Football Preview: Independence Patriots vs. Glendale Cardinals
Independence has enjoyed a three-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will venture away from home to challenge the Glendale Cardinals at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Independence's defense has only allowed 11 points per game this season, so Glendale's offense will have their work cut out for them.
Independence's defense heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They blew past Washington, posting a 35-0 victory at home. The Patriots' defense has been rock solid lately; the team hasn't given up a point in their last three contests.
Independence got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Daniel Rodriguez out in front who picked up 72 receiving yards and two touchdowns, and also rushed for 36 yards. Another signal caller making a difference was Armani Cruz, who threw for 146 yards and three touchdowns.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Independence was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 300 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 199 rushing yards in three consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, there was early excitement for Glendale after they claimed the first score on Thursday, but it was Thunderbird who ended up claiming the real prize. Glendale was beaten by Thunderbird 47-7. While losing is never fun, the Cardinals can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Arizona football rankings (they are ranked 116th, while the Titans are ranked 23rd).
Independence's victory was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 3-1. As for Glendale, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 1-3.
Independence came up short against Glendale in their previous matchup back in September of 2023, falling 38-31. Thankfully for Independence, Zechariah Owens (who rushed for 141 yards and four touchdowns on only 15 carries, and also threw for 226 yards and two touchdowns) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
