Pregame show at 6:45 p.m., kickoff at 7 p.m. from Wildcat Stadium
The Paradise Panthers hit the road for the first time in 2026 tonight, taking on the Godley Wildcats at Wildcat Stadium, and you can follow every snap live right here.
The pregame show, presented by Barefoot Pools, starts at 6:45 p.m., with kickoff set for 7 p.m. Thomas Brown has the play-by-play call tonight, with Brody Gates on production. Prefer to listen on the go? The full broadcast is also available on the NTX Varsity Sports app. Download it free and take Panther football with you wherever Friday night finds you.
Panthers Roll In at 1-0
Paradise opened its season the way a No. 3-ranked team should. The Panthers built a 42-10 lead on Ponder last Friday before a late Lions rally made the final 42-32, and the performance backed up the preseason billing for a team ranked third in Class 3A Division I.
Senior quarterback Ayden Olalde was nearly flawless in the opener, completing 23 of 30 passes for 250 yards and four touchdowns without an interception as Paradise piled up 411 yards of offense. Sophomore Sawyer Murphy announced himself in a big way, hauling in two of those scoring passes, including a fade to the corner of the end zone just before halftime.
The defense did its part too, forcing three first-half turnovers. Camden Walker, last season’s All-Wise County Defensive Newcomer of the Year, and linebacker Cooper Romines each picked off a pass, and lineman Nikkos Arvisu fell on a forced fumble that set up another score one play later.
Another 4A Test, This Time on the Road
For the second straight week, Paradise is punching up a classification. After holding off 4A Ponder in the opener, the Panthers now travel to face a 4A Godley program in front of its home crowd, in one of the fastest-growing communities south of Fort Worth.
That is exactly the kind of schedule a team builds when it believes it can play deep into December, and how Paradise handles its first road trip will say plenty about this group.
Scouting the Wildcats
Godley enters tonight looking for its first win after a 42-12 loss at Graham in Week 1, a rematch of the bi-district playoff game that ended the Wildcats’ 2025 season. That makes tonight Godley’s home opener, and the Wildcats will be plenty motivated to make it a statement night.
Third-year head coach Danny Dudgeon knows how to build a winner. Before arriving in Godley, he took over a Clyde program coming off a 1-9 season and had the Bulldogs at 11-2 and in a regional semifinal within three years, earning Dave Campbell’s Texas Football 3A Team of the Year honors along the way. His Wildcats reached the playoffs a season ago, and with the enrollment growth happening in Godley, this is a program trending upward.
What to Watch
Road openers test a team’s poise, and a fast start would go a long way toward quieting the home crowd. If Olalde stays as efficient as he was in Week 1 and the Paradise defense keeps taking the ball away, the Panthers have the firepower to handle their second 4A opponent in as many weeks. If Godley channels the energy of its home opener into an early lead, Paradise will find out quickly how it responds to adversity away from home.
Game Information
Who: Paradise Panthers (1-0) at Godley Wildcats (0-1) When: Tonight. Pregame at 6:45 p.m., kickoff at 7 p.m. Where:Wildcat Stadium, Godley, Texas
How to listen: Listen live for FREE right here on NTXVarsitySports.com, on the NTX Varsity Sports YouTube channel, or on the NTX Varsity Sports app, with Thomas Brown on the call and Brody Gates on production, presented by Barefoot Pools
Tune In Tonight
A ranked team, a road test, and a second straight shot at a bigger school. Week 2 has all the makings of another statement night for Paradise.
Join us at 6:45 p.m. for the pregame show presented by Barefoot Pools, stick around for kickoff at 7, and follow the Panthers all season long right here on NTXVarsitySports.com and the NTX Varsity Sports app.