Bill Brown Stadium filled up fast on Friday night for the season opener between Blacksburg and Giles.
Blacksburg showed that experience matters as they went home with a 50-7 victory over a young Giles team.
Blacksburg won the toss but elected to defer to the second half. On the first kickoff there was some confusion with Giles’ return team as the ball landed on the ground and rolled around for a few seconds. Chaston Ratcliffe picked it up to only gain minimal yardage, starting Giles’ first possession inside of their own 20-yard line. James Lyles got things going for the Spartans as he took the ball on a reverse and picked up 33 yards on the first play of the drive. That play ended up being the longest play of the night for the Spartans. Ratcliffe continued with the momentum as he picked up a first down. Giles’ drive would end up stalling out due to a few penalties and a fumbled snap.
Giles’ Chaston Ratcliffe looks for a seam against the strong Bruins’ defense (photo by Shannon Lowery)
It didn’t take the veteran quarterback Grant Johnston long to get things going for the Bruins. He completed a couple passes for 19 yards then 10 yards before hooking up with Karim Mohomed in the end zone for 25 yards. The Bruins took a 6-0 lead after the failed extra point halfway through the first quarter. That would start of the scoring spree for Blacksburg.
Blacksburg QB Grant Johnston prepares to take the snap. Johnston finished with 190 passing yards (photo by Shannon Lowery)
After the Spartans stalled out on their second drive of game, Blacksburg’s Tiquest Terry took a handoff 76 yards into the end zone. This made the score 13-0 at the end of the 1st quarter.
The Bruins caught fire in the second quarter and scored 29 unanswered points and forced two turnovers. Johnston went to the air and hooked up with Terry for a 57-yard touchdown reception and Thomas Coffey for a 30-yard touchdown reception. Blacksburg’s Brian Mitchell started making a little noise late in the first half with a 25-yard touchdown run and a 67-yard punt return. That ended the half with the Bruins on top 42-0. Giles has not trailed by that many points in nearly a decade
Blacksburg’s Tiquest Terry only touched the ball four times but had three touchdowns against the Spartans (photo by Shannon Lowery)
The Spartans could not get the single-wing offense going against the tough Bruins’ defense. Blacksburg held Giles to 60 yards rushing in the first half.
The Bruins received the kickoff to start the 3rd quarter when Terry returned it 80 yards for a touchdown. After a successful two-point conversion, the Bruins led 50-0
Giles’ Hunter Williams would score the only touchdown for the Spartans on a 17-yard run late in the 4th.
Stats
Giles Blacksburg
Rushing 184 116
Passing 0 190
Turnovers 3 0
Penalties 3-20 7-60
Rushing Leaders
Giles: Lyles(5-49), Ratcliffe(16-39), Williams(7-21, TD)
Blacksburg: Mitchell(3-40, TD), Terry(1-76, TD)
Passing Leaders:
Blacksburg: Johnston (7-9-190, 3 TDs)
Receiving
Blacksburg: Coffey (3-90, TD), Mohomed (2-33, TD), Terry(1-57, TD), Gholston(1-10)
Born in Pulaski, Va it only took a few years before I would end up in the beautiful Giles County where I would graduate in 2012 from Giles High School. Since the age of 4, Pearisburg has been my homeplace and I don’t have any plans to leave.
Sports have always been big in my family. My father was fortunate enough to be able to play football for the Spartans in 1978, which was the first year that Coach Steve Ragsdale introduced the single-wing offense which we will still run today.
My high school football career was cut short due to a knee injury that I sustained my junior year, but fortunately I was able to compete in the State Championship my senior year as a shot put thrower on the track and field team.
I now get to enjoy the football games in the stands with my father as we are known as, “them guys with the train horn,” which we take to every football game. GO SPARTANS!
