Football Preview: Lufkin Panthers vs. Nacogdoches Dragons
Lufkin is 8-1 against Nacogdoches since September of 2014, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Lufkin Panthers will look to defend their home field against the Nacogdoches Dragons at 7:00 p.m.
After dropping their season opener at home, Nacogdoches is headed out to face a Panthers team ready to give their home crowd a win. Lufkin fell to Longview 7-3. The Panthers have struggled against the Lobos recently, as their game on Friday was their eighth consecutive lost matchup.
Meanwhile, Nacogdoches can finally bid farewell to their three-game losing streak dating back to last season thanks to their game on Friday. They strolled past Palestine with points to spare, taking the game 34-17. The Dragons pushed the score to 34-10 by the end of the third, a deficit the Wildcats cut but never quite recovered from.
Nacogdoches' win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Trae Page, who rushed for 84 yards and a touchdown. Rj Whitaker was another key receiver, rushing for 61 yards and a touchdown on only five carries.
Nacogdoches' defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged two passes before it was all said and done. The picks came courtesy of Quin'Charves Calhoun and Jabrandon Rushing. Rushing's also deserves a shoutout for his performance on D, picking up a sack and making nine total tackles in addition to snagging an interception. Braylon Horton was another major factor on D, picking up a sack, making eight total tackles (2.0 for loss), and defending a pass.
Lufkin strolled past Nacogdoches in their previous meeting back in September of 2023 by a score of 47-28. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Nacogdoches' Jaylan Brown, who picked up 167 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for Lufkin to walk away with another win? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
