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Hoping to win their fourth straight over the Los Angeles Chargers, two Chiefs assistants will be splitting focus this weekend.
“We’re calling it the Nagy-Merritt Bowl,” Chiefs defensive backs coach Dave Merritt joked Thursday, as his son, Dawson, an outside linebacker for Blue Valley High, prepares to play Matt Nagy’s son, Tate, and Blue Valley West this Friday.
“It should be fun,” Matt Nagy said. “It’ll be an exciting time for the boys, but at the same point in time, it’s a great opportunity for these teams,” he continued.
The matchup has garnered local and national attention, even making NFL Network in the lead-up to Kansas City’s primetime matchup with the Denver Broncos in Week 6.
From @NFLGameDay Kickoff earlier: Patrick Mahomes and his #Chiefs teammates are big supporters of local high school football and are already fired up for next Friday’s rivalry game that will feature friends Tate Nagy and Dawson Merritt facing one another. pic.twitter.com/jcejvISvTa
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) October 13, 2023
“I’ve been told there’s some trash talk in the locker room between the offensive guys, who are with Tate (Nagy) and defensive guys who are with Dawson (Merritt),” NFL insider Mike Garafolo shared on the show. “They’re talking about showing up for this one,” he added.
Despite lining up on opposite sides of the gridiron Friday, Merritt and Dawson are connected by their fathers and football, even visiting Iowa State football as sophomores.
“They have become friends, and now they’re both in their junior year,” Dave Merritt said. “Justin Reid has taken over… so I would ask him all the questions that you want to ask him about the game, but we’re excited. Everyone’s excited for it.”
As for any friendly wagers on the game?
“No, zero,” Matt Nagy said sternly. “We’re focused and locked in on getting after these Chargers.”
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