Football Recap: Nacogdoches Starts Season with Victory on the Road + How To Watch

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Previous 4 Games

08/28/25 - Away	35-14 W
08/30/24 - Home	34-17 W
08/25/23 - Away	40-36 W
08/26/22 - Home	31-37 L

Nacogdoches had to kick off their season on the road on Thursday, but they showed no ill effects. Everything went their way against the Palestine Wildcats as they made off with a 35-14 victory. The score was all tied up 7-7 at the break, but the Dragons were the (much) better team in the second half.

Nacogdoches' win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Rj Whitaker, who rushed for 59 yards and one TD, and also picked up 30 receiving yards and one touchdown. Whitaker didn't just play on offense: he also picked up a sack and made two total tackles. Jaylan Garrett was another key signal caller, throwing for 193 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

On the other side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Nacogdoches' defense and their five sacks. Jeremiah Sanders-Garrett was especially locked on to Palestine's QB and sacked him twice. Nacogdoches received some extra help from Whitaker, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.

Looking ahead, Nacogdoches will take on Lufkin at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. As for Palestine, they will square off against Jasper at 7:30 p.m. on September 5.