Raiders, Miles run past Falcons

BY JOSH FLOYD
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

ABINGDON – There are many reasons why Division I schools are looking to employ the services of multi-faceted J.I. Burton back Martinez Miles.

One of those reasons even involves the subtle art of playing effective chess.

Seemingly waiting for his opponent to always make the first move, Miles counterattacked with consistent flashes of brilliance and lightning speed – accounting for 232 all-purpose yards and two TDs to help the Raiders rack up major VHSL power points with Friday’s convincing 28-14 decision over host Abingdon.

“I study a lot of tapes and [additional] game film, so I want to go with my blockers on every play,” said Miles, who ripped off a game-high 181 rushing yards on just 17 carries. “That way, I can accelerate on my runs.”

The speed factor for Miles was evident on his first touch of the football following respective turnovers from both squads. Taking the handoff from quarterback Jansen Bates, Miles waited for his pulling blockers before turning the corner on the right side and subsequently stepping on the proverbial gas.

Ninty-one yards later, Miles was smiling and nodding his head in the Abingdon end zone for an early 6-0 edge.

“At first, I thought I was tackled,” laughed the senior. “I kind of cut back there – and then headed to the house.”

Abingdon also moved the ball with a consistent ground game, ultimately leading to rushing touchdowns from Ben Coleman and quarterback Jacob Hess, whose 14-yard scramble midway through the third quarter evened things at 14.

But while the Raiders answered the bell on multiple occasions throughout Friday’s contest, Abingdon missed on three attempts – all inside the Burton 30 – to add to its first-half point production. The Falcons were hampered by not only an interception, but also a missed 23-yard field goal and a turnover on downs.

“Most of the time, I thought we played really well,” said Abingdon coach John Bowles. “But there were situations, especially some of the critical ones, where we didn’t convert – and obviously, they did that on us.

“I think we can play with a team like this, but we have to take care of the little things.” 

Putting forth a complete arsenal of his abilities, Miles gave welcomed offensive depth to Bates, who kept the Falcons (1-1) off-balance by firing two critical scoring tosses to teammate Timmy Goins. Goins took home an 18-yard seam route with 30 seconds left in the half, capping a 16-play, 75-yard drive that consumed just over seven minutes to give Burton (3-0) a 14-7 advantage. 

“That was a big part of the ballgame,” said Burton coach Jim Adams. “I thought the kids really gutted it out … because Abingdon had a good game plan, and they’ve got a good football team.”

Goins, who caught three passes for 77 yards, then took a curl route late in the third, spun away from a defender and dove into the end zone from 15 yards out to boost Burton into the lead for good at 20-14.

Miles, meanwhile, put an exclamation point on the victory thanks to his shifty 22-yard TD scamper with 1:50 left, making two would-be AHS tacklers miss at the 8-yard line before slipping inside the right hash.

Corey Spencer finished with 105 receiving yards for the Falcons, while Hess threw for 123 yards. Teammate Zac Crosswhite tallied a team-high 93 rushing yards on 16 carries.

J.I. Burton 6 8 6 8 – 28
Abingdon 7 0 7 0 – 14

Scoring Summary
JIB – Mar. Miles 91 run (kick failed)
AHS – Coleman 8 run (Case kick)
JIB – Goins 18 pass from Bates (Miles run)
AHS – Hess 14 run (Case kick)
JIB – Goins 15 pass from Bates (kick failed)
JIB – Mar. Miles 22 run (Short pass from Bates)
Statistics
First Downs: JIB 16, AHS 13; Rushes-Yards: JIB 43-214, AHS 28-179; Passing Yards: JIB 92, AHS 123; Comp-Att-Int: JIB 4-10-0, AHS 8-20-2; Fumbles-Lost: JIB 3-1, AHS 1-0; Penalties-Yards: JIB 2-10, AHS 3-30; Punts-Avg.: JIB 3-31, AHS 1-33.