Panthers run through Liberty!

The FZN football team continued it's winning ways last Friday night as the Panthers rolled past visiting Liberty 35 - 8 to improve their record to 4 - 0 (1 - 0 in conference) on the season. The Panthers, who for the past several years have been known for their vaunted rushing attack, relied somewhat on their passing game in the first three games of the season. That changed Friday night as the Panthers amassed 337 rushing yards on the night. Cairo Payne led all Panther rushers with an even 100 yards and a touchdown on just three carries. Iazayh Hudnut nearly matched Payne's total as he added 99 yards and a touchdown on just four carries. Quarterback Joel Hilliard scored two rushing touchdowns while running for a total of 74 yards on 18 attempts. Hilliard also passed for 88 yards. His top target was Grant Latina who caught three balls for a total of 31 yards. Jaylin Vaughn added a rushing touchdown for the Panthers to round out the offensive effort.

On defense, the Panthers continued their stingy ways holding Liberty to just one score. The Panther defense was led by Cerry Watson who recorded 7 solo tackles and 2 assists. Cairo Payne (5 solos, 2 assists) and Jaylin Vaughn (4 solos, 5 assists) also stood out for the Panthers. Kamden Bynum, Grant Latina, and Max Martin all recovered fumbles for the Panthers.

This Friday, the Panthers will travel the 3.4 mile distance between North High and South High to play the rival Bulldogs in a game that matches the district's two oldest high schools. The game is known as the "Helmet Game" as a traveling helmet trophy is presented to the winner of each year's regular season game. This is a tradition that dates back to the mid-1990's. South enters the game with a 2 - 2 record. Kickoff at FZS is scheduled for 7:00 pm.