For the first time this season, Merkel will have a chance to prove themselves in a conference matchup. They are taking a road trip to face off against the Wall Hawks at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Merkel comes in on three and Wall on six.
On Friday, Merkel humbled Brownfield with a 47-14 victory. The score at the end of the third wound up being the final score as the Badgers just coasted through the last quarter.
| 09/26/25 @ San Angelo Texas Leadership Charter Academy | 18 |
| 08/29/25 @ Ballinger | 31 |
| 09/19/25 vs Cross Plains | 33 |
| 09/05/25 vs Bangs | 47 |
| 09/12/25 vs Hawley | 88 |
Merkel found their leader in sophomore Easton Malone, who rushed for 144 yards and two touchdowns on only ten carries, and also threw for 158 yards and three TDs. Those 144 rushing yards set a new season-high mark for Malone. Kaden Blubaugh made the highlight reel by snagging an interception and taking it all the way to the house.
Merkel was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 293 rushing yards. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 96 rushing yards per game earlier this season, but in their last five games they've averaged 226.3.
One reason for the win was Merkel's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for three sacks. Khyler Rodriguez refused to say out of the backfield, picking up a sack all by himself. Blubaugh got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Wall won against Sweetwater last Friday with 35 points and they decided to stick to that point total again on Friday. The Hawks strolled past Idalou with points to spare, taking the game 35-21. The score was all tied up 14-14 at the break, but the Hawks were the (much) better team in the second half.
Wall's win came from a few key players Merkel will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Landon York, who threw for 307 yards and a pair of touchdowns while picking up 10.6 yards per attempt. Reid Robertson was York's top target, picking up 123 receiving yards and one score.
Merkel's record now sits at 5-1. As for Wall, their record is now 6-0.
Friday's contest will pit two of the most dominant signal callers against one another: Malone and York. Malone just won't slow down this season and has thrown 20 touchdowns (and and only 3 picks) while averaging 207.8 passing yards per game. York has been a dominant force too and has thrown 19 touchdowns (and and only 3 pick) while averaging 250 passing yards per game.
Merkel took a serious blow against Wall in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, falling 48-7. That matchup was all but decided by halftime, at which point the Badgers were down 28-7.
