By RODNEY YOUNG
NRVSports.net
NARROWS – The two county rivals were meeting for the 66th time, but Mother Nature had other ideas. Less than an hour before kickoff, rain poured down and then stopped. Next, lightning was close by, so the warmups and the start of the game were delayed.
When the game started about fifty minutes late before a standing-room-only crowd at Narrows Ragsdale Field, the Green Wave would win the rivalry game 31-13 over their next-door neighbors.
Giles won the toss and proceeded to march 67 yards on nine plays, capped off with a Jacob Mills 14-yard touchdown run. Carter Thwaites’ point-after kick had the visiting Spartans up 7-0 with 7:42 to go in the opening quarter.
The Green Wave would score on their first possession too, with Jack Buckland running in from 22 yards, but their point-after kick was blocked. They had scored on eight plays and gone 53 yards.
The two teams would exchange possessions for the rest of the quarter. The second quarter would see the Green Wave go up 12-7 on a Parker Bryan six-yard run around right end, but their two-point conversion pass fell incomplete with 1:24 before halftime.
Narrows would score again with 3:45 left in the third quarter as Bryan again would score, this time from eight yards out, with the two-point run stopped stopped short to make it 18-7 Green Wave.
Giles, who had been stymied since the first quarter, finally found their offense as they cut the deficit to 18-13 with 6:36 to go in the third . Jacob Mills would take the inside handoff and break out to his left and race around the left end into the end zone for a hard-fought three-yard touchdown run. Giles would then try a two-point pass that was intercepted in the end zone.
Narrows’ Bryan would get cramps, and they would put senior Elijah Knoetze in to run the “wildcat “ formation. He would lead the Green Wave into the promised land, scoring on an eight-yard run. Jameson Helton‘s kick would be wide right, leaving the score at 24-13.
The biggest play on the drive happened on the first play after Giles had scored. Buckland took the handoff, darted to his left and down the Spartan sideline for a huge 36-yard gain. The play seemed to take the Spartans’ momentum away, and it went onto the Green Wave.
The Spartans would then fumble on their first play after the Narrows touchdown, and three plays later, Knoetze would rumble in from 17 yards to put the game away.
Narrows first-year head coach Dakota Shrader said, “I’m happy for the kids. I graduated from Giles and played for them. I have a lot of friends over there. Our quarterback started cramping there in the fourth quarter, and we put Elijah (Knoetze) in to run the ‘wildcat.’ I want the guys to enjoy the moment, but stay under control.”
Giles head coach Sam Wright remarked, “We made too many mistakes. Congrats to Coach Shrader and them. We had a chance there when we came within five (18-13), but they made a big play on us. You can’t fumble three or four times and win.”
Narrows improved to 2-2, and Giles fell to 0-4. Narrows will travel to James Monroe (WVa) next Friday, and Giles will host the Tazewell Bulldogs. Both games will have a 7 p.m. kickoff.
Giles 7 0 0 6-13
Narrows 6 6 6 13-31
Rushing- Narrows – Buckland 16-131, Bryan 13-62, Knoetze 10- 89, Giles- Mills 12-42, N. Steele 15-87, Atkins 12-58
Passing – Narrows – Bryan 5-8-0 Ints.-0 Tds.- 40 yds., Giles – Mills- 1-1-0 ints.0 Tds. – 10 yds., Atkins – 0-4-0 ints., 0 tds. – 0 yds.
Receptions- Narrows – Knoetze 4-32, Buckland 1-8, Giles- Sheppard 1-10
First Downs – Narrows – 19, Giles 11
Fumbles lost- Narrows 1-1, Giles 3-3
Penalties – Narrows 4-45 yds., Giles 2-13 yds.
Punts- avg. – Narrows – 0-0, Giles 1-32.0
Total To’s – Narrows 1, Giles 3
Total Yds. – Narrows – 320, Giles 197
