INDIANAPOLIS
Indian Creek’s football team appeared to be in a dogfight it didn’t expect Friday night.
The Braves led host Indianapolis Washington 14-6 at halftime, but the Continentals, who entered play 1-8, held the ball for 21 minutes, 30 seconds of the 24-minute first half. Their wing-T offense amassed 162 yards, all but 13 rushing, and produced 12 first downs.
Indian Creek erased any thoughts of an upset early in the third quarter, however, scoring two touchdowns in the first 2:03 of the period. The Braves rolled from there to a 49-6 Class 3A sectional victory.
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Click here to purchase photos from this galleryIndian Creek (6-4), which assured itself of a 16th consecutive winning season, will host Lawrenceburg (9-1) next Friday. The Tigers easily defeated Indianapolis Manual 68-6 in their first-round game.
“I was little disappointed that we didn’t play better defensively (in the first half), but we really didn’t prepare for what they did on offense,” Braves coach Mike Gillin said. “(Washington) only had 12 kids, but they played really hard.”
The Braves needed just three plays to find the end zone in the third quarter. Taylor Voris hit Bryce Hogue on a quick slant that turned into a 28-yard touchdown pass just 57 seconds into the half. Two plays into the Continentals’ next possession, Washington quarterback Johnny Hickey fumbled the snap, and the ball slipped through three players’ hands before Indian Creek’s Brandon Dunn finally fell on it in the end zone.
That gave the Braves a 28-6 lead with 9:57 still to play in the third quarter.
Dunn and Isaiah Lacey each scored two touchdowns for Indian Creek. Lacey’s 85-yard kickoff return late in the first half gave the Braves a 14-6 lead immediately after Washington’s lone score, a 2-yard Kaylin Curtis touchdown. The Continentals’ scoring drive lasted 13 plays.
Washington’s first possession was also 13 plays and ate up 76 yards over nine minutes and 53 seconds, but Brad Trietsch’s fumble recovery at the Braves’ 15-yard line kept the Continentals off the scoreboard and set up Indian Creek’s first touchdown drive, which ended with a 2-yard run by Dunn.
The Braves didn’t put up gaudy stats. Voris threw for 82 yards (4 of 7), and Michael Perkins led the rushing attack with 52 yards. But Lacey’s kickoff return touchdown, a Trietsch punt return touchdown and Dunn’s end-zone fumble recovery more than made up for the lack of big numbers.
Indian Creek will now try to avenge its season-opening 42-21 loss to Lawrenceburg.
“We obviously struggled with them earlier in the season,” Gillin said of the Tigers. “We’re going to have to give our best effort against them.”
