Independence accepts challenge from coach, gets big win at Charlotte Catholic
Earlier this week, D.J. McFadden asked his Independence football players when they’re going to consistently show that they’re an upper-echelon program in the Queen City.
The third-year head coach felt his Patriots proved they deserved to compete with the area’s stronger teams after their 11-2 campaign last year, which included a one-point loss to Charlotte Catholic.
Independence got over that hump with a convincing 31-10 victory over the Cougars on Friday night. The dominant performance in South Charlotte, which included outscoring Catholic 24-0 in the second half, gave the Patriots (3-2) their first win over their Southwestern 4A conference rival.
“I think teams kind of forgot about us because of the two losses that we took,” McFadden said. “We feel like we should have won those two games. We wanted to use this game right here to put people back on notice.”
McFadden, who was the starting quarterback on Independence’s 2005 and 2006 championship teams, became the program’s fifth coach in six years when he was hired. The team went 5-4 when he took the reins in 2021 as he continued looking to grow the program.
Last year’s heartbreaking loss to Catholic (4-2) was crucial down the stretch as it ended up putting Independence into a three-way tie before the playoffs. He hopes the Patriots will ride this momentum and control their own destiny as this season continues.
Sophomore running back Jayden Jones rushed for three touchdowns, all of which were over 45 yards. The Patriots’ offensive line was stellar, rarely allowing Catholic’s strong defense to get to quarterback Justin Little, and Jones was deft as he continually broke away from his coverage.
“This game meant a lot,” Jones said. “This is a rivalry game, a conference game. We showed we can beat ‘em. We can beat a lot of teams.”
Three who made a difference
Jayden Jones, Independence: Up to nine touchdowns on the year, the sophomore running back continues running well and showing explosive speed.
Justin Little, Independence: The junior quarterback had a good day against Catholic, having a strong connection with receivers Vontrez Burch and Brian Crowder as the Patriots dominated the second half.
Jack Larsen, Catholic: The Cougars’ 6-foot-5 tight end still made his presence known in a losing effort. During the fourth quarter, he got open in the middle of the field and made a phenomenal one-handed catch for a 30-yard gain.
Scoring summary
INDEPENDENCE 0 7 10 14 — 31
CHARLOTTE CATHOLIC 0 10 0 0 — 10
Up next
Both sides will be back in action next Friday night. Independence will meet Garinger, while Catholic plays Rocky River.
PHOTOS: Independence at Charlotte Catholic
