Photo by Joe Lovell Martins Ferry’s Baron Lucey runs away from an Indian Creek defender during Friday’s game at the Dave Bruney Football Complex.

MARTINS FERRY — The Martins Ferry football team has been faced with challenge after challenge this season but on Friday night, it rose to the occasion.

Trailing 21-20 midway through the fourth quarter, the Purple Riders executed a 71-yard touchdown drive to defeat visiting Indian Creek, 26-21, at the Dave Bruney Football Complex.

For good measure, Tev’n Williams, who carried the ball 20 times for 79 yards and a score on offense, hauled in an interception on defense to seal the win for Ferry to kick off Homecoming Weekend.

“We’ve got so many guys in and out because of injuries and we have guys playing corner who haven’t played corner and guys playing safety who haven’t played safety,” Ferry coach Justin Kropka said. “If we get a guy hurt we put a linebacker at safety. This has been one of the hardest two weeks because of injuries and we have to almost come up with two gameplans. It’s hard to ask of these kids but they are fighters. Every time they have to display character — they do — and I’m glad these guys got a win on Homecoming.”

After being shut out in the first half, Indian Creek took the lead in the fourth quarter on an explosive special teams play as Zach Byard darted in and out of traffic and returned a punt 45 yards for a touchdown to give the Redskins a narrow 21-20 edge with 7:19 remaining.

However, the Riders jump-started their ensuing drive with a 28-yard screen pass from quarterback Ayden Ludolph to George Hulsey against an aggressive Creek defensive front.

“We kind of keep screens in our back pocket for moments of need,” Kropka said. “However, the last time we called that it was a pick-six for Shadyside so I had a lump in my throat when we called that play but it’s been successful for us so many times over the years that I felt pretty confident calling it in that situation. George Hulsey made a hell of a play and Ayden Ludolph drew them in just like he should.”

The screen pass was followed by another 28-yard gain, this time a pass from Ludolph to Baron Lucey that set up Williams for a 14-yard touchdown jaunt around the end for what proved to be the game-winning score.

Ludolph finished with 102 yards on 7 of 11 passing, while Lucey ran for 80 yards on eight carries as the two provided a solid one-two punch at quarterback.

“Ludolph is a dandy but he’s been playing on one leg for two weeks,” Kropka said. “There are certain formations we can only run with Lucey and he did a great job for us.”

Ludolph got the scoring started with the only touchdown of the first half as he connected with Landyn Hores for a 23-yard touchdown to give Ferry an 8-0 upper hand in the first quarter – a lead the Riders’ defense kept intact for the remainder of the half.

“Coach (Bryan) Mays, Coach (Matt) Shreve and Coach (Curt) Secrist and those guys do such a great job with our defense,” Kropka said. “We play hard and have gotten better and better every week. These kids really get coached on defense with that whole staff and I think you’re seeing the results on the field now.”

With the Riders still leading 8-0 to begin the third quarter, Creek took advantage of a Ferry fumble on the first play of the second half and the result was an 8-yard TD run by Zion McGee moments later.

Creek coach Andrew Connor and his staff got creative on the 2-point try as quarterback Salvatore Barcalow threw a pass backward to Paul Mazar, who found Kyle Shultz in the end zone for the equalizer.

The Redskins forced a Ferry punt on their next drive and set up shop in Riders’ territory, a 40-yard march that culminated in a McGee 4-yard TD run to give Creek a 14-8 lead.

McGee and the Redskins’ offensive line was tough to stop all night as the back rumbled for 124 yards on 32 carries.

“I think our kids played hard on both sides of the ball,” Connor said. “I just feel our kids deserved better than what they got down here (Friday) night. Our kids played unbelievable football.”

The lead was short-lived, however, as the Riders needed two plays to even the count as Lucey threw a screen to the sideline where Williams tip-toed 60-yards to the end zone to tie the game at 14-14.

Lucey added an impressive 74-yard QB scramble for six that gave Ferry a 20-14 cushion entering the final frame.

Martins Ferry will take on Wheeling Central next Friday night in a contest that will be played at West Liberty University at 7 p.m.

Indian Creek will travel to Beaver Local on Friday night.

Martins Ferry 26, Indian Creek 21

IC 0 0 14 7 — 21

MF 8 0 12 6 — 26

M — Hores 23 pass from Ludolph (Ward pass from Ludolph), 5:24

I — McGee 8 run (Shultz pass from Mazar), 10:49

I — McGee 4 run (Pass failed), 5:01

M — Williams 60 pass from Lucey (run failed), 4:31

M — Lucey 74 run (Pass failed), 1:01

I — Byard 40 punt return (Gross kick), 7:19

M — Williams 14 run (Pass failed), 3:38

Rushing: Creek 38-104-2td (McGee 32-124-2td, Barcalow 2-(-13), Bodo 1-(-2), Pownall 1-(-4), Team 2-(-1); Ferry 34-216-2td (Williams 20-79-td, Lucey 8-80-td, Ludolph 6-47).

Passing: Creek 5-14-36-2x (all by Barcalow); Ferry 8-13-162-2td-x (Ludolph 7-11-102-td-x, Lucey 1-2-60-td).

Receiving: Creek 5-36 (Bodo 1-7, Mazar 1-21, Shultz 2-14, Robinson 1-(-6)); Ferry 8-162-2td (Ward 1-15, Hores 1-23-td, Lucey 4-36, Williams 1-60-td, Hulsey 1-28).

First Downs: Creek 12; Ferry 14.

Penalties-Yards: Creek 5-45; Ferry 8-50.

Fumbles-Lost: Creek 1-1, Ferry 2-0.