Football Game Preview: Haxtun Fightin' Bulldogs vs. Merino Rams + How To Watch

Haxtun is preparing for their first league matchup of the season on Friday. They will be playing at home against the Merino Rams at 7:30 p.m. Haxtun will come into the game with an undefeated record on the line.

Haxtun's defense heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They blew past Front Range Christian 64-0. Fans of the Fightin' Bulldogs have seen this all before: every one of the games they've played this season has ended in a blowout of 20+ points.

Zach Statz

Rushing Yards

09/26/25 @ Front Range Christian	121
09/20/25 @ Crowley County	78
09/12/25 vs Sanford	137
09/05/25 @ Wichita County	165
08/22/25 vs Melrose	7

Haxtun had a senior duo take command as Colin Cone rushed for 76 yards and four scores on only six carries and Zach Statz rushed for 121 yards and one TD on only eight carries. With that strong performance, Statz is now averaging an impressive 101.6 rushing yards per game.

Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Haxtun proved: they limited Front Range Christian to a paltry 3.2 yards per carry. The team can thank Carter Lock for the heroic effort on defense: he. That's the most yards per carry they've managed all season.

Meanwhile, Merino humbled Rocky Ford with a 51-0 victory. That 51 point margin sets a new team best for the Rams this season.

Haxtun's win bumped their record up to 5-0. As for Merino, they now have a winning record of 3-2.

Everything came up roses for Haxtun against Merino in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, as the squad secured a 70-6 victory. In that matchup, the Fightin' Bulldogs amassed a halftime lead of 52-6, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.