Football Game Preview: Merino Rams vs. Akron Rams

Merino will face off against Akron at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Merino has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the game with three straight defeats, while Akron will come in with eight straight wins.

Merino is headed into the contest out to prove that what happened against Sedgwick County last Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. The Rams were outmatched by the Cougars and fell 52-6. The Rams were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 44-6.

Meanwhile, Akron faced Sedgwick County in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. The Rams snuck past the Cougars with a 26-20 victory. That's two games straight that the Rams have won by exactly six points.

Merino better keep an eye on Jace Curtis. He was instrumental in Akron's win, rushing for 110 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while also throwing for 94 yards and two TDs. Curtis also deserves a shoutout for his performance on D, making 15 total tackles (2.0 for loss) and defending one pass.

Akron's win bumped their record up to 8-0. As for Merino, their loss dropped their record down to 3-5.

Merino suffered a grim 56-32 defeat to Akron when the teams last played back in November of 2024. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Akron's Jakzon Livesay, who rushed for 148 yards and three scores on only five carries. Now that Merino knows the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.