Preview: Tehachapi Warriors vs. Independence Falcons
Tehachapi and Independence are an even 5-5 against one another since February of 2017, but not for long. The Tehachapi Warriors will head out on the road to face off against the Independence Falcons at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Tehachapi's defense has only allowed 28.8 points per game this season, so Independence's offense will have their work cut out for Independence.
Tehachapi has made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won seven matchups by 30 points or more this season. They really took it to Garces Memorial for the full four quarters, racking up a 90-9 victory at home. Given Tehachapi's advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 248th, while Garces Memorial is ranked 1014th), the result on Tuesday wasn't entirely unexpected.
Tehachapi got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Kennedy Perkins out in front who scored 20 points. Another player making a difference was JoJo Rausch, who scored 15 points along with 7 rebounds and 6 steals.
Meanwhile, things could have been worse for Independence, but they could have been a whole lot better as they took a 48-31 loss to Centennial on Tuesday. Independence has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Tehachapi's win bumped their season record to 8-2 while Garces Memorial's defeat dropped theirs to 1-5.
Everything came up roses for Tehachapi against Independence in their previous matchup back in December of 2022 as the squad secured a 60-28 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Tehachapi since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
