Football Game Preview: Dayspring Christian Academy Eagles vs. Merino Rams

The Dayspring Christian Academy Eagles will head out on the road to challenge the Merino Rams at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Dayspring Christian Academy's defense has only allowed 14.7 points per game this season, so Merino's offense will have their work cut out for them.

Dayspring Christian Academy is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Colorado's top teams: Sedgwick County, who was ranked ninth at the time (Dayspring Christian Academy was ranked fifth). The Eagles secured a 28-22 W over the Cougars on Friday.

Dayspring Christian Academy's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Hawkins Flanagan, who rushed for 65 yards and three TDs, and Elijah Martin, who rushed for 115 yards and one touchdown. Martin didn't just play on offense: he also made 14 total tackles and defended one pass.

Meanwhile, Merino fell victim to Haxtun and their airtight defense on Friday. They were dealt a 48-0 defeat at the hands of the Fightin' Bulldogs. Having soared to a lofty 51 points in the game before, the Rams' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.

Dayspring Christian Academy's record now sits at 5-1. As for Merino, their loss dropped their record down to 3-3.

Dayspring Christian Academy might still be hurting after the 36-12 defeat they got from Merino in their previous matchup back in October of 2024. Thankfully for the Eagles, Coen Schmidt (who rushed for 231 yards and three scores while picking up 11.0 yards per carry, and also threw for 81 yards and one TD while completing 75% of his passes) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.