Missouri State to bring the Payne!

FZN Senior Cairo Payne recently signed a “Letter of Intent” to play football at Missouri State University located in Springfield, Missouri. Payne led the Panthers to a 12 – 1 record this past fall. The Panthers swept through conference and district play before falling to the eventual state champions from Carthage in the state semi-final. A two-way standout, Payne completed an outstanding season that saw him transition from running back/wide-receiver to quarterback his senior year. The dynamic Payne rushed for 1601 yards while scoring 26 touchdowns to lead all Panther rushers. He also threw for 984 yards and 15 touchdowns. On the defensive side of the ball, Payne recorded 42 tackles from his defensive back position. For his efforts, Payne was selected as GAC Central “Player of the Year”, after being named a member of both the GAC Central Offensive and Defensive “All-Conference” teams. It was the second consecutive season for Payne to be placed on both the offensive and defensive team. He was also chosen to be a member of Missouri’s Class 5 “All-State” team at the quarterback position. A versatile athlete, Payne is also a two-time GAC Central Champion in the triple-jump. At Missouri State, Payne is expected to play at the wide-receiver position.

Missouri State football competes as a NCAA FCS (formerly 1AA) member. The Bears play in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The MVFC features such schools as North Dakota State, Youngstown State, and Northern Iowa. It is widely regarded as the top conference in the FCS division.