Fort Worth Paschal stays undefeated, routs North Side to start district play

After a bye in Week 3, Paschal looked to stay undefeated as it started District 4-5A Division I play. The Panthers were able to do just that with a 59-0 victory over Fort Worth North Side Friday at Farrington Field.

Following this victory, the Panthers remained contenders for the district title. In 2024, Paschal joined a new district when they dropped to 5A and ended a 28-year playoff drought.

Former North Side principal Antonio Martinez Jr., who had led the school for 15 years, returned to lead the coin toss for the two teams. It was a night of returning to old traditions for both squads.

“We used to play Paschal about 20 years ago, and then the districts got changed,” Martinez Jr. said.

The Paschal Panthers led the game right away, scoring a touchdown with 7:35 left in the first quarter by quarterback Jashaun Thomas. This early lead set the tone for the Panthers.

“It’s our opening district game, so it’s a must-win for us,” Paschal head coach John Killough said. “Kids have worked hard for the last two weeks, and were prepared and ready to go.”

You could see players like running back Truman Shelton were ready to go. Shelton scored four touchdowns during the game. His first score came with 1:15 left in the first quarter. This put his team up 14-0. He continued to take it to the house.

Shelton scored a 54-yard touchdown for Paschal with 10:58 left in the second quarter. This drive brought the Panthers up 21-0.

“My favorite play would have to be the passing touchdown, you know, I don’t get a lot of those at running back, but it was a good job by my QB,” Shelton said.

Shelton and Thomas are two of the standout players for the Panthers. Thomas has had a strong start to the season. In the first two games, he scored a total of five touchdowns and averaged 60 rushing yards.

The Panthers continued to have success going down the field. They executed scoring play after scoring play throughout the first and second halves.

“Execution all the time from start to finish, we’ve got to come out with our foot on the gas, and we’ve got to finish every drive,” Killough said.

With 7:47 in the second, Judah Blackshear made a 7-yard touchdown for the Panthers, which brought their lead to 28-0. After two more TDs from Shelton, Paschal led 42-0, ending the first half.

The second half started like the first, with a score for the Panthers by wide receiver Hudson Avery. With 5:58 left in the third quarter, Paschal scored yet another touchdown.

The Panthers continued to add points to the scoreboard and ended the game victorious.

North Side will look to rebound after a bye week. The next opponent for both teams will be South Hills. Paschal will play them Saturday, Sept. 27, at Clark Stadium, and North Side will play South Hills Friday, Oct. 3, at Clark.

Editor’s note: This story was produced by members of FW Southwest High School’s advanced media program.