Franklin Central is 2-0 and just beat Roncalli. But Flashes haven't made statement — yet.

Special athletes can change the course of a game through sheer will and determination.

They don't need a play to be blocked perfectly or even make the right read when the ball is snapped. They can create something out of nothing, turning a near disaster into something spectacular. And that's what Franklin Central senior running back Braylen Gillard did against Roncalli on Friday night.

The play should've resulted in a loss of yardage. With the ball on the 1-yard line, Gillard took the handoff in his own end zone and was met in the backfield by a defender. One of the officials started to raise his hands to make the safety motion and then Gillard's athleticism took over.

He cut back against the grain, turned the corner and sprinted down the left sideline. Starting to hit his stride, he delivered a vicious stiff arm to a would-be tackler, tight-roped the sideline, regained his balance and continued down the field. One last Roncalli defender had a chance to make the tackle downfield, but Gillard's speed destroyed the pursuit angle, and he galloped to a 99-yard touchdown.

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The play put Franklin Central up for good helping the Flashes earn a 20-6 win over Roncalli.

"The play was toward the front side," Gillard said. "It was a right-side run, everything closed down, so I had to use my running back instincts, press the gap, jump cut — green grass everywhere.

"My wide receivers set the edge and I was gone. Cut against the grain, tight-roped it, stiff arm — I was gone."

The play was Gillard's second touchdown of the game but easily one of the more impressive runs you'll see on a high school football field. Gillard is just one of the big-play athletes the upstart Flashes have on both sides of the ball. Cornerback Hudauri Hines is a three-star Purdue recruit. Jayon Harvey is a speedy wide receiver coming off a two-touchdown game, and William McKinley is a physical wide receiver with speed to burn.

These athletes have elevated the program’s talent level under third-year coach Jayson West and the results are starting to show on the field. The Flashes won just three games last season and after two weeks (2-0) they seem poised to blow by that mark.

"It's been great, and the best thing about them is they're wonderful young men," West said of the strong start to the season. "They say when your best players are your hardest workers you've got a chance to win a lot of games. And I hope that model is true because they are great kids that show up every day and work hard."

Franklin Central can generate big plays, but once it got the lead it relied on the running game to seal the win. The physical brand of football is usually Roncalli's calling card, but the Royals struggled to generate consistent offense. Their first possession of the game ended on a stuffed fourth-down run. The next two possessions went three-and-out. The visitors finally found their rhythm in the second quarter, stringing together an 18-play drive but it ended with a missed field goal. Roncalli's only points came on a 57-yard interception return touchdown by Ben Brandenburg.

"They've got good athletes, and we knew what we were battling," Roncalli coach Eric Quintana said. "We had a great week of preparation. ... I thought overall we balanced (the offense) well, but we've just got to shore some things up. But look out, we're coming."

McKinley iced the game with a 45-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Nevan Tutterow. Gillard finished with 137 yards rushing. Broderic Middleton added 79 yards. McKinley made three catches for 76 yards. Henry Adams led the Roncalli offense with 70 yards rushing on 22 carries.

West won a state title at Warren Central and now has the Flashes heading in the right direction, but he said it's too soon to think the team has arrived. With a grueling conference schedule looming, only after navigating the Hoosier Crossroads Conference will West truly know how much progress the program has made.

"We play in the best conference in America, so it doesn't get any easier," West said. "It's one of those things you celebrate tonight, it's a rivalry and this game's been played for a long time. These boys know each other. They play hard against each other, so it is a great game to win in that respect.

"If we win a couple of those games we haven't won in the last few years, then I think a statement is being made, but not yet."

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IHSAA football: Franklin Central big plays too much for Roncalli