Sierra Linda had to take a loss the last time they squared off against Independence but Wesley Reece made sure they didn't get the same satisfaction on Thursday. The Sierra Linda Bulldogs pulled ahead with a 22-21 photo finish over the Independence Patriots thanks in part to Reece, who rushed for 73 yards and two touchdowns on only nine carries. He is becoming a predictor of Sierra Linda's success: when he posts at least two rushing touchdowns the team is 2-1 (and 1-4 when he doesn't).
One reason for the win was Sierra Linda's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for three sacks. In that department, Jaeden Love was the leader with two. He also set a new season high mark in total tackles with eight.
Despite the loss, Independence still got an impressive performance from Armani Cruz, who threw for 206 yards and a touchdown, and also rushed for 40 yards and a touchdown. 83 of Cruz's passing yards were hauled in by Daniel Rodriguez.
Sierra Linda's win ended a five-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 3-5. As for Independence, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 5-3.
Sierra Linda didn't take long to hit the field again: they've already played their next game, a 27-14 defeat against Seton Catholic on the 1st. As for Independence, they also wasted no time getting back out on the field and have already played their next contest, a 47-0 victory against La Joya Community on the 1st.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
