Football Game Preview: Lightridge Bolts vs. Independence + How To Watch

The Lightridge Bolts will square off against Independence at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Lightridge took a loss when they played away from home two weeks ago, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. They never let Riverside get on the board and left with a 21-0 victory. The win continues a trend for the Bolts in their matchups with the Ram: they've now won three in a row.

Jeremiah Pettiford

Rushing Yards

10/17/25 vs Briar Woods	97
10/30/25 vs Riverside	93
09/05/25 vs Tuscarora	82
09/12/25 @ Broad Run	49
09/19/25 vs Potomac Falls	47
+ 4 more games

Jeremiah Pettiford had an outrageously good game as he rushed for 93 yards and one TD, and also picked up 57 receiving yards. Lightridge is undefeated when Pettiford posts 80 or more rushing yards, but 2-4 otherwise.

Meanwhile, Independence posted their closest victory since September 6, 2024 on Friday. In a tight contest that could have gone either way, they made off with a 22-21 win over Gainesville.

Independence's win came from a few key players Lightridge will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Chase Alvarez, who rushed for 100 yards and one touchdown. That's the most rushing yards he has posted since back in September. The team also got some help courtesy of Luke King, who rushed for 84 yards and one score.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Independence was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 254 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 186 rushing yards in five consecutive games.

Independence didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Caidyn Parks and Julian Turpin. Another thorn in Gainesville's side was Marcus Crivelli, who picked up a sack and made nine total tackles (3.0 for loss).

Lightridge now has a winning record of 5-4. As for Independence, their victory bumped their record up to 6-3.

Lightridge came up short against Independence in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, falling 37-31. Can the Bolts avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.