The Independence Patriots will head out on the road to take on the Rocky River Ravens at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Independence has three straight victories, Rocky River has three straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Independence is headed into the game after thoroughly thrashing East Mecklenburg: they outscored them in every quarter. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that Independence blew East Mecklenburg out of the water with a 62-0 final score. That looming 62-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Patriots yet this season.
Jayden Jones continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, rushing for 115 yards and two touchdowns on only five carries. Jones is crushing it when it comes to rushing yards: he's rushed for at least 115 every time he's taken the field this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Justin Little, who threw for 115 yards and a touchdown on only eight passes.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Independence was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 206 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 206 rushing yards in eight consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, a win for Rocky River just wasn't in the cards on Friday as the squad wasn't able to take the lead at any point. They took a blow against Providence, falling 45-15. While losing is never fun, the Ravens can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina football rankings (they are ranked 212th, while the Panthers are ranked 88th).
Independence's victory was their sixth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 7-1. As for Rocky River, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-6.
Everything came up roses for Independence against Rocky River in their previous matchup back in October of 2023, as the team secured a 56-7 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Independence since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps