Football Recap: Independence Comes Up Short

Independence came into this matchup off a tough 47-point loss last Friday. This time they kept things ultra-competitive, but unfortunately the final result was the same. They fell just short of the Tempe Buffaloes by a score of 22-20 on Friday. The Patriots have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Although Independence took the loss, they still got scores from Keteyian Austin and Thomas Kpakra.

Even if they lost, Independence's defense still kept up the pressure with 3.5 sacks. The team can thank one different players for their defensive prowess: Elijah May, who each picked up 0.5 sacks apiece.

It was another big night for Saul Mendez, who threw for 265 yards and three touchdowns for Tempe. The dominant performance also gave Mendez a new career-high in rushing yards (16).

Independence's defeat dropped their record down to 1-7. As for Tempe, their win bumped their record up to 5-3.

We've got plenty of inter-region action coming up soon. Independence is set to square off against their familiar foe Moon Valley at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Meanwhile, Tempe will take on rival Glendale at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. That contest will pit two of the most dominant signal callers against one another: Mendez and Michael Anguiano.