Preview: Independence 76ers vs. Branham Bruins
Independence has enjoyed a two-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will square off against The Branham Bruins at 7:15 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Last Friday, Independence humbled Gilroy with a 48-7 victory.
Meanwhile, Branham took their matchup at home on Thursday with ease, bagging a 43-7 victory over Piedmont Hills. The result was nothing new for Branham, who have now won five contests by 29 points or more so far this season.
Branham's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Elias Antillion, who rushed for 121 yards on only 12 carries, and also picked up 77 receiving yards. The team also got some help courtesy of Jack Lewis, who threw for 277 yards and five touchdowns while completing 81.8% of his passes.
Branham's defense stepped up as well, laying out the QB four times. Leading the way was Thomas Nguyen and his two sacks.
Independence now has a winning record of 4-3. As for Branham, their win was their tenth straight at home (dating back to last season), bumping their overall record up to 5-2.
Independence suffered a grim 42-22 defeat to Branham when the teams last played back in October of 2022. Thankfully for Independence, William Augenstein (who rushed for 172 yards and a touchdown on only 13 carries, and also threw for 180 yards and four 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.
