Rocco Crapis doesn't know too much about the inner workings of a football team.

When it comes to Xs and Os, the A-C Valley running back has nothing but Qs.

"He still has a hard time with the plays," said A-C Valley coach Randy Lemmon. "If there is an easier offense in the (Keystone Shortway Athletic Conference), I don't know who has it. We've just give him the ball and tell him to run. That's just the way Rocco is."

The simplified approach is the way to go for Crapis. No fretting about defensive schemes; no pondering line shifts or linebackers keying on his every move.

It's just get ball, run ball.

And it is working. Crapis is making do for the resurgent Falcons in a big way.

The 5-foot-8, 160-pound junior has rushed for 500 yards on just 62 carries and has scored nine touchdowns for the 3-3 Falcons. He's just 10 points off the lead for the Butler Eagle Scoring Trophy, which used to be a staple in the A-C Valley High School trophy case in the late-90s.

This is coming from a running back who played tight end and linebacker in junior high, then quit his high school team two weeks into his freshman season only to come out of nowhere this season.

"It was a surprise to everyone, what he has done," Lemmon said. "It's a surprise to everyone still.

"He runs kinda funny - it always looks like he's in pain."

The only pain Crapis has inflicted lately is on his opponents.

He took over as the starting tailback against West Middlesex three weeks into the season and led the Falcons to a 19-18 upset win, rushing for 101 yards and two touchdowns.

Crapis followed that up with a 139-yard, three-touchdown effort against Conneaut Lake and then gained 191 yards and scored four touchdowns in a blowout win against Union.

The Falcons are 3-1 since Crapis took over as the starting tailback and have scored 153 points in those four games.

"Oh, yeah, I love it," Crapis said. "I just have an amazing offensive line and Colt Burk is a great fullback. He's a monster. He's great at what he does. The offensive line, they just go out and go to town."

Even though Crapis doesn't exactly know where they play.

Caleb Rice, Casey McBride, Ben Bobbert, Trevor Miller and Brian Best have been opening gaping holes for Crapis this season.

"Bobbert plays two down from the center," Crapis said. "Is that a tackle?"

Crapis can't be blamed for being in the dark when it comes to football. He hasn't played it for years.

"I had to keep my grades up," he said.

He decided to come out this season because many of his classmates and friends at Cranberry High School, which lends A-C Valley players during football season in a co-op arrangement, were playing.

"Well, I kind of just figured 'why the heck not?" Crapis said. "I had absolutely no idea what to expect. I just knew a bunch of my friends were playing."

Crapis, though, is starting to pick up some of the intricacies and nuances of football, thanks to a heaping helping of Football 101 from his coaches.

"It's been coming along a lot better lately," Crapis said. "At first it was like, 'Uh, yeah, OK.' But it's coming around."

A-C Valley, which was just 2-25 the last three years, needs just two more wins to make the playoffs.

"As a team, I think it would be nice to accomplish a playoff berth," Crapis said. "Everyone believes we have the ability this year. I think we can make the playoffs."

To do that, Crapis will have to find more running room against some of the powers of the KSAC in the final three games: Karns City and Clarion sandwiched around Keystone.

Lemmon said he also believes his team can make the playoffs.

And he also believes Crapis will be a key in doing so with his instinctive running ability.

"For a kid who hasn't played in a long time, he had a natural ability to see the field," Lemmon said. "He follows his blockers well. We never expected that."

Crapis didn't, either.

When asked what he thought was his best asset as a runner, he pointed to his line.

Maybe he is getting a hang of this football thing after all.

"They give 100 percent every play and go out and plant people," Crapis said, lauding his line like any back worth his weight in ankle tape. "So I feel I need to give 100 percent on every run, too."