Merkel is 0-3 against Jacksboro since October of 2020 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Merkel Badgers will head out on the road to face off against the Jacksboro Tigers at 7:00 p.m. Merkel is looking to tack on another W to their three-game streak on the road.
Last Friday, it was a hard-fought game, but Merkel had to settle for a 23-20 loss against Eastland. Despite 94 more yards than Eastland, Merkel couldn't convert that extra yardage to scores.
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Maddox O'malley, who threw for 129 yards and two touchdowns, and also punched in a touchdown on the ground. Kaden Blubaugh was in the mix as well, providing Merkel with two touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Jacksboro put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their undefeated season alive. They came out on top against Comanche by a score of 30-22. Given Jacksboro's advantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 241st, while Comanche is ranked 497th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Jacksboro got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Luke Sams out in front who rushed for 101 yards and two touchdowns. Sams is on a roll when it comes to rushing yards, as he's now rushed for 100 or more in the last seven games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Lando Belcher, who threw for 204 yards and a touchdown on only 17 passes.
Jacksboro's victory bumped their season record to 7-0 while Merkel's loss dropped theirs to 5-2.
Keep an eye on the end zone in Friday's game as the pair haven't had much trouble getting there this season. Merkel commands a daunting offense this season, having averaged 5.7 touchdowns per game. However, it's not like Jacksboro struggles in that department as they've been even better at 6 per game. With these two high-octane teams facing off on Friday, fans should be in for an exciting offensive matchup.
Merkel was dealt a bruising 50-7 loss at the hands of Jacksboro when the teams last played back in October of 2022. Can Merkel avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
