After graduating most of the starters from last year’s 13-0 Class AA title, Independence finds itself back in the playoffs after a 2-3 start to the 2023 campaign.
A four-game win streak to close the regular season gives the Patriots a chance to defend their crown as they enter the postseason as the No. 14 seed in Class AA. It’s different than they’re used, having hosted six playoff games over the last two seasons but just getting in was the first goal after the trying season the Patriots endured.
The season saw the Patriots play around with different personnel before settling on a combination that works. Starting QB Trey Bowers was moved to WR and has excelled, joining fellow senior Tyler Linkweiler as a 1,000-yard rusher. They also battled a heap of injuries extending up to head coach John H. Lilly who missed a game due to kidney stones this year.
But after all that the Patriots are exactly where they want to be – in the playoffs with a chance to defend their crown.
“I think you’re kind of excited about it,” Indy head coach John H. Lilly said. “You know, we’ve had good spirited practices the last two weeks and I think they are excited about it. You know, I’m real proud of them. We’ve been just crushed with the injury bug this year and the open date helped us get a little bit healthy. And so all together, it’s been a spirited camp. I think they’ve been kind of renewed a little bit – renewed excitement that we made it to the playoffs, you know, we were sitting at 2-3, and they really worked hard, so I think they’re excited.”
Indy was on a bye in Week 11, which allowed the team to rest some of its injured starters while they waited to see how the final seedings played out. The final ratings yielded a matchup with No. 3 Roane County, a team Independence is familiar with.
The Patriots beat Roane during their 2021 playoff run to Wheeling, requiring a second-half comeback to do so. As such they’re familiar with what they’re up against.
“Well, it’s smash mouth football,” Lilly said. “I mean, they’re toe to toe. They’re gonna line up and they’re gonna jack your jaw. And, you know, that’s something that we haven’t faced a lot this year. You know, as far as somebody just lining up toe to toe and just coming right at you. And they did that the year before last year. The problem is they want to establish their style. We want to establish our style. And even though we’re a fast-paced offense, we only touched the ball 13 plays in the first half of that game and we played them in the playoffs.
“So it’s going to be a huge challenge for us. Their offensive line is very, very good. I mean, they’ve got two kids that one kid’s definitely all-state or should be. They’ve got two players that are phenomenal. And so it’s gonna be fun. It’s a contrast in styles and whichever one can establish that their style I think will be successful. So that’s the challenge.”
Brandon Richardson is Roane’s leading rusher with 1,038 yards and 12 touchdowns this season while Lane Watson boasts 12 scores to go alone with 546 yards rushing on the year. Watson is also the team’s top receiver with 423 yards and six scores through the air.
The Raiders don’t take to the air much with QB Jacob Greathouse having attempted just 71 passes on the season but they’re explosive when they do, averaging almost 20 yards per completion with 12 passing scores.
“It’s gonna be an enormous challenge for us,” Lilly said. “I mean, it really is because you know, they’re big. They’re very big. They remind me of us as far as how big we were last year so it’s gonna be a challenge for us. I mean, it’s blood and guts football, and you know, I’d feel more comfortable if we weren’t so banged up. But (Roane HC) Paul (Burdette) does a great job up there. I mean, we run our programs very similar as to how we build the programs. And so it’s gonna be it’s gonna be fun. It’s gonna be a fun game.
“I think our kids know it’s going to be fun anytime we make to playoffs. That’s kind of how we’ve approached the playoffs since I’ve been here. You know, this is a fun thing. It’s not a pressure thing. It’s a fun thing. You work hard to get here. So let’s have fun and go play a great game. All the pressure’s on them. They have it this time so we’re excited about the whole thing.”
While the Patriots are used to being the favorites, being the underdog isn’t an unfamiliar spot. This senior group, the first class in school history to make the playoffs all four years, broke into the postseason as a road team in 2020, visiting and competing with eventual champion Fairmont Senior that year.
This senior class has played in nine career playoff games heading into Friday’s matchup in Roane with an array of results. There have been losses, nail biting wins, comebacks and blowouts. Nothing will be new for this group which features a mix of young players anchored by postseason vets who have learned to rely on their teammates more.
“Well, I think they’re more relaxed now,” Lilly said. “I think earlier in the year, we were so young, that (the seniors) put a lot of pressure on themselves to do too much. And I mean, because we lost 17 guys and 15 were three-year starters and they knew they had to step up, they had to really put a load on their back. And I think that they put too much pressure on themselves. And once we kind of just settled down and the young guys began to play better and learn how to practice for games and it’s one thing when you’re on the scout team practices, another when you gotta learn the game plan and you got to execute the game plan.
“Those are two entirely different things. But they’re there. They’ve been a little bit more relaxed the last four weeks and I think it shows because they’re just going out playing and having fun and not putting all that pressure on themselves. So if that makes sense. I mean (Tyler Linksweiler) and (Trey Bowers) felt like they had to carry this team because we had so many young guys. And Fisher and Alex (Blankenship) even as a sophomore felt like this. I think they put too much pressure on themselves early in the year. And that’s understandable.”
Independence will travel to Roane County on Friday night.