The Anna Coyotes are taking a road trip to take on the Independence Knights at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Anna is likely headed into the matchup with a focus on the second half, which is when things went downhill against Melissa on Friday. The Coyotes fell 40-34 to the Cardinals. The Coyotes have struggled against the Cardinals recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive lost matchup.
Loss or not, Anna got some senior leadership from Ziondre Williams and Ace Traylor. Williams rushed for 70 yards and a pair of scores, while Traylor rushed for 63 yards and two touchdowns.
The home team had won the previous three meetings between Independence and Liberty, and Liberty kept the tradition alive. The Knights were beaten by the Redhawks 63-35 on Friday. On the bright side, the 35- point performance marked the Knights' highest-scoring contest to date.
Anna will have to keep a close watch on Jeremy Thompson and Jack O'Connor, a pair of players who had a big impact on Independence's prior game. Thompson gained 198 total yards and a touchdown, while O'Connor threw for 220 yards and one TD.
Having lost for the first time this season, Anna fell to 3-1. As for Independence, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-5.
Thursday's game might be decided in the trenches. Anna has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 174.5 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for Independence, though, as they've been averaging only 90.8 rushing yards. How will they fare against such a dominant running game?
Everything came up roses for Anna against Independence in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, as the team secured a 70-29 victory. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was the Knights' Logan Murindagomo, who threw for 184 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and also rushed for 65 yards and one score. Now that he won't be playing on Thursday, will it be easier for the Coyotes to walk away with another win? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
