The FZN football team continued their winning ways last Friday with a 56 – 13 victory over Francis Howell North in the first meeting between the two schools in 20 years. With the victory, the Panthers improved to 5 – 1 on the season and remain unbeaten (3 – 0) in conference play. The Panther offense overwhelmed the Knights with a scoring blitz in the first half that saw the Panthers jump out to a 56 – 0 halftime lead. Most of the Panther starters were limited to just one-half of play, but made the most of their time. Quarterback Jack Newcomb completed 10 of 14 passes for 156 yards and two TD’s. Newcomb also rushed for two touchdowns on carries of 11 and 28 yards. Bobby Merris was the leading receiver for the Panthers recording 64 yards on 4 catches with 1 touchdown. Chris Futrell ran for 56 yards on just 6 carries while scoring twice. Tyler Oakes and Robert Rezex rounded out the Panthers offensive scores, Oakes on a 16 yard pass from Newcomb and Rezex on a 1st quarter 21 yard run that opened the scoring for the Panthers.
The Panthers defense was led by the steady play of senior linebacker Eddie Angelback who recorded 10 tackles on the night. Parker Monnig (9 tackles) and Spencer Steinmeyer (8 tackles) also stood out. Two-way stand-out Robert Rezex recorded 7 tackles of his own to go along with a pick-six late in the 2nd quarter.
This Friday the Panthers travel across Hwy. 70 to play their long-time rival Fort Zumwalt South. The winner of each year’s regular season contest is awarded the traveling helmet trophy. A tradition that dates back to the mid-1990’s. South enters the game with a 3 – 2 record and is vastly improved over a season ago. Kickoff at South is scheduled for 7:00 pm.