High School

Independence sets 2025 football schedule; Patriots open with South Carolina powerhouse Gaffney

The Patriots’ Week 2 opponent, Hough, is the team that knocked them out of the playoffs last season
Mike Duprez|
Independence Patriots
Independence Patriots | File

Independence has released its 2025 football schedule, and the Patriots open with South Carolina powerhouse Gaffney. 

It’s a formidable nonconference schedule as the Patriots’ Week 2 opponent, Hough, is the team that knocked them out of the state playoffs last season.

The Patriots are coming off a 10-2 season in which they reached the second round of the 4-A state playoffs. 

Since the NCHSAA realignment doubled the number of classifications from four to eight, Independence is now a 7-A school.

The Patriots will be in a split 7-A/8-A conference with Butler (7-A), North Mecklenburg (7-A), Chambers (8-A), Mallard Creek (8-A) and 2024 3-A state champion West Charlotte.

It’s a conference loaded with heavyweights. Butler was in the 4-A Southwestern Conference with Independence the past four years.

Here is the schedule:

Aug. 22 – at Gaffney

Aug. 29 – Hough

Sept. 5 – Charlotte Christian

Sept. 12 – Lake Norman

Sept. 19 – at Palisades

Oct. 3 – at West Charlotte

Oct. 10 – Chambers

Oct. 17 – Mallard Creek

Oct. 24 – at North Mecklenburg

Oct. 31 – at Butler

Download the SBLive App

To get live updates on your phone — as well as follow your favorite teams and top games — you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App | Download Android App

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
Mike Duprez
MIKE DUPREZ

Mike Duprez became a freelance sports journalist for Scorebooklive.com several months after retiring from the newspaper business. A native of Oakland, California, Duprez moved around as a child due to his father’s service in the United States Marine Corps. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1981. Duprez, who lives in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, had 30 years of experience in newspapers as well as other endeavors before retiring at the end of 2021. He covers stories in both North Carolina and South Carolina for Scorebooklive.com.

Home/North Carolina