The Independence Patriots had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 10 points), and they went ahead and made it three on Thursday. They slipped by Sierra Linda 21-20. That result was just more of the same for these two, as Independence also won the last time the pair played back in September of 2019.
Independence's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Jimmie Canidate led the charge by rushing for 105 yards and two touchdowns on only 12 carries. Chance Ogle and his 149 yards on the ground were also a key factor in Independence's win.
Independence's victory was their fourth straight on the road, which bumped their overall record up to 6-2. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 34.0 points per game. As for Sierra Linda, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 3-5.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Independence will square off against La Joya Community at 7:00 p.m. on October 27th. As for Sierra Linda, they will head out on the road to face off against Seton Catholic at 7:00 p.m. on October 27th. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in Arizona (Seton Catholic is ranked 145th, while Sierra Linda is ranked 147th).
