Merkel lost against Coahoma back in November of 2024 and unfortunately they wound up with the same result on Friday. The Badgers took a 27-19 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Bulldogs. The Badgers gained 163 more yards on the day, but it was the Bulldogs that made the best use of them.
Despite the defeat, Merkel saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Easton Malone threw for 214 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and also rushed for 39 yards.
Even if they lost, Merkel's defense still kept up the pressure with three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Rayson Houston, Khyler Rodriguez, and John Smith, who each picked up one sack apiece.
Coahoma's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Lanson Moore, who rushed for 54 yards and three TDs, and also picked up 40 receiving yards. Those three rushing touchdowns gave Moore a new career-high. Coahoma also got a significant boost from Aiden Rodriguez, who ran away from the competition to the tune of 124 yards.
Merkel has been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 6-4 record this season. As for Coahoma, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 8-2.
Merkel didn't take long to hit the field again: they've already played their next contest, a 35-18 win against Compass Academy on the 13th. As for Coahoma, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Alpine at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The Bulldogs will be up against the Bucks' rather soft defense (which has allowed 41.5 points per matchup), so fans could be in store for a big offensive performance.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
