Independence tops Butler to reach first high school football regional final in 14 years

Independence is going to a regional final for the first time in 14 years.

The Patriots, a No. 23 seed in the NCHSAA 4A playoffs, won their fourth straight road playoff game and upset Butler, 10-7.

Independence will play at Weddington in the regional final Friday.

“I’m extremely excited for our kids,” Patriots’ coach DJ McFadden said after the win. “Our kids came out here and battled. We talked about this. We talked about being able to come back to this same place and be able to come out with a win to keep our dreams alive.”

Butler got a final chance late in the game after Independence missed a field goal, but the Patriots got an interception on Butler’s final possession.

Now, the Patriots turn their attention to Weddington, the No. 1 overall seed in the West. It will be Indepedence’s fifth straight road playoff game.

“I know coach (Andy) Capone is a great coach,” McFadden said of Weddington. “I know they’re going to be physical and I know they’re going to be disciplined. So, we’ve got to come ready to work.”

Game highlights

The Patriots received the opening kick and possessed the ball for more than seven minutes before connecting on a 32-yard field goal.

The Independence defense then had back-to-back fourth down stops on Butler possessions — the second stop setting them up near midfield.

The Patriots’ offense took advantage. Quarterback Justin Little scored on a quarterback keeper from 6 yards out to extend the Patriots’ advantage to 10-0 at halftime.

In the third quarter, Butler put together a drive that took just under six minutes to get back into the game. Quarterback Zach Lawrence found Dequandre Currence for a 15-yard touchdown pass to get the Bulldogs within three.

Later, there was a mild controversy.

Butler blocked a field goal attempt by the Patriots, but an Independence player picked the ball up and ran it in for a touchdown.

After the refs discussed the play, twice, they said that the ball couldn’t be advanced forward. Butler got the ball back, still down three.

Neither team could score after that, but Patriots sophomore running back Jayden Jones had some good runs that helped shorten the game for his team.

“(Jones) has been doing it all year long,” McFadden said. “He doesn’t need a lot of space. As long as we can put a hat on a hat and give him a crease, he will carry the load for us. Lucky for us we get to play a little more so we get to see him do it a little more.”

Three who made a difference

Jayden Jones, Independence: Jones took over in the fourth quarter for the Patriots. He turned several runs that appeared to be stopped for a short gain into long gains. As McFadden alluded to, he doesn’t need much space to create his running lanes.

Justin Little, Independence: The junior quarterback stayed much more composed than he was in a regular-season loss to Butler for the Southwestern 4A championship. He didn’t try to force passes that weren’t there and he was able to create positive gains on the ground.

Independence defense: Butler had scored more than 40 points in three straight playoff games. McFadden said he felt as if his defensive unit had “flown under the radar” all season. They showed how good they were in this game.

What’s next?

Independence (11-3) will travel to Weddington (12-2) next week in the NCHSAA 4A West regional final. Butler’s (12-2) season is over.

Score summary

Butler 0 0 7 0 — 7

Independence 3 7 0 0 — 10