Butler High School beats rival Independence, wins third straight Southwestern 4A title
Sometimes it’s the little things.
Friday night in Matthews, the two best teams in Southwestern 4A played for the conference title, and for most of the game, Butler High School and Independence were in a heavyweight battle of equals.
The biggest difference in the Bulldogs’ 35-23 win was one special teams play: Butler blocked a first-half extra point.
Combined with a deft fourth-quarter 2-point conversion, the special teams’ play helped send Butler to a third straight conference title and denied Independence coach DJ McFadden his first outright championship.
“The team that kept their composure better was probably the team that came out on top,” Bulldogs head coach Brian Hales said. “I thought our guys did a really good job of staying composed and staying within themselves.”
Leading by one, Butler got in position for the win with an early fourth-quarter drive sparked by QB Zach Lawrence, who dealt with heavy pressure to keep the ball moving. On the drive’s final play, Lawrence was blitzed but found Dequadre Currence on a pass where Currence was curling in toward his quarterback.
The 10-yard strike gave Butler a 27-20 lead with fewer than 10 minutes to play.
Then, Hales took a championship-style gamble, going for a 2-point conversion.
On the play — which gave his team a two-possession lead — Lawrence faked a handoff, which sent the Patriots’ defense to his right. Lawrence then curled to his left and tossed a pass to running back Jayden Williams, who was going away from the play-action. The conversion gave Butler a 29-20 lead and changed Independence’s arithmetic: The Patriots couldn’t score and tie the game with a 2-point conversion.
Independence drove down the field to try to get the first score. Then, on fourth and 1 at the Butler 3, things got wacky.
Independence appeared to pick up the first down on a QB sneak by Justin Little, who was pushed by his teammates. Officials initially called for a measurement. Then, they called a penalty. Next, they signaled a first down for Independence, but marked off a penalty on the Patriots for too many men on the field.
Independence ended up with fourth down at the Butler 18 and kicked a 35-yard field goal, closing to 29-23 with 5:50 to play. But on its next possession, Butler put the game away.
With 3:39 left, Butler’s Keyshawn Barrino busted open up the right side on a long scoring run. Butler led 35-23 after a failed 2-point conversion attempt.
While happy to come out with the win, Hales feels there is a lot to improve on before the playoffs next week.
“We’ve got to block better, we’ve got to tackle better and win the turnover battle,” Hales said.
Hales has been a part of several of the Butler-Independence rivalry games, and this game is always one of the hardest to prepare for. It isn’t just because Independence is a talented team, either.
“The hardest part is making sure our kids don’t get too high,” Hales said. “It is easy to do, and it is even easy for me to do. So, I’ve got to watch myself first and make sure that I’m calm, because (the players) are going to take the cues from me and the other coaches.”
To Hales’ point, his QB, Lawrence, was calm after beating his school’s biggest rival. He said he appreciates winning the league title, but knows that the Bulldogs have some other goals, too.
“I am happy,” Lawrence said. “But, I am really just looking to the future now. This game is done and over with. Yesterday’s touchdowns don’t win tomorrow’s games. The only thing that matters is the next one and we’ve got to go play next week.”
Three who made a difference
Zach Lawrence, Butler: The junior quarterback was composed under pressure for the entire game. When Independence had free runs at Lawrence, he was still able to make the correct reads and find an open receiver.
Keyshawn Barrino, Butler: He had the highlight of the night with the 61-yard touchdown run that put away the game.
Jayden Jones, Independence: When the passing game wasn’t working for the Patriots, the sophomore running back got big yards on the ground.
What’s next?
Butler will likely have a top-five seed in the 4A NCHSAA playoffs. Independence will likely be on the road Friday.
PHOTOS: Independence at Butler
This story was originally published October 27, 2023 at 10:02 PM.
