Clash of the Titans: top-ranked Matthews Butler visits number two Charlotte Independence tonight

November 6, 7:21 AMCharlotte High School Sports ExaminerKeith Cooke

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Shattuck, Oklahoma just won its 91st straight game, 18 short of Independence's NC record of 109.

AP Photo

Every football season, this rivalry seems to get hotter. The schools, which are separated by less than 6 miles, have become to Charlotte high school football what North Carolina and Duke are to college basketball. Tonight, Matthews Butler, ranked number one in the state of North Carolina, visits Charlotte Independence, ranked second in the state. The game, which is traditionally played in front over 10,000 fans each year at Memorial Stadium in downtown Charlotte, is being played at Independence. The game has been sold out for weeks, as tickets were allocated to the campuses of the participants first.

Oddly enough, you could play this game in front of no fans, and still have a heck of a game. The teams mirror each other almost exactly. Besides being ranked one and two in the state all year, and both being ranked nationally, the teams have similar numbers. The host Patriots (10-0, 5-0 in the SW4A) average 44.3 points per game, while only yielding 20.5 per game. The visiting Bulldogs (9-0, 5-0) average 48.2 points per game and give up an impressive 13.7 points per game. Offenses are high here, and Butler has the edge in defense.

If you look at common opponents, Independence has outscored the opponents by an average of 27.1 points. Butler outscored those same opponents by an average 40.4 points. The statistics seem to be overwhelmingly in the favor of the Bulldogs.

Butler's junior quarterback Christian LeMay averages 193.4 yards per game in the air and 229.0 yards per game in total offense. Independence's senior quarterback Anthony Carrothers averages 263.0 yards per game passing as well as 308.6 yards in total offense. Perhaps the most explosive quarterback has the edge.

Regardless of how the numbers fall, this rivalry takes an interesting twist for the end of the 2009 season. Butler is now the hunted, and Independence is the hunter. Despite being at home for the season finale, Independence will be a slight underdog just because of ranking alone. That should provide some incentive for the home crowd to rally Independence in a position that they are unused to - being second-best in North Carolina at this juncture of the season as opposed to being the best. Whatever the outcome tonight, expect the two to see each other again in a few weeks for the Western Regional final in the playoffs.

Tonight's game, set for a 7:30 pm kickoff, can be heard on WBCN-AM 1660 in Charlotte. It can also be seen on TV on Sunday morning at 11:30 am on WMTY-TV12 in Charlotte.

Stay tuned for more of the high school sports experience in later articles. Until then, see you in the stands!

Also, don't forget to check out Keith Cooke's other column, the Charlotte Cruise Ships Examiner, a great resource for taking that vacation after your high school sports' season!

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