BROOKVILLE
Don’t look now, but Indian Creek has quietly assembled a two-game win streak at Franklin County.
For a second consecutive season, the Braves and Wildcats met here to see which team moves on to next Friday night’s Class 3A sectional championship game.
Indian Creek it is after a convincing 37-0 victory.
The game officially shifted into running-clock mode with 2:39 remaining in the third quarter on quarterback Jalen Sauer’s 24-yard touchdown pass to freshman J.R. Ferguson.
A far cry from a year ago, when the Braves eked out a one-point win.
“Last year we weren’t prepared, and we weren’t as good of a team last year,” Braves coach Casey Gillin said. “But hats off to Franklin County. That’s a tough football team. We just jumped on them quick, and I think took the wind out of their sail.
“Our team is pretty good.”
After starting the season 0-2 with 42-28 losses against both Batesville and Greenwood, the Braves (8-3) have won eight of nine games.
The Braves get a chance for payback against Batesville (10-1), who they faced in the opener, when the two play for a sectional title at Indian Creek.
By halftime against Franklin County, Sauer had carried the ball 10 times for 106 yards and two touchdowns, and passed for 107 yards and a pair of scores to Malachi Mink for a commanding 27-0 lead.
Franklin County opened the game with an onside kick that was immediately smothered by an Indian Creek player.
The Braves offense then rattled off a 14-yard run up the middle by Sauer, followed by Mink’s 37-yard sprint to the Wildcats’ 1. Two plays later, Sauer ran it in for a quick 7-0 advantage.
Franklin County moved the ball as far as the Indian Creek 10 on the ensuing series. However, facing a fourth and 7, sophomore quarterback Wyatt Bowling managed only 3 yards as the Braves’ D converged on him on a run up the middle. The visitors then marched 90 yards in 11 plays to go up 14-0, this time Sauer capping it with a 3-yard scoring run at 11:44 of the second period.
With 5:26 showing, Sauer connected with a wide-open Mink over the middle for a 20-yard touchdown. The two connected at the 1:36 mark on Sauer’s screen right, with Mink eluding defenders down the sideline in front of the Franklin County bench for a 63-yard TD.
The Wildcats received the ball first to open the second half, but didn’t have it long. A Bowling pass over the middle was plucked out of the air by Braves senior defensive back Bryce Turner, who returned the ball 27 yards to the Franklin County 15.
Unable to produce another touchdown, the Braves settled for a 28-yard field goal from sophomore Aiden Long for a 30-0 spread.
Despite not playing the final quarter, Sauer finished the game completing 8 of 13 pass attempts for 171 yards and rushing for 144. Mink ran for 86 yards and snagged four aerials for 116 more.
“Last year, we came in and underestimated them,” Mink said of the Wildcats. “We practiced hard all week, and just went out there and put up 37. We just had to find ourselves as a team. We lost a good quarterback from last year, and Jalen had to step up, and he’s been doing real good.”
Franklin County ends the season with a 4-7 record.
