The Fort Zumwalt North football team wrapped up their regular season schedule with a 38 - 14 victory over Francis Howell Central. The Panthers, by virtue of their 8 - 1 regular season record, have earned the number one seed in the Class 5 District 3 tournament and have drawn a first round bye.
Against Central, the Panthers were led on offense by quarterback Joel Hilliard who completed 9 of 13 passes for 169 yards and 2 touchdowns. Hilliard connected with Tim Nesslage for a 48 yard touchdown strike and Grant Latina with a 36 yard pass for a second score through the air. It was the sixth touchdown reception of the season for Latina. Hilliard also ran for a 32 yard touchdown. The versatile Cairo Payne has proven to be an explosive threat for the Panthers this season. Payne rushed for 116 yards against the Spartans, including a 91 yard touchdown run. Special teams stand-out, Owen Sears, completed 5 of his extra point attempts and also kicked a 24 yard field goal.
As has been the case throughout the 2018 season, the Panther defense was once again anchored by Jaylin Vaughn who had another outstanding effort against Howell Central. Vaughn recorded 9 tackles and a interception, which he returned 29 yards for a Panther touchdown. Shaun Hall, who recorded a season-high 3 quarterback sacks as part of his 6 total tackles on the night, and Max Martin (5 tackles) rounded out another strong defensive effort by the Panthers.
Find out what's happening in O'Fallonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The Panthers will return to action on November 2nd. They will host the winner of the District's 4/5 match-up between Wentzville: Liberty (4 seed) and Francis Howell North (5 seed).