EMBRACING — Indian Creek head coach Andrew Connor celebrates with Trevor Fante after the junior rushed for a touchdown against Crestview on Friday. (Photo by Joe Catullo)

WINTERSVILLE — The postseason begins in less than two weeks, but the Indian Creek football team has essentially been playing playoff games for the past four weeks.

After dropping a 14-7 game to St. Clairsville in Week 5, Indian Creek essentially needed to win out to make the playoffs, and the Redskins have done just that through the last four weeks.

In a game with playoff implications, Indian Creek raced out to a 14-point lead against Crestview, and the Redskins went on to defeat the Rebels, 21-12, Friday night on homecoming at Kettlewell Stadium.

“Since we played St. Clairsville, the kids have been in playoff mode,” Indian Creek (7-2) head coach Andrew Connor said. “We were 3-2 after the game, and the kids have responded. Our goal was to go 1-0 every week for the last five weeks, and we have done that for the last four weeks.”

The Rebels were hurt by multiple penalties and turnovers. Crestview committed six penalties for 66 yards, one resulting in a 71-yard touchdown run being taken off of the scoreboard late in the second quarter. Crestview also turned the ball over three times (one fumble and two interceptions).

“Hats off to Indian Creek,” Crestview (6-3) head coach Paul Cusick said. “Coach Connor does a great job with them.”

Indian Creek entered the game in seventh place in the Ohio Division IV Region 13 rankings. However, after the win, the Redskins unofficially moved up to sixth play.

“We played together,” Connor said. “We always tell the kids about being proud to wear red and gold, and they are proud to wear them.”

Crestview entered the game in sixth place in the Division IV Region 17 rankings, and it remaines there.

Trevor Fante finished with 166 yards and two touchdowns on the ground to lead the way for Indian Creek, while Matt Schaefer rushed for 27 yards on six carries. Brandon Fleming delivered 20 yards and a touchdown on two carries.

Quarterback Sam Mazar completed 2 of 8 passes for 49 yards and an interception. Matt Mamula hauled in both completions.

Andrew Yanssens ended up with 66 yards and a touchdown on the ground, and caught one pass for 52 yards for Crestview. Quarterback Dylan Huff completed 3 of 13 passes for 74 yards and an interception, and he tallied 99 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries.

After forcing the Rebels to punt, the Redskins took over at their own 49 for their first offensive drive of the game. A 15-yard pass interference penalty moved the ball down to the Crestview 35. On the next play, Fante broke through the Rebels defense for a touchdown. The extra point was no good, keeping the score at 6-0 with 10:15 remaining in the first quarter.

On its second drive, Crestview fumbled the ball away. Fleming finished off the drive with a 16-yard run around the end, and Shane Zrinyi snagged the two-point conversion pass from Mazar to put the Redskins out in front, 14-0, with 7:33 left in the quarter.

The Rebels reached pay dirt on their third drive of the game when Huff plowed in from the 1 to make it 14-6. The extra point hit the upright, keeping Indian Creek ahead by eight with 4:31 to play in the quarter. The big play of the drive was a 52-yard completion from Huff to Yanssens.

The Rebels appeared to score their second TD of the game, as Huff broke free for a 71-yard touchdown. But, the play was called back due to a holding penalty. Crestview failed to score on the drive, as the visitors punted the ball on the last play of the half.

After a scoreless second quarter, Fante found his way into the end zone in the third quarter as he ran in for a 23-yard score, and Brandon Hiles booted the PAT to make the score 21-6 with 7:48.

Yanssens broke free for a 34-yard touchdown run in the fourth to make the score 21-12, but the Rebels decided to go for two instead of kicking the extra point. The conversion pass was incomplete, keeping it a two-score game with 7:49 remaining in the game.

Both teams are scheduled to play this week at home. Indian Creek is slated to play rival Edison (4-5) at 7 p.m. Thursday. The Wildcats have been eliminated from playoff contention in Division V Region 19.

“Edison is always a tough game,” Connor said. “The team that makes the fewest mistakes is going to win.”

Meanwhile, Crestview will play Linsly (4-3). The Rebels lost two of their first three games before rebounding to win their next four before Friday.

Indian Creek 21, Crestview 12

Crestview 6 0 0 6 — 12

Indian Creek 14 7 0 0 — 21

INDIAN CREEK: Fante 35 run (kick fail)

INDIAN CREEK: Fleming 16 run (Zrinyi pass from Mazar)

CRESTVIEW: Huff 1 run (kick fail)

INDIAN CREEK: Fante 23 run (Hiles kick)

CRESTVIEW: A. Yanssens 34 run (pass fail)

RUSHING: Crestview 34-214-2 (A. Yanssens 11-66-1; Powell 8-30; Huff 22-99-1; Barr 4-19); Indian Creek 42-208-3 (Fante 26-166-2; Mazar 7-(-6); Fleming 2-20-1; Schaefer 6-27; Zrinyi 1-1)

PASSING: Crestview 3-15-74-0-2 (Huff 3-13-74-0-1; Barr 0-2-0-0-1); Indian Creek 2-8-49-0-1 (All by Mazar)

RECEIVING: Crestview 3-74 (A. Yanssens 1-52; Riffle 1-19; Barr 1-3); Indian Creek 2-49 (Mamula 2-49)

FIRST DOWNS: Crestview 13; Indian Creek 15

PENALTIES-YARDS: Crestview 6-66; Indian Creek 3-41

PUNTS-AVERAGE: Crestview 6-33; Indian Creek 5-30.4

FUMBLES-LOST: Crestview 4-1; Indian Creek 4-1