First appearance since 2014
The state football brackets are out and Independence was named as the 12th seed in the west region. The Patriots will face Ardrey Kell in the first round on Friday night at Ardrey Kell High School.
On September 13 the Patriots lost to Ardrey Kell on a questionable pass interference call that allowed the Knights to score which turned the game around.
This is Indy’s first appearance in the playoffs since the 2014 season. Under coach Joe Evans the Patriots won eleven straight games that year and were eliminated in the second round by Hough.
Earlier that year in a rainstorm at Hough High School, the Patriots defeated the Huskies 27-17 only to have the Huskies to return the favor at Indy by defeating the Patriots 42-29 on an Indy mistake-filled second half.
In the spring of 2017 former Athletic Director Kelly Lewis and Principal David LeGrand introduced Coach Mike Natoli to the Independence fans. At that meeting Coach Natoli said “Independence has always been a dream job. Any coach in North Carolina will tell you that. For the past thirteen years coaching in North Carolina I have always had it in the back of my mind and what would it be like, what kind of coach I would be if I ever got to the pinnacle of high school coaching in North Carolina, and Independence is that pinnacle.”
Coach Natoli and his staff have worked hard to put Independence back on the map, and for the first time since 2014 the Patriots are back in the state playoffs.
The players and coaching staff encourages all Indy fans to come out to Ardrey Kell and cheer your Patriots on to victory.
Good luck guys.
