Akron is 2-8 against Haxtun since October of 2017 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Rams will face off against the Fightin' Bulldogs at 7:30 p.m. Both teams are still undefeated (Akron has five wins , while Haxtun has 18 dating back to last season).
Akron is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Colorado's top teams: Dayspring Christian Academy, who was ranked fifth at the time (Akron was ranked fourth). The Rams put the hurt on the Eagles with a sharp 34-8 victory last Friday. Fans of the Rams have seen this all before: every one of the games they've played this season has ended in a blowout of 20+ points.
Jace Curtis produced another solid performance rushing for 87 yards and one score, while also throwing for 33 yards and one TD. He also deserves a shoutout for his performance on D, making 11 total tackles and defending two passes in addition to snagging two interceptions.
Akron didn't let much get past them through the air: they limited Dayspring Christian Academy to a completion percentage of just 16.7%. That dominant aerial defense primarily came from two players: Curtis and Jax Kusel, who each logged two passes deflected. Akron hasn't an opponent to post a completion percentage of 0.4 or higher in four consecutive games.
Akron didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Curtis and Kusel.
Meanwhile, while Haxtun put up plenty of points on Friday, the same can't be said for Merino. The Fightin' Bulldogs took their contest with ease, bagging a 48-0 win over the Rams. The Fightin' Bulldogs are also no stranger to big wins: their blowout was the sixth matchup they've won by 20+ points this season.
Akron better keep an eye on Colin Cone. He was instrumental in Haxtun's win, rushing for 156 yards and three touchdowns on only 12 carries, while also throwing for 48 yards and one TD. Those 156 rushing yards gave Cone a new career-high.
One reason for the win was Haxtun's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Zach Fryrear, Jaxsen Schram, and Corbin Andersen, who each picked up one sack apiece. Another thorn in Merino's side was Coleman Firme, who made 21 total tackles (1.0 for loss).
Haxtun's victory bumped their record up to 6-0. As for Akron, their win bumped their record up to 5-0.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Akron has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 198.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Haxtun struggles in that department as they've been averaging 318 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Akron suffered a grim 46-20 defeat to Haxtun when the teams last played back in November of 2024. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of the Fightin' Bulldogs' Zach Statz, who rushed for 130 yards and a pair of scores while picking up 7.2 yards per carry. Now that the Rams know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.
