Football Preview: Wickliffe Blue Devils vs. Independence Blue Devils
The Wickliffe Blue Devils will challenge the Independence Blue Devils at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, both will really light up the scoreboard.
Wickliffe took a loss when they played away from home last Saturday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They strolled past Cuyahoga Heights with points to spare, taking the game 37-18.
Meanwhile, a well-balanced attack led Independence over Brooklyn in every quarter on their way to victory on Friday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that Independence blew Brooklyn out of the water with a 41-6 final score. That looming 41-6 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Blue Devils yet this season.
A big part of Independence's win came down to the chemistry between Dominic Narduzzi and his top target Rocco Ressler. Narduzzi threw for 244 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 11.1 yards per attempt while Ressler gained 191 total yards and three touchdowns. Ressler also posted 172 receiving yards, which is notable because Independence is 2-1 when he posts at least 80 receiving yards, but 1-3 otherwise. Maverick Durden was another key player, rushing for 76 yards and a touchdown.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Independence was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 211 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Wickliffe now has a winning record of 4-3. As for Independence, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 3-4.
Wickliffe lost to Independence on the road by a decisive 26-7 margin when the teams last played back in October of 2023. Can Wickliffe 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
