Jacksboro is on a three-game streak of home wins (dating back to last season), while Merkel is on a three-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Jacksboro Tigers will take on the Merkel Badgers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Merkel took a loss in their last contest and will be looking to turn the tables on Jacksboro, who comes in off a win.
Last Friday, Jacksboro beat Comanche 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 was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 63 yards. Lando Belcher was another key contributor, throwing for 204 yards and a touchdown on only 17 passes.
Meanwhile, it was a hard-fought match, but Merkel had to settle for a 23-20 loss against Eastland on Friday. 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. The team also got some help courtesy of Connor Willyerd, who rushed for 171 yards while picking up 10.7 yards per carry.
Jacksboro's win on Friday bumped their record up to 7-0. As for Merkel, their loss dropped their record down to 5-2.
Keep an eye on the end zone in Friday's game as both teams haven't had much trouble getting there this season. Jacksboro commands a daunting offense this season, having averaged 6 touchdowns per game. However, it's not like Merkel struggles in that department as they've been averaging 5.7 per game. With these two high-octane teams facing off on Friday, fans should be in for an exciting offensive matchup.
Everything came up roses for Jacksboro against Merkel in their previous matchup back in October of 2022 as the squad secured a 50-7 victory. Does Jacksboro have another victory up their sleeve, or will Merkel turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
