Independence Patriots Have 109-Game High School Football Winning Streak Snapped

The Independence (NC) Patriots saw their 109-game high school football winning streak end thanks to a road game over 339 miles away. Playing in the Kirk Herbstreit Challenge against the Elder (OH) Panthers, the Patriots fell in overtime, 41-34. It was a sad way for the second-longest winning streak in high school football history to end. Not only was the game played in the home city of Elder, it pitted a private school which can recruit students against a public school which is highly restricted in this area.

Despite facing an uphill battle given those circumstances, The Independence Patriots had a seven-point lead with under a minute to play and couldn't hold it. The Panthers scored the game-tying touchdown with 35 seconds remaining when Nicholas Gramke scored his third touchdown of the game. The Independence Patriots still had a chance to win in regulation, but missed a 48-yard field goal on the last play of the fourth quarter.

The Panthers scored first in overtime, as Johnny Groene threw a 14-yard TD pass to Josh Jones in OT for the go-ahead score. The game ended when Keith Hamberg came up with an interception for Elder on The Independence Patriots' third-down play. The win by Elder assured that Concord (CA) De La Salle's 151-game winning streak remains the best ever in high school football. With the advent of television games and inter-state matchups, it's unlikely that mark will ever be challenged again.

But let's take a moment to celebrate the amazing feat of the Independence Patriots, who own the public school record for most consecutive high school football wins.

The streak started in 2000. To help put that in perspective, this year's team was in elementary school at that time.