If Glendale wanted to avenge their loss from the last time they played Independence, they should've done a better job of containing Thomas Kpakra. The Patriots sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 42-39 win over the Cardinals on Thursday thanks in part to Kpakra, who rushed for 163 yards and two TDs on only 15 carries. He really tore up the turf during one magnificent 80-yard run.
Daniel Rodriguez was another key player, gaining 122 total yards and two touchdowns. He also deserves a shoutout for his performance on D, making six total tackles and defending one pass.
One reason for the win was Independence's imposing defensive line, which managed to get into the backfield for 7.5 sacks. The heavy lifting was done by Anthony Perdomo and Elijah May, who racked up five sacks between them.
Despite the defeat, Glendale had strong showings from Michael Anguiano, who threw for 331 yards and four touchdowns, and Santiago Navarrette, who picked up 204 receiving yards and a pair of scores. With that strong performance, Navarrette is now averaging an impressive 115 receiving yards per game.
vs
| 10/02/25 - Home | 42-39 W |
| 09/26/24 - Away | 33-28 W |
| 09/22/23 - Home | 31-38 L |
| 10/01/21 - Home | 0-46 L |
| 09/06/19 - Home | 21-48 L |
| + 3 more games |
Independence's first victory this season bumped their record up to 1-5. As for Glendale, they dropped their record down to 1-4 with the loss, which was their fifth straight on the road dating back to last season.
We've got plenty of inter-region action coming up soon. Independence will square off against rival Marcos de Niza at 7:00 p.m. on the 10th. Meanwhile, Glendale is set to challenge their familiar foe Greenway at 7:00 p.m. on the 10th.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
