Gillin finally picks up 300th victory

SPENCER

He had to wait nearly 10 months, but Indian Creek head coach Mike Gillin got his 300th career win on the road at Owen Valley on Friday night as his Braves defeated a resilient Patriots team 13-7.

The win was in doubt until the waning moments of the fourth quarter. Owen Valley recovered an Indian Creek fumble with just 1:45 to play at its own 24-yard line and drove deep into Braves territory before the Indian Creek defense held on fourth-and-5 from the 31-yard line.

Quarterback Taylor Voris took a knee, and the celebration started.

The Braves players found Gillin and drenched him with water at the 50-yard line. Gillin, sporting a huge smile, told them he might stay and win 600 games.

Indian Creek got off to the start they wanted when it took the opening kickoff and completed an 11-play drive that covered 79 yards to get on the scoreboard first. Sophomore Avery Welch crossed the goal line on a 1-yard plunge, and junior Claire Skillman added the extra point to give the Braves an early 7-0 lead with 8:33 to play in the first quarter.

Owen Valley was knocking on the door to start the second quarter, but the Braves’ defense held and forced a 27-yard field-goal attempt by the Patriots that was wide left. Indian Creek also missed a field-goal attempt in the second quarter and went to the locker room with the 7-0 lead.

The third quarter was scoreless, but Voris hit junior Brad Triesch on a 47-yard bomb on the last play of the period to set up a 4-yard touchdown run by freshman Cameron Elmore on the first play of the fourth quarter. The extra point kick was blocked.

Both teams battled back and forth until the Patriots were able to get on the scoreboard for the first time with 3:55 to play when Chase LaCoursiere took it in from 1 yard out. Carter LaCoursiere added the extra-point kick, and it was obvious the Patriots were not going away, trailing 13-7.

Owen Valley (0-3) came up short on the late heroics, and the Braves held on for their first win of the season. The victory also marked the first for Indian Creek in its first year in the Western Indiana Conference.

Voris was 15 for 23 passing on the night with 192 yards and no interceptions.

Trietsch had four catches for 102 yards to lead all receivers. Isaiah Lacey had four catches for 27 yards, while Matt Coy pulled in three balls for 59 yards.

On the ground, Brandon Dunn had 10 carries for 56 yards. Welch had five carries for 36 yards and a touchdown.

The Braves racked up 323 yards of total offense while limiting the Patriots to 270 yards.

Gillin was really pleased with the effort from his team.

“We just keep playing hard out there tonight,” he said after the game. “Our defense played really hard, and our defensive staff did a great job of game planning. We did not give up a lot of big plays, and that kept us in the game.”