Independence is 1-7 against Piedmont Hills since November of 2014 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Independence 76ers will be playing in front of their home fans against the Piedmont Hills Pirates at 7:15 p.m.
Independence is headed into Friday's contest looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their fifth straight game on Friday. They came up short against Silver Creek, falling 27-7. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest defeat the 76ers have suffered against the Raiders since November 6, 2015.
Meanwhile, Piedmont Hills had already won five in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 21.8 points) and they went ahead and made it six on Friday. They were the clear victor by a 34-10 margin over the Dons. The result was nothing new for the Pirates, who have now won five matches by 21 points or more so far this season.
Piedmont Hills had a senior duo take command as Alex Solarez rushed for 53 yards and three touchdowns and Jonas Petty rushed for 79 yards and a touchdown. Petty really tore up the turf during one magnificent 79-yard run.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Piedmont Hills was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 211 rushing yards. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their rushing yard total in three consecutive matchups.
Piedmont Hills didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Petty and Alexavier Rivera.
Piedmont Hills' win was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 7-2. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 36.7 points per game. As for Independence, their loss dropped their record down to 3-6.
Things could have been worse for Independence, but things could have been a whole lot better as they took a 33-15 loss to Piedmont Hills when the teams last played back in October of 2023. Thankfully for Independence, Dylan Blank (who rushed for 144 yards and three touchdowns, and also caught a touchdown) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
