Football Preview: Beech Buccaneers vs. Independence Eagles
The Beech Buccaneers will head out to face off against the Independence Eagles at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Beech's defense has only allowed 10.5 points per game this season, so Independence's offense will have their work cut out for them.
Beech will roll into the matchup after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up seven points last Friday, then bounced right back against Portland on Friday. Beech was the clear victor by a 35-13 margin over Portland. With the Buccaneers ahead 28-7 at the half, the match was all but over already.
Kaden Powell was nothing short of spectacular: he rushed for 85 yards and a touchdown on only five carries, and also threw for 76 yards and a touchdown. His longest rush was for an impressive 69 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total. Chelton Swafford was in the mix as well, providing Beech with two touchdowns.
Beech wouldn't let Portland keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. Beech can thank Dk Williams and Aiden Curry for forcing both of them. Gunnar Clary was another major factor on D, making 12 total tackles (4.0 for loss).
Meanwhile, Independence was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their seventh straight loss. They lost 35-14 to Franklin. One positive for the Eagles, at least, is that this was the most points they've scored all season.
Despite the defeat, Independence saw an underclassman step up: Matthew Horner rushed for 66 yards and a touchdown on only nine carries, and also threw for 119 yards on ten of 18 attempts.
The win made it two in a row for Beech and bumps their season record up to 3-1. As for Independence, their loss dropped their record down to 0-4.
Friday's game might be decided in the trenches. Beech has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 197.8 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for Independence, though, as they've been averaging only 89.2. How will they fare against such a dominant running game?
Beech suffered a grim 28-7 defeat to Independence in their previous meeting back in September of 2023. Can Beech avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
