Football Game Preview: Mt. Pleasant Tigers vs. Nacogdoches Dragons

The Mt. Pleasant Tigers will head out to take on the Nacogdoches Dragons at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Nacogdoches took a loss in their last contest and will be looking to turn the tables on Mt. Pleasant, who comes in off a win.

Mt. Pleasant took a loss when they played away from home last Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. They blew past Jacksonville, posting a 53-3 win. The Tigers' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.

Meanwhile, after a string of five wins, Nacogdoches' good fortune finally ran out on Friday. The matchup between the Dragons and Marshall didn't end well, with the Dragons falling 42-28. While losing is never fun, the Dragons can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 386th, while the Mavericks are ranked 123rd).

Mt. Pleasant will need to focus on slowing down Micah Lockett, one of several Nacogdoches players who made an impact when they last played. He picked up 161 receiving yards and one TD. Lockett showed off some serious burst, lighting up the secondary with a catch for 57 yards. Another player making a difference was Trae Page, who gained 105 total yards and two touchdowns.

Nacogdoches' defeat was their first in the district, dropping their district record down to 3-1 and their overall record down to 6-2. As for Mt. Pleasant, their victory ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 2-6.

Everything came up roses for Mt. Pleasant against Nacogdoches when the teams last played back in November of 2024, as the squad secured a 57-7 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Tigers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.