Bakersfield won the last time they faced Independence, and things went their way on Friday too. The Bakersfield Drillers took down the Independence Falcons 38-21. Given the Drillers' advantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 95th, while the Falcons are ranked 344th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Bakersfield to victory, but perhaps none more so than Brenton Brown, who rushed for 139 yards and a touchdown on only five carries. Brown didn't just play on offense: he also picked up a sack and made seven total tackles. Another back making a difference was Brison Abbott, who rushed for 136 yards and a touchdown.
Bakersfield was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 283 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 176 rushing yards in five consecutive contests.
Despite the loss, Independence still got an impressive performance from Jakhai Ervin, who rushed for 106 yards and a touchdown on only 13 carries. Those 106 rushing yards gave Ervin a new career-high. Angel Corona also helped out with an impressive 92 receiving yards.
Bakersfield's win was their seventh straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 9-1. As for Independence, they are on a three-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 4-6.
The two teams are set to take part in some playoff action in their next matches. Bakersfield will host San Joaquin Memorial at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Bakersfield is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 41.3 points per game this season. As for Independence, they will take on Nipomo at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Nipomo will roll in looking for their fifth straight victory, something Independence surely won't give up without a fight.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
