The Merkel Badgers will challenge the Coahoma Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Merkel has given up an average of 26.9 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Merkel's last matchup with Grape Creek could've gone either way, but unfortunately the same can't be said for the pair's game on Friday. The Badgers came up short against the Eagles, falling 35-14.
Although Merkel took the loss, they still got scores from Eli Delgado and Kaden Blubaugh.
Meanwhile, while Coahoma put up plenty of points on Friday, the same can't be said for Stanton. The Bulldogs simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Buffaloes 42-0. The result was nothing new for the Bulldogs, who have now won four matchups by 21 points or more so far this season.
Merkel better keep an eye on Andre Rushin. He was instrumental in Coahoma's win, picking up 80 receiving yards and one score, while also rushing for 35 yards and one TD.incredibly, Rushin got all that yardage with just one huge grab Another player making a difference was Aiden Rodriguez, who rushed for 79 yards and one touchdown.
Coahoma didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Lanson Moore and Kaleb Rodriguez. Moore got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Special teams played a big role in the game for Coahoma, adding 12 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Jayden Henderson, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.
Coahoma's win bumped their record up to 7-2. As for Merkel, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-3.
Merkel took a serious blow against Coahoma when the teams last played back in November of 2024, falling 42-14. Thankfully for the Badgers, Jaidyn Vineyard (who rushed for 354 yards and five scores while picking up 10.1 yards per carry, and also caught one TD) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
