Independence is preparing for their first conference matchup of the season on Friday. They are taking a road trip to face off against the West Charlotte Lions at 7:00 p.m. Independence is coming into the matchup hot, having won their last three games.
Last Friday, Independence beat Palisades 27-20. Given the Patriots' advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina football rankings (they are ranked tenth, while the Pumas are ranked 73rd) , the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Jayden Jones
| 09/19/25 @ Palisades | 141 |
| 08/29/25 vs Hough | -5 |
| 08/22/25 @ Gaffney | 63 |
| 11/22/24 @ Hough | 73 |
| 11/15/24 @ Mount Tabor | 75 |
| 11/01/24 vs Butler | 282 |
This one was won in the trenches and the lion's share of the credit has to go to Travis Hill and Jayden Jones. Hill rushed for 101 yards and two touchdowns on only 13 carries while Jones rushed for 141 yards and one score. That's the most rushing yards Jones has posted since back in November of 2024.
Independence was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 334 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 187 rushing yards in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, West Charlotte hadn't done well against Mallard Creek recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. The Lions put the hurt on the Mavericks with a sharp 32-9 win. Surprisingly, this marked the Lions' fourth straight game in which the away team has come away the victor.
West Charlotte's win came from a few key players Independence will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Jamouri Nichols, who threw for 206 yards and three TDs, and also rushed for 76 yards and one touchdown. He was no stranger to the big play, taking off on a dash that went for 67 yards. West Charlotte also got a significant boost from Sincere Gray, who ran away from the competition to the tune of 127 yards.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to West Charlotte's defense and their four sacks. Mallard Creek's QB won't forget Kayden Smith anytime soon given he sacked him 2.5 times. Smith also set a new season-high mark in total tackles with seven. Michael Griffin Jr was another major factor on D, picking up a sack and making ten total tackles in addition to snagging an interception.
Independence's record now sits at 4-1. As for West Charlotte, their record is now 4-2.
Independence and West Charlotte were almost perfectly matched up when the teams last played back in September of 2023, but Independence suffered an agonizing 21-20 defeat. Can the Patriots avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
