Football Recap: Merino Comes Up Short

Merino extended their losing streak to four on Friday, dropping them down to 3-6. They took a blow against Akron, falling 54-14. Merino was in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 38-14.

Although Merino took the loss, they still got scores from Jacob Frank and Zavier Trenkle.

Jordan Rose

Total Tackles

10/31/25 vs Akron	16
10/17/25 @ Sedgwick County	7
10/11/25 vs Dayspring Christian Academy	11

Even if they lost, Merino's defensive line still kept up the pressure with seven sacks. The heavy lifting was done by Jordan Rose and Trenkle, who racked up six sacks between them. Rose has been hot recently, having also posted seven or more total tackles the last three times he's played.

As for Akron, the win keeps them at an undefeated 9-0. The victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they've averaged 41.7 points this season.

Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Akron to victory, but perhaps none more so than Jace Curtis, who rushed for 112 yards and three TDs on only nine carries, and also picked up 77 receiving yards. Curtis' longest rush was for an impressive 54 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total. Another rusher making a difference was Jakzon Livesay, who gained 154 total yards and two touchdowns.

Merino does not have any more games scheduled as of now. As for Akron, they will face off against Crowley County at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. The two teams might be coming in a bit winded given these two teams combined for 900 yards in their previous games.