The Independence Tigers beat the Rock Ridge Phoenix in the highly-anticipated football game on Friday, Nov. 8, with a final score of 29-28. Leading up to the game, the two schools shared a somewhat contentious rivalry, which served to further motivate students from both schools. “It’s a rivalry because a lot of kids came from [Rock Ridge],” said Mr. RJ Windows, the head football coach at Independence. “There’s been some fun talk back and forth — hopefully, it stays fun.”

Both teams had experienced a challenging season before the game; the Rock Ridge Phoenixes were arriving with only two wins under their belts, while the Independence Tigers had but one. Still, players remained hopeful. “We’re getting better,” said junior Griffin Patterson a football captain. “We’ve [played] some pretty hard teams, who’ve obviously been together longer with older kids, but it’s coming together. It’s gotten better; this season’s not over.”

Junior Ulysses Carr a wide receiver on the team, also showed remarkable optimism. “I expect it to be a hard-fought game for both teams,” said Carr. “But I expect us to come out on top.”

For the team, the bluster of the cold November night was nothing compared to the thought of losing to Rock Ridge. “[To lose] would be a heartbreaker,” Carr added. “But we’d get over it and get ready to come back next year and beat them.”

Students from both schools packed the stands that night, despite the chill. At Rock Ridge, tickets sold out. Many noted the flood of support that came from the student body. “The school is positive, the fan base is great — everybody just seems to love it here [at Independence]; it’s a great place to be,” commented Windows. “We really appreciate their support… I know we’ve had a rough go as far as wins and losses, but we have been really competitive in a lot of games and we thank them for everything they’ve done.”