Palo Duro has won four straight games at home, while Hanks has won four straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Thursday. The Dons will take on the Knights at 6:00 p.m. One thing working in Palo Duro's favor is that they have posted at least 31 points in their last nine contests.
Palo Duro will bounce into Thursday's game after beating Cooper, who they had gone 0-5 against in their five prior meetings. The Dons blew past the Cougars 52-28 on Thursday. The result was nothing new for the Dons, who have now won seven matchups by 21 points or more so far this season.
Julian Reese II
| 11/06/25 vs Cooper | 283 |
| 10/31/25 @ Legacy | 251 |
| 10/23/25 vs Plainview | 235 |
| 10/17/25 @ Lubbock-Cooper | 254 |
| 10/10/25 vs Wylie | 231 |
| + 4 more games |
Julian Reese II was his usual excellent self, throwing for 283 yards and five TDs while completing 77.8% of his passes, and also punching in one rushing score. That's the most passing yards he has posted since back in September.
Palo Duro didn't let much get past them through the air: they limited Cooper to a completion percentage of just 28%. The team can thank Makoy Sims for the heroic effort on defense: he. Given Reese II's standout performance, it's clear Cooper's secondary just wasn't on the same level.
Palo Duro didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Darien Lewis and Damarion Harris. Palo Duro got some further help from Keanan Posey: he picked up a sack, forced one fumble, and made ten total tackles.
Meanwhile, Hanks suffered their closest loss since September 4th on Friday. They fell just short of Chapin by a score of 52-50. The close contest was extra heartbreaking for the Knights, who almost overcame a 21 point deficit.
Palo Duro will have to contain Austin Deucher as he made an impact in Hanks' last game. He rushed for 321 yards and four touchdowns while picking up 9.2 yards per carry. Deucher was no stranger to the big play, taking off on a dash that went for 67 yards. Jordan Morales was another major influence, as he rushed for 73 yards and ran in a TD.
Palo Duro's victory bumped their record up to 9-1. As for Hanks, with the defeat, they broke their three-game winning streak and moved their record to 6-4.
Thursday's game will pit two of the most dominant signal callers against one another: Reese II and Morales. Reese II just won't slow down this season and has thrown 25 touchdowns (and and only 1 pick) while averaging 224.4 passing yards per game. Morales has been a dominant force too and has thrown 18 touchdowns while averaging 243.6 passing yards per game.
Thursday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Palo Duro has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 174.9 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Hanks struggles in that department as they've been averaging 203.3 rushing yards. There's a good chance Thursday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more football content.
