The Butler Bulldogs will square off against the Independence Patriots at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday.
Butler is headed into the game out to prove that what happened against Mallard Creek on Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. The Bulldogs lost 44-22 to the Mavericks. The defeat continues a trend for the Bulldogs in their meetings with the Mavericks: they've now lost five in a row.
Despite the loss, Butler got top-tier performance from DeMaurion Thomas-Wright, who rushed for 143 yards and one touchdown while picking up 7.5 yards per carry. The Bulldogs are 4-2 when Thomas-Wright posts 80 or more rushing yards, but 0-3 otherwise.
Matthew Shields
| 10/24/25 @ Mallard Creek | 11 |
| 10/17/25 vs West Charlotte | 13 |
| 10/10/25 vs North Mecklenburg | 8 |
| 09/26/25 @ Chambers | 11 |
| 09/19/25 vs Providence | 15 |
| + 4 more games |
Butler didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Matthew Shields and Ali Aman. Shields is also crushing it when it comes to total tackles: he's made at least eight every time he's taken the field this season. Another thorn in Mallard Creek's side was Amari Sifford, who forced one fumble, made 11 total tackles, and defended two passes.
Meanwhile, Independence entered their tilt with North Mecklenburg on Friday with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Vikings 41-0. Given the Patriots' advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina football rankings (they are ranked tenth, while the Vikings are ranked 131st) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.
Butler better focus on containing Jared Street Jr and Jayden Jones as the pair were huge in Independence's win. Street Jr threw for 315 yards and three TDs while picking up 14.3 yards per attempt, while Jones gained 205 total yards and two touchdowns. Jones' longest reception was for an incredible 76 yards. Zakai Milton was another key player, picking up 108 receiving yards and a pair of scores.
Independence's run defense was locked in: North Mecklenburg could only muster three yards per carry. The team can thank Semaj Robinson for the heroic effort on defense: he. Independence's run defense has been on the up-and-up: they allowed 4.65 yards per carry earlier this season, but they've only allowed 13.97 on average over their last five games.
Independence's defense didn't let the opposing QB, get away unscathed either: they got into the backfield for three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Elijah Alexander, Bruscutty Maxime, and Landyn Johnson, who each picked up one sack apiece.
Butler now has a losing record of 4-5. As for Independence, their victory bumped their record up to 7-2.
Thursday's contest might be decided on the ground. Butler has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 158.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Independence struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 224.9 rushing yards. There's a good chance Thursday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Butler couldn't quite get it done against Independence in their previous meeting back in November of 2024 as they fell 41-34. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Jones, who rushed for 282 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 10.8 yards per carry. Now that the Bulldogs know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.
