The FZN football team moved their record to 9 - 0 last Friday as the Panthers defeated Timberland 42 - 21. The game was the last regular season game of the season for the Panthers who will begin district play on 10/27. The victory over Timberland secured the #1 seed for the Panthers in the MSHSAA District playoff tournament. It is the fourth straight season that the Panthers have earned the #1 seed. By virtue of the their seed, the Panthers will enjoy a bye week this Friday and will host the winner of the 4/5 seed (FZS/Washington) match-up next Friday (10/27).
Against Timberland, the Panther defense "rose to the occasion" in the words of head coach Joe Bacon, as the Panther defense held Timberland to just 226 yards of total offense. Senior Marius Smith led the way with 8 solo tackles and 3 sacks. Jaylin Vaughn and Eli Paraham-Lewis each finished with 7 solo tackles. The Panther offense, which has scored at least 42 points in each of their games this season, used a balanced approach against the Wolves. Jacob Triplett, who had a combined 173 rushing and receiving yards while scoring three touchdowns, led the Panther attack. Cairo Payne also played a big offensive role as he had a combined total of 159 yards and one touchdown. Quarterback Jack Ederer threw for a season high 270 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for two scores.
The previous week, the Panthers finished GAC Central play by defeating Fort Zumwalt South 54 - 7. The Panthers finished with a conference record of 5 - 0 to claim their 4th consecutive conference title and 5th in 7 years. The Panthers last lost a conference game during the 2013 season.