Giles welcomes their Montgomery County foe, the Christiansburg Blue Demons, to Pearisburg for its home opener Friday.
Giles (0-1) must forget about the 50-7 thrashing it took from Blacksburg last week and focus on Christiansburg (1-0). With new faces scattered across the Spartan offense, Giles must find a way to get the single-wing offense moving. The Spartans rushed for only 180 yards against the Bruins, a low number for a team whose offensive production solely comes from the ground. In 2017, Giles averaged close to 300 yards rushing a contest.
Coach Ratcliffe talking with Jacoby Wilson during last week’s game against Blacksburg (photo by Shannon Lowery)
The Spartans have won five straight against the Blue Demons, but Christiansburg will be hungry for another win. Giles won last season’s contest 62-20.
Last week, Christiansburg broke their 10-game losing streak. The Blue Demons defeated Floyd 14-12 in overtime on a bobbled snap on an extra point. They were able to get the ball off the ground and complete the two-point conversion. After going 0-10 last season, the win against Floyd gives the Blue Demons confidence as they step on to Stephen C. Ragsdale Field.
Giles leads the overall series 27-18-1
Kickoff from Giles High School is set for 7:00 p.m. on Friday, August 31st.
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!
