Independence is 0-4 against Bakersfield Christian since October of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Independence Falcons will be playing at home against the Bakersfield Christian Eagles at 7:30 p.m. Independence will have to bring their A-game into this one, as they are staring down a pretty big deficit in the MaxPreps California Rankings (they are ranked 487th, while Bakersfield Christian is ranked 212th).
Independence's game on Thursday was all tied up 7-7 at the half, but sadly for them it didn't stay that way. They fell just short of Stockdale by a score of 21-19.
Independence's loss shouldn't obscure the performances of Arturo Franco, who rushed for 66 yards and a touchdown on only nine carries, and Richard Gooden who rushed for 62 yards and a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Bakersfield Christian put the finishing touches on their third blowout victory of the season on Friday. They breezed by Highland on the road to the tune of 46-12. The contest was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 26-6.
Bakersfield Christian can attribute much of their success to Kolton Thorsen, who rushed for 84 yards and two touchdowns, and Talen Mather, who threw for 267 yards and two touchdowns on only 13 passes. Thorsen was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 65 yards. Dylan Johnson was another key contributor, picking up 112 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Independence now has a losing record at 4-5. As for Bakersfield Christian, they have been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five games, which provided a massive bump to their 5-4 record this season.
Independence might still be hurting after the 35-14 defeat they got from Bakersfield Christian when the teams last played back in October of 2022. Will Independence have more luck at home instead of on the road?
