Eastland 45, Merkel 21 — Keaton Hicks and Cooper Wright combined for 257 yards passing and two TDs to help Eastland improve to 4-5 overall and 3-1 in district play.
Isaiah Burns led Merkel with 112 yards rushing and a score. Joey Zink added 75 yards passing, including a pair of TD strikes.
The Mavericks will meet Dublin (7-2, 3-1) on the road next Friday with a possible league title in the balance, depending on the outcome of the Jacksboro’s home date with Millsap.
Millsap 44, Dublin 41 — The Bulldogs piled up 464 yards in total offense and forced a pair of Dublin turnovers to hand the Lions their first district loss.
Chris Teten led Dublin with 345 yards passing and five TDs.
Trailing 32-13 at the break, the Lions (7-2, 3-1) rallied with a 26-13 second half but fell short. Millsap improved to 4-5 and 2-2.
Jacksboro 41, Comanche 34 — The Tigers held off Comanche for a critical district win that kept Jacksboro’s district title hopes alive.
The game was equally important for Comanche, which is pursuing a playoff seed.
The Indians will face Merkel (3-6, 0-4) next week with a chance to land a fourth seed if Millsap falls to Jacksboro.