APEX — Entering Friday night’s Tri-Eight Conference opener with Green Hope, Middle Creek was arguably the best 0-4 team in the area. And following a 51-0 romp over the Falcons, the Mustangs looked very much like the best 1-4 team in the area and a candidate to vie for the top spot in the conference.

“We were really prepared,” senior Middle Creek running back Nate Harris said. “We stayed focused all week. We felt like we should be a 4-0 team. We played great teams in the non-conference, but we felt like we were the better team the whole time. We just didn’t put it together.”

Harris and the Mustangs put it all together against Green Hope (0-5, 0-1), with more than 400 yards of total offense, including Harris’ 61 rushing yards and one touchdown. Middle Creek quarterback Brett Burnette threw for 203 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 104 yards.

First-year coach Sean Crocker’s spread offense was revved up and the Mustangs were galloping up and down the field. It was a welcome change for Middle Creek after four frustrating non-conference setbacks. Crocker said the challenging competition early from Northern Durham, Garner, Sanderson and Leesville Road should serve his team well in the Tri-Eight.

“It was tough losing those four games,” Crocker said. “Especially since we lost three of them by seven points or less. We’re just looking to get to where we can use that experience.”

It shouldn’t be difficult for Crocker and his staff to simulate opposing offenses in practice the rest of the way. Most of the teams in the Tri-8, like the Mustangs, have gone to the spread formation. Middle Creek (1-4, 1-0) will face the new-look Apex High (2-3, 0-1) spread offense this Friday at Apex.

“As fun as it is to have, it’s just that hard to face it, especially when there are a lot of athletes out there,” Crocker said of the spread system. “We probably faced one of the better spread teams in the area when we went against Leesville last week. We thought we did pretty good.”

Burnette likes the new system and said it has been effective for Middle Creek. He is averaging 170.6 passing yards per game.

“Oh, it’s a lot more fun,” he said of the Mustangs’ no-huddle system. “We ran the Wing-T a lot last year. We kind of started to simulate the spread [last season], but there’s nothing like it. You’re pretty much into every play. It’s not like the Wing-T.”

Although the spread is known as a passing system, Harris said he’s having a lot of fun and finding plenty of running room with the field opened up.

“It’s an offense that the fans like and we like because it gives you points at any given moment, especially with our playbook,” Harris said. “Everybody loves to score. That’s what makes the game fun.”

Crocker said with the athletes and the experience that his team has it was just a matter of time before the wins started coming. Now he just wants to keep all his weapons happy.

“I told our offensive coordinator, we’ve got wide receiver attitudes out there. Everybody wants the ball all the time,” Crocker said. “It’s pretty fun, especially when we get on a roll and its wide open and we’re moving the chains and guys are making big plays.”