With former Indian Creek quarterback Roman Purcell gone to Army, Connor Fruits knows he’s going to be keyed on now. Opponents are going to expect the Braves’ senior tailback to get the ball on every play, and they’re going to be right most of the time.
But because of the way the Braves plan to block for him, that apparently won’t be an issue.
With a more traditional pocket passer at quarterback in junior Aidean Neathery, first-year Indian Creek coach Steve Spinks plans to play power football in the I-formation, and on Friday night the Braves found out how effective that could be. Fruits carried the ball 34 times for 206 yards and four touchdowns, leading the Braves to a 40-13 home rout over Batesville in front of a crowd that appeared to reach the allowable 50 percent capacity.
“Our offensive line blocked their tails off,” Spinks said. “I’ve got big hogmollies, and the biggest guy, Tyler Ross, our fullback, was lights out tonight. When you’ve got blockers for a kid like that, he’s special.”
The Braves established their new style on the first possession of the game, giving Fruits the ball eight times on the game’s first nine plays from scrimmage. He rushed for 49 yards on a 78-yard touchdown drive, scoring from 1 yard out.
He scored again from 5 yards out just before halftime and finished the half with 113 yards on 22 carries. He scored again from 7 yards out early in the third, then dashed in from 22 yards out later in the third. That was his longest rush of the evening, but he was only stopped for negative yardage twice.
It’s a change of pace for Fruits, who is used to more misdirection and the field being more open. But the 5-foot-10, 195-pounder is up for it and said he enjoys having the 5-9, 180-pound Ross as a lead blocker.
“I love running the ball up the middle,” Fruits said. “Eight yards a carry, 9 yards a carry, just keep us going. That’s how touchdowns happen. This year with a true fullback, it’s nice. He hits the first person and you’ve got the read right there. You know where he’s going.”
Fruits finished last year with 1,007 yards and 12 touchdowns on 127 carries after transferring from Center Grove a month into the season. He’s is already more than a fifth of the way to that yardage total and a third of the way to that touchdown figure.
“It is time, in my opinion, for the state of Indiana to take notice,” Spinks said. “They’ve slept on this kid. No one’s given him a shot. He’s a special kid.”
Neathery didn’t get many opportunities to show off his arm, but the attention Batesville paid to the run gave him open lanes to throw when he did. He threw just five passes, but completed four of them for 101 yards. That included a 32-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter to senior wideout Jordan Gorham on a play-action fake that left Gorham wide open down the sideline.
Neathery also rushed for 79 yards on just two carries, breaking a 61-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
Indian Creek benefitted from a crucial win in the turnover battle.
Batesville had a 7-6 lead but had a drive end at the Indian Creek 10 when defensive tackle Zachary Cubian-Kaufman received a fumbled snap. Gorham’s 50-yard interception return led to Fruits’ second touchdown and junior Brandon Murray also had an interception.
