vs
| 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. They were the clear victors by a 35-14 margin over the Palestine Wildcats. The Dragons haven't had any issues with the Wildcats recently, as the game was their third consecutive win against them.
Nacogdoches' success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Rj Whitaker led the charge by rushing for 59 yards and one TD, while also picking up 30 receiving yards and one score. Whitaker also deserves a shoutout for his performance on D, picking up a sack and making two total tackles. Jaylan Garrett was another key signal caller, throwing for 193 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Nacogdoches proved: they limited Palestine to a paltry 2.4 yards per carry. The team can thank Landon Sherrard for the heroic effort on defense: he. Nacogdoches didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 7.6.
Nacogdoches' defense didn't let the opposing QB, get away unscathed either: they got into the backfield for 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.
Coming up, Nacogdoches will look to defend their home field on Friday against Lufkin at 7:00 p.m. As for Palestine, they are packing up and heading out on the road for their first away game of the season: they will challenge Jasper at 7:30 p.m. on the 5th.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
