Washington faces Independence in Week 2

After an eight-year hiatus, it was then-No. 6 Mid-Prairie that came up with a 50-35 win against Washington in a renewed rivalry matchup.

Washington is still hunting for its first win following a road defeat to the Golden Hawks. The Demons will make a much longer trip for their second game, traveling just under 97 miles to face Independence.

The Demons and Mustangs will face off at 7:30 p.m. Friday on Lyle Leinbaugh Field. The sides last met in 2014. Washington picked up a 24-17 win.

Some strong offense and special teams by the Demons put them up 22-6 in the first half against Mid-Prairie and can serve as a building block for their second game. Quarterback Kael Williams threw for 138 yards and two touchdowns and added 103 yards and a score on the ground.

The Demons also forced a fumble on a kickoff to set up a touchdown, and took another kickoff to the house. Washington’s 167 kickoff return yards currently ranks No. 1 in Class 3A.

Defensively, Washington will look to improve after an explosive second half from Mid-Prairie. The Demons did get solid production from junior Blaine Rees, who finished with nine tackles. Rees is Washington’s best returning tackler with 51.5 last season.

Independence started the season with a 47-14 win over North Fayette Valley in its first game. The Mustangs are playing in Class 3A Division 2 this season after going 8-3 with a 4-2 mark in 3A Division 3 last year. Their season ended at the hands of Wahlert Catholic in the 3A quarterfinals.

Like Williams, Independence quarterback Christopher Meyer was the head of the snake through the air and on the ground. Meyer completed 13 of 19 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns against North Fayette Valley. He added 121 yards and three scores on the ground.

Meyer served as the backup quarterback to EJ Miller last season. He also snagged six interceptions on defense, leading the way for a ball-hawking Mustangs secondary that had 16 interceptions as a team, the best mark in Class 3A.

Elsewhere defensively, Independence lost its top two tacklers from last season, but still boasts a strong group of defenders led by senior Cael Troutman, who returns after racking up 61.5 tackles last season. Independence tallied 70.5 tackles along with 3.5 sacks as a team against North Fayette Valley.