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WELLSBURG -- Momentum is a big thing in football. Both Brooke and Indian Creek are coming into Friday night's annual rivalry showdown with it.
The Bruins are off to their first 2-0 start since 2023 and have done so convincingly, winning their games by a combined 90 points with a bye week in between.
Indian Creek, after dropping two in a row, bounced back in a big way last week with running clock win over Weir High.
"They have come out and started very fast in both of their wins, they have put up some points early in the first half and we've done the same," Brooke head coach Frank Sisinni said. "I think what happens in the first half, which team can get off to the fast start they want to get off to, is going to tell a lot about how the game is going to play out.
"Indian Creek is a well-coached team, coach (Andrew) Connor has been there a long time and you see that in the success that they've had. It's a big game for us, homecoming night and a chance to be 3-0, We're making gains every day and we're excited to play a good, local rivalry game and another Buckeye 8 opponent."
Something will have to give as only of them will leave homecoming night at Brooke Memorial Stadium Friday with their momentum intact.
Indian Creek has won the last two meetings, a 41-14 victory in Wintersville last season and a close 30-24 win the last time the teams met in Wellsburg. The Bruins won in 2023, 28-7.
"We're coming off a big win, we re-established some things we wanted to do and got off to a good start, which is something we really wanted to do," Connor said of last week's game. "We minimized big plays and tackled better and that's going to be important again this week. We met all of the goals we set for ourselves before the game.
"We have taken some good strides as a football team. We hope to take a few more against another good football team this week."
The Bruins offense has been rolling through its first two games, in particular the passing game.
Senior quarterback Kamden Sperringer has thrown for 492 yards and seven touchdowns without an interception, also rushing for 59 yards to put him over 500 yards of total offense in just two games. He's completed 61 percent of his passes and averages 19.2 yards per completion.
He's completed passes to nine different targets so far, led by Grant Yost's eight catches for 139 yards, Michael Gibson's five catches for 72 yards and three scores and Bryden Horstin's five catches for 142 yards and two touchdowns.
"They've won in dominating fashion in both of their first two games, they could not ask for much better of a start" Connor said. "They look very athletic, they look very physical. They have had a lot of big plays on offense and scored points in bunches, they've had big plays on special teams and on defense. They have really kind of chomped on their opponents quickly in both games and got off to great starts in both games."
The Bruins also scored six touchdowns on the ground last week against Cambridge, using six different ball carriers. The leading rusher so far is Cole Bolen, who has 140 yards and three touchdowns on just 16 carries, averaging over 8 yards per carry. Kayden Thomas and Rylan Figgs have each visited the end zone twice, both breaking 50-plus yarder against the Bobcats last week.
Defensively, the Bruins are led by 11 tackles and four tackles for loss from Bolen, nine tackles, two tackles for loss and two forced fumbles and a sack from Yost, while AJ Harvey and Kaleb Neilson each have interception and Memphis McCoy has recovered two fumbles.
"Our offense is scoring a lot of points but we're also playing really good defense right now," Sisinni said. "Limiting teams to few first downs and flying to the ball and that's a tribute to coach Gus DiMarzio and the job he's doing as our defensive coordinator. The kids have bought into the whole system and the process and we're excited about what we're seeing."
For Indian Creek, it's no secret who coach Andrew Connor and company look to for the Redskins to be successful – it's senior tailback Bruce Mazar.
So far this season, Mazar is already halfway to another 1,000-yard campaign as he sits at 514 yards and nine touchdowns on 55 carries, averaging over 9.3 yards per carry. He's also the team's leading receiver, tallying six catches for another 122 yards and a score. He averages over 20 yards per catch. He's also the team's leading tackler with 25 tackles, two sacks, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble.
"He's a very talented kid," Sisinni said of Mazar. "It's no mystery hat when they break the huddle, we need to find out where he's at, what's going on. He was a main cog in a lot of their success last year and it all starts there. We've coached our kids up all week to understand that and know where he is at all times."
Behind him, Dylan Romanyak has also had a nose for the endzone, turning 16 carries into four trips to the endzone. On defense, he has 19 total tackles, including a sack.
Quarterback Ethan Starr has been solid, completing 55 percent of his passes for 387 yards and three touchdowns, while being the team's second leading rusher with 185 yards and a score, averaging nearly 5 yards per carry.
Luke McVicker has been a big part of Creek's efforts on the defensive side of the ball, racking up 22 tackles, two tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries and two pass break ups.