Football Recap: Independence Falcons vs. Highland Scots
A win for Independence just wasn't in the cards on Thursday as the team wasn't able to take the lead at any point. They came up short against the Highland Scots, falling 36-13. The Falcons were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Scots apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in September of 2023.
Despite the defeat, Independence saw an underclassman step up: Rayland Denweed forced a fumble and made ten total tackles (2.0 for loss). The dominant performance also gave Jakhai Ervin a new career-high in rushing yards.
Independence wouldn't let Highland keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force three fumbles. It was truly a group effort as Bricen Gutierrez, Denweed, and Aamir Smith picked up one apiece.
Preston Mendez was the offensive standout of the matchup as he threw for 211 yards and two touchdowns, and also rushed for 49 yards and a touchdown. Nicholas Gonzales was Mendez's top target, picking up 108 receiving yards.
Independence has traveled a rocky road recently having lost three of their last four matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-4 record this season. As for Highland, the victory snapped their losing streak at three games and leaves them with a 5-3 record.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. It'll be Battle of the Birds when Falcons dukes it out withBakersfield Christian at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. Their defense has only allowed 14.7 points per game this season, so Independence's offense will have their work cut out for them. As for Highland, they will venture away from home to square off against Frontier at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. Highland is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 26.8 points per game this season.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
