Gallery by Heather Belcher
After playing four of its first five games on the road a return home was just what the doctor ordered for Independence.
The Patriots scored 41 points in the first half of Friday’s contest, blanking Westside in a 55-0 decision on homecoming in Coal City.
The wins snaps a two-game losing streak, the first suffered by Independence since 2020.
Tyler Linksweiler scored the first of his two first-half touchdowns two minutes into the game when he bolted 46 yards on a toss left on fourth-and-1.
Younger brother Christian Linksweiler capped the first-half scoring on a 50-yard scoring strike from Sylas Nelson on fourth-and-12.
Westside (3-3) will host Nicholas County next week in a game with major playoff implications for both teams while Independence (3-3) will host Class A No. 4 Man.
