Butler defeats Independence in Charlotte-area battle

In a highly-anticipated Charlotte-area matchup that drew viewers from across the state of North Carolina, Butler (Matthews, N.C.) defeated Independence (Charlotte) at home, 33-14, to win its fourth consecutive conference title.

One of those viewers was Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, who took a few hours out of his Friday night to watch one of the state's top high school football games of the year.

Butler running back Josh Glisson scored four touchdowns — three runs and a kickoff return — to lead the Bulldogs.

Butler came into the game undefeated (9-0), ranked No. 1 in North Carolina and No. 8 in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Rankings. Traditional state power Independence came in at 9-1, ranked 15th in North Carolina, with its only loss coming to at Vance, 35-0, in Week 3.

After a scoreless first quarter, Butler got on the board with just over nine minutes left in the second on a 14-yard touchdown run by Glisson, and the Bulldogs took a 7-0 lead.

Glisson struck again on the next Butler possession, this time running 7 yards into the end zone to increase the Bulldog lead to 14-0 with five minutes left in the half.

View the game's Qwixcore log

Still up 14-0, Butler received a hurtful blow just before halftime, when receiver/defensive back and University of Georgia commit Uriah Lemay was ejected for taunting.

The Bulldogs didn't let the setback affect them however, as they increased their lead with five minutes left in the third quarter on a 7-yard touchdown run by Riley Ferguson. The PAT was missed, giving Butler a 20-0 lead.

Independence did not give up, however, and with five minutes left in the game Kelvin Hopkins found Dequan Barnes for a 34-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 20-7.

Butler responded with another Glisson touchdown, a 2-yard run, to increase the lead to 26-7.

After Independence scored on a touchdown run, Glisson punctuated his fantastic night with a 50-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, giving Butler the final 33-14 lead.

While Butler has been better recently, Independence is well-known for putting together a 109-game winning streak. It has also produced impressive pigskin alumni like Chris Leak and Hakeem Nicks.

When both teams were undefeated entering their showdown in 2009, there was so much hype for the game that tickets sold out almost immediately. They then hit Craiglist with an asking price of $50.

Butler improves to 10-0 on the season with the win, while Independence falls to 9-2. Playoffs begin next week.