The Weddington Warriors will welcome the Independence Patriots at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Weddington is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They claimed a resounding 42-7 victory over Lake Norman. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Warriors' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina football rankings (they are ranked fourth, while the Wildcats are ranked 26th).
Weddington's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Brayden Briles, who rushed for 27 yards and two TDs.
Weddington's run defense was locked in: Lake Norman could only muster -0.8 yards per carry. That's the most yards per carry they've posted since back in December of 2024.
Meanwhile, you can't lose the game if you win every quarter, and that was precisely Independence's strategy against Richmond Senior on Friday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that the Patriots blew the Raiders out of the water with a 52-18 final score. The Patriots pushed the score to 38-11 by the end of the third, a deficit the Raiders had little chance of recovering from.
Weddington better keep an eye on Jayden Jones. He was instrumental in Independence's win, rushing for 190 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 11.2 yards per carry, and also picking up 51 receiving yards and one score. Jones' rushing production has been exceptional as that marked his fifth straight game with at least 129 rushing yards. Jared Street Jr was another key signal caller, throwing for 212 yards and three TDs while completing 80% of his passes.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Independence's defense and their five sacks. Leading the way was Bruscutty Maxime with two. Ricky Myers Jr. got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Independence pushed their record up to 10-2 with the win, which was their sixth straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 11.8 points on average over those games. As for Weddington, their record is now 11-1.
Weddington took their win against Independence when the teams last played back in December of 2023 by a conclusive 34-14 score. Do the Warriors have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Patriots turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
