Blue Devils Open Season With 19–7 Win Over Independence
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Water Valley’s Derion Gale follows a block from Miles Buford to move the chains during Friday night’s 19–7 win over Independence.
INDEPENDENCE – Water Valley opened the 2025 season in convincing fashion Friday night, defeating Independence 19–7 on the road. The victory snapped a three-year losing streak to the Wildcats and marked head coach Clint Faust’s first win over the Wildcats since taking over the program in 2023.
Independence struck first on the third play from scrimmage when the Wildcats’ quarterback broke free for a 72-yard touchdown run at the 10:25 mark of the first quarter, silencing the visiting crowd.
But the Blue Devils wasted no time answering. Derion Gale’s strong kickoff return set the offense up near midfield, and quarterback Zae Bradford went to work. After a steady march that included a face-mask penalty, Bradford finished the drive himself with a one-yard keeper into the end zone. Gabe Butler’s extra point tied the game with 7:54 still left in the opening quarter.
Water Valley’s Parker Turnage hangs on for a nine-yard reception while taking a hit in the third quarter at Independence.
Bradford and company struck again late in the first. A 23-yard strike to Shaddai Freeman flipped field position, and Bradford later slipped through defenders for his second rushing touchdown of the night. The extra point was blocked, but Water Valley led 13–7 with just 44 seconds remaining in the quarter.
The defense and special teams added the final points of the night in the second quarter. After forcing Independence into yet another long-yardage situation, the Devils broke through and blocked a punt. Kaleb Vire scooped the ball at the 15-yard line and raced into the end zone. The two-point attempt failed, but Water Valley carried a 19–7 lead into the half.
The defense also came up with big plays to keep momentum on Water Valley’s side. Independence’s third possession ended when Gale stripped the ball and the Devils recovered at the Wildcats’ 29-yard line, halting what looked like a promising drive. Later in the half, Butler just missed a 34-yard field goal after another turnover set Water Valley up in scoring position, but by then the Devils had already seized control by forcing mistakes and capitalizing on field position.
The Blue Devils also leaned on a balanced backfield, with Tre Adams, Miles Buford and Drake Mabary each contributing tough yards to keep drives moving and the clock running. Adams ripped off a 38-yard run in the third quarter to put Water Valley in striking distance, while Buford provided key blocking in addition to his carries. Though the Devils came up empty on those chances, the steady ground game helped wear down the Wildcats and protect the two-score lead.
Bradford connected with his receivers four times on the night, spreading the ball to Freeman, Gale and Parker Turnage. Freeman hauled in a pair of passes, including a 23-yarder in the first quarter that set up a touchdown, while Gale added two catches and Turnage took a hard hit but held on for a nine-yard gain in the third quarter.
The first half was also cleanly played, with the Blue Devils flagged just twice compared to seven penalties against the Wildcats. In the second half, fatigue showed as false starts and miscues killed promising drives, and the Devils finished with nine penalties on the night. Independence was penalized even more heavily, with multiple holding and false start calls stalling their chances to rally.
Independence threatened several times after the break, but Water Valley’s defense rose to the challenge. Gale and Channing Freeman both grabbed interceptions, and a fourth-quarter fumble recovery inside the 10 ended the Wildcats’ last serious scoring threat.
After the game, Faust praised the resolve his team showed in the season opener.
“I am proud of the grit that we showed tonight to pull that out,” Faust told his team in the post-game huddle. “That is just the first one, of many. We go back to the drawing board on Monday morning.”
Speaking to the Herald, Faust said it felt good to finally notch a win over Independence.
“I think we have owed them one or two,” he said. “In the past couple of years, we have had them close on the ropes. We played a complete game tonight. We had a couple of mishaps, but that is typical for the first game and we overcame it. Defensively, I like what we did. We took away what they do best. That is going to be our game plan each week — to take away whatever the opposing team does best — and hopefully that’s going to keep us in some good wins.”
The win came in the 48th meeting between the two schools. Independence plays in Class 3A, while Water Valley competes in 2A, making the road win even sweeter for the Blue Devils. The victory not only gave the Devils a 1–0 start, but also momentum heading into next week’s challenge at South Pontotoc. The Cougars are a Class 4A program, making them the largest school Water Valley will face this season. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday in Pontotoc.
For Faust, the early win is just one step in building a foundation. “It’s a lot of stuff we can see on film and correct, and be even better next week,” he said. “But this was the right way to start.”
Water Valley defender Keshun Kurtz tries to bring down an Independence running back during Friday night’s season opener. The Blue Devils’ defense forced three turnovers in the 19–7 win.
