Weddington defeated Independence (23) to advance to the 4A state finals.

Weddington defeated Independence (23) to advance to the 4A state finals.


Weddington High School has secured a spot in the 4A state championship game by beating Independence High School with a score of 34-14 in the 4A West regional round.

Weddington’s initial offensive attempt was unsuccessful when Javon Barber caught a long pass from Tyler Budge, resulting in the Warriors taking an early 3-0 lead.

Justin Little, the quarterback for Independence, passed to Brian Crowder for the first touchdown of the game.

Weddington attempted to counter Independence’s score, but was unable to secure a touchdown due to the strong defense of the Patriots at the goal line.

After the Patriots punted, the Warriors capitalized on the opportunity and Budge scored his first rushing touchdown of the night using his legs.

Skyler Murray, a defender for the Patriots, recovered a fumble and ran it back to Weddington’s 10-yard line. However, due to multiple penalties, the Patriots were unable to score and ended up missing a field goal.

Weddington gained dominance in the second period.

Nick Diamond showed off his power and bulldozed through a group of Patriot defenders to score his first touchdown (2) of the game. Later on, Budge took matters into his own hands and scored his second touchdown of the game. The opportunity for this score was created by a mishandled snap during Independence’s punt attempt, with the score at 20-7.

Camden Martin sealed Independence’s ultimate score with a challenging run through the center. Although the Patriots attempted an onside kick, Weddington’s front seven proved to be a formidable force, preventing the Patriots from scoring in the fourth quarter.

Diamond finished off Weddington’s successful evening with his last touchdown of the match, resulting in a score of 34-14.

Weddington High School will be competing against Hoggard High School in the 4A state championship.

Source: highschoolot.com