Independence was not able to break out of their rough patch on Thursday as the team picked up their fifth straight loss. They were beaten by the Walnut Grove Wildcats 64-33. Even if the Knights couldn't come away with the victory, the high-scoring effort was a great turnaround for their offense, which had struggled int the games prior.
Defeat or not, Independence got some senior leadership from Logan Murindagomo and Mckenzie West. Murindagomo rushed for 161 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 8.1 yards per carry, while West gained 148 total yards. Those 161 rushing yards set a new season-high mark for Murindagomo.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Independence was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 250 rushing yards. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their rushing yard total in three consecutive games.
Walnut Grove was led to victory by Cameron Newton and Hayes Hackney. Newton gained 192 total yards and four touchdowns, while Hackney threw for 258 yards and five touchdowns while completing 81% of his passes. Newton showed off some serious burst, turning on the afterburners on one carry for 63 yards. Zaiden Crain was another key player, picking up 91 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Independence's record now sits at 2-8. As for Walnut Grove, the win (which was their third in a row) raised their record to 9-1.
Independence does not have any more games scheduled as of now. As for Walnut Grove, they will square off against Seguin at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in Walnut Grove's favor is that they have posted at least 31 points in their last seven matches.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
