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Friday night’s matchup between FRA and BGA was supposed to be a test of perfection. The Panthers came in undefeated, yet were cast in the underdog role against a BGA team that had looked nearly flawless all season.
That script flipped quickly — and it was a sophomore quarterback who helped rewrite it.
When starting quarterback Hudson Holman came out of the game, all eyes turned to Jack Nimitz. The moment could have rattled him. Instead, it became the night he proved the Panthers’ depth is just as strong as their record.
After a scoreless first half, Nimitz gave FRA exactly what it needed leading the Panthers to a come-from-behind 21-14 win over the top-ranked Wildcats.
“Hudson has been a great addition to this team, we always compete and push each other,” Nimitz said. “When one of us can’t get it done, the other one will pick it up — and that’s kinda what happened tonight.”
Despite being only a sophomore, Nimitz’s composure didn’t come as a surprise inside the huddle to the rest of his teammates.
“He’s been ready all summer, he’s put in the work,” junior Omarii Sanders said. “He knew he was that 1B type of guy. I told him to stay focused, make the smart play, and take advantage of what they were giving us. All we had to do was trust him and let him shine.”
That trust paid off. FRA didn’t just protect its unbeaten record — the Panthers did it in the role nobody expected them to play: the underdog.
BGA looked well on its way to another blowout victory jumping out to a 14-0 lead in the first half. The Panther finally got on the scoreboard midway through the second quarter when Nimitz found Cam Glenn over the middle for six.
The second half is when Nimitz shined.
He orchestrated a pair of touchdown drives for the Panthers after their defense rose up with some crucial stops. Kwadir Fletcher scored on both of those drives including the game-winner with 17 seconds remaining.
“Sophomore, backup — that doesn’t matter to me,” Nimitz said. “Leadership is the most important, and I was ready to be that leader.”
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