The Eagles struck first on their opening drive. After moving the chains twice with short runs, quarterback Matthew Horner dropped back for his first throw of the night and connected with George Mabury on a 39-yard touchdown strike. The PAT was good, giving Independence an early 7–0 advantage.
Coffee County answered with its best drive of the night. Junior running back Tez Garrett sparked things with three straight carries, and after a pass interference flag, junior Jett Trussler ripped off a 33-yard run to the 15-yard line. Two plays later, quarterback Kaysen Lowery kept it himself for an 11-yard touchdown run. The PAT was blocked, leaving the Raiders trailing 7–6.
That would be the last time Coffee County reached the end zone. Independence strung together back-to-back scoring drives and led 21–6 at the half.