Maroons roll against Spartans 42-24 in a Mountain Empire District Battle
Ragsdale Field, Pearisburg, VA – In a battle of physical style teams, George Wythe made the trip up to Pearisburg to take on Giles. We knew this one would be a hard hitting affair as both squads are proud of their historic toughness. They didn’t disappoint.
The first quarter was tight, with both teams managing a TD to make it 7-7. Wythe RB/DB 4 Trey Rainey got his first of four scores on the night from 35 yards out, and Giles RB 42 Dallas Shepherd tied it up with a 50-yard sprint. The Maroons added another Trey Rainey, 21 yard score in the second, but Giles answered with a 32 -yard field goal by K 84 Conner Smith. That made it 14-10 at the break.
“I liked how it was a tough game and our kids just kept pushing.” – George Wythe Coach Brandon Harner
GW Head Coach Brandon Harner talked about the challenge of playing Giles.“You come up here to Giles and it is always tough to play, and they have a great crowd.” After halftime Wythe’s Trey Rainey (31/234, 4TDs) took over as the Senior eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark for the season. Rainey kept running and it opened up some other things for the Maroons.
In the third quarter, QB 15 Isaac Smith found Rainey on a 61-yard TD pass. Giles wasn’t going away quietly. Spartan RB 35 Jaylan Baylor broke off a 61-yard TD run of his own to keep it in range, 21-17.
The 4th quarter witnessed both teams adding scores. GW picked up three more TDs, while Giles bagged another score on the ground. The Maroons got big plays from their playmakers when they needed them. Coach Harner was happy to get the win. “It is a big win…. you have to be so disciplined (vs Giles). It’s almost like playing a true triple option team. If one person screws up, it’s 80 yards and a big play.”
Scoring
1st Quarter:
GW 7-0 Trey Rainey 35-yard TD run; PAT Thomas Mitchell
Giles 7-7 Dallas Shepherd 51-yard TD run; PAT Connor Smith
2nd Quarter:
GW 14 Trey Rainey 21-yard TD run; PAT Thomas Mitchell
Giles 14-10 Connor Smith 35-yard FG
3rd Quarter:
GW 21-10 Trey Rainey 61-yard TD reception from Issac Smith; PAT Thomas Mitchell
Giles 21-17 Jaylan Baylor 61-yard TD run; PAT Connor Smith
4th Quarter:
GW 28-17 Laden Houston 40-yard TD reception from Issac Smith; PAT Thomas Mitchell
GW 35-17 Trey Rainey 50-yard TD run; PAT Thomas Mitchell
GW 42-17 Issac Smith 21-yard TD run; PAT Thomas Mitchell
Giles 42-24 Brody Thwaites 42-yard TD run; PAT Connor Smith
These are the kinds of games that can really galvinize a team as their season progresses. “I liked how it was a tough game and our kids just kept pushing,” added Harner. Push they did, and they needed to against a Coach Jeff Williams’ Giles team. George Wythe moves to 5-2. – Wilson Andrake
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
| Geo Wythe | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 | 42 |
| Giles | 7 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 24 |