'' Ratcliffe said of the junior. ``So I looked to the other side, and they were covered over there, too. By the time I looked back to Shaun, he had gotten past the coverage.''
Ratcliffe added a 26-yard scoring strike to Justin Bostic on a right-to-left crossing pattern on a fourth-and-10 play with 1 minute 20 seconds left in the third quarter.
Ratcliffe also was in on a terrific night by the Giles defense. The Rebels were limited to 127 total yards and five first downs, four of those in the second half.
``That defense is tough,'' Thomas said. ``Lord, nobody has shut us down like that all year. They fly to the football and they are so quick off the football, especially the nose guard and the two tackles.''
The one big offensive play Patrick Henry had all night, a 27-yard scoring run by Jeremy Honaker, came at the expense of the Spartans' reserves.
``The only thing I disliked was our kickoff coverage and that we overthrew a couple of open passes,'' said Steve Ragsdale, Giles' coach. ``Our defense did a super job. We played really well.''
see microfilm for box score
LENGTH: Medium: 60 linesby CNB