Braves to open strong: Indian Creek starts with 5A, 4A foes

So much for a momentum-building tuneup before running smack-dab into the sharpened teeth of one’s football schedule.

For the first time in Mike Gillin’s 12 seasons as head coach at Indian Creek — and school history, in all likelihood — the Class 3A Braves open their season against a Class 5A opponent and then the next week face a 4A program.

Coming to Trafalgar the night of Aug. 17 is Terre Haute South, a member of the potent Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference (MIC) eager to showcase the talents of quarterback Danny Etling, a 6-foot-3, 212-pound senior orally committed since April to play at Purdue University.

Indian Creek follows that up with a date at Greenwood, which returns numerous key performers from last season’s sectional finalist.

“We’re glad we have two tough games because we’ll find out right

away how composed we are under pressure,” said Braves quarterback Matthew Wray, who is coming off an outstanding junior season in which he completed 220 of 371 (.593) pass attempts for 2,675 yards and 22 touchdowns. “These are two really good teams.”

Indian Creek-Greenwood match-ups have been an annual Week 2 happening since 2008. But this marks the first time in Gillin’s coaching career that one of his Indian Creek squads will square off against a 5A foe.

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