Jean Kanzinger
#33 Maverick Durden against Chagrin Falls
A student section crowded with spirit, and a stadium filled with support, riled up together Friday night as Independence High School’s football team kicked off homecoming weekend.
On September 12, 2025, the Chagrin Falls Tigers defeated the Blue Devils on their home turf. The Tigers earned 17 points during the first two quarters, going into halftime with a score of 17-0.
During the third quarter, #33 Maverick Durden scored with a defensive stop, earning the Devils a safety and two points, changing the score to 17-2. “Yeah, I feel like every game you can come back from. All it takes is hard work and focus. You can never give up.” , says Durden, “When you’re down by points, that’s when you can catch your opponents off guard. If they get too high and mighty, you can catch them lacking and pull off a comeback.”
Quarterback, #2 Liam Reinerth, switching out with Quarterback, #10 Matt Avila, ran the ball down to the end zone, scoring a touchdown for the Devils and raising the score to 17-8. This made the Devils more and more pumped, believing that we have somewhat of a chance to win.
#17 Jamie Panichi scored an extra point off a kick in the third quarter, as well, raising the score to 17-9. Unfortunately, the Tigers ended up earning more points, changing the score to 31-9 by the end of the fourth quarter, beating the Devils.
Throughout the game, the cheerleaders helped maintain the crowd’s spirit with cheers that included the student section.
Even though the Devils were losing, the school spirit was winning. During halftime, the Devils’ marching band performed “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” by Elton John while our Homecoming Court (See article) were welcomed to the field led by last year’s Homecoming queen and king, Alberta Moreal and Tommy Ksiazka! Parents escorted each member while being introduced to the fans on the sidelines.
The tension rose as announcer Jim Riley announced Homecoming king Jamie Panichi and queen Giada Spisak. Starting off with announcing the king, the boys on the court were waiting patiently and nervously as he announced Jamie Panichi was the Homecoming King!
As Ksiazka handed the crown to Panichi, everyone applauded and cheered. “Before I was crowned, I was definitely really nervous walking up there.” says Panichi, “It was a lot of fun being in front of the crowd. It was a really fun experience, being crowned was really nice and very exciting.”
As the audience cheered for Panichi, Riley was ready to announce the Homecoming Queen. The girls waited, filled with excitement, anxiousness, and impatience, as Riley announced Giada Spisak the 2025 Homecoming Queen. “I was so happy to have Tommy and Alberta to be the ones crowning us, and then when I heard Jamie’s name, I was like ‘Oh so that better be me’.” Spisak said.
This year’s homecoming court halftime show was a success, crowning the couple in front of the city of Independence, filled with alumni, students, teachers, parents, and many more.
The band held up their performance towards the end of the night, showing Independence their Beatles Show, playing the following songs:
Magical Mystery Tour/ Hard Days Night
Yesterday/Blackbird with soloists Gianna Londrico and William Stray
I Saw Her Standing There
Let it Be/Hey Jude with the soloists Nora Olexa, William Stray, and Gianna Londrico
Independence High School had yet again, another successful Homecoming football game, showing what the Devils stand for: pride, support, and hard work. Through a tough loss, the Devils shined their love for the sport, bringing the community together to have a great time!