Football Game Preview: Independence Blue Devils vs. Brooklyn Hurricanes

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Previous 5 Games

10/04/24 - Home	41-6 W
09/29/23 - Away	35-0 W
10/21/22 - Away	35-12 W
10/22/21 - Home	35-8 W
09/20/19 - Home	33-12 W

Independence has gone a perfect 5-0 against Brooklyn recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Blue Devils will head out to challenge the Hurricanes at 7:00 p.m. Independence's offense hasn't had much luck over their past six contests, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Independence and Cuyahoga Heights meet (four straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Friday. The Blue Devils lost 35-13 to the Red Wolves.

Independence's defeat came about despite a quality game from Maverick Durden, who rushed for 40 yards and two scores. An impressive showing, but Durden really ramped things up playing D: he forced one fumble and made 15 total tackles in addition to snagging an interception.

Meanwhile, the third road matchup was the charm for Brooklyn, as they earned their first away victory of the season. They were the clear victors by a 24-0 margin over Beachwood on Friday. The Hurricanes' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.

A big part of Brooklyn's win came down to the chemistry between Mason Vega and his top target Lyle Taylor. Vega threw for 153 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only 11 passes while Taylor picked up 127 receiving yards and two TDs. What's more, Vega racked up 29 rushing yards, the most he's had since back in August of 2024.

Brooklyn didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Bentley Cox and Enrique Perez.

Independence's loss dropped their record down to 0-6. As for Brooklyn, their victory (their first of the season) made their record 1-5.

Everything came up roses for Independence against Brooklyn when the teams last played back in October of 2024, as the team secured a 41-6 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Blue Devils since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.