Freshman receiver makes debut in season opener

Jasmine Casimir // Assistant Sports Director

It’s been said that dreaming about your goals is just half the battle, and putting in the work to actually achieve your goals is the other half in order for them to come true. Stanley Thomas lived up to his expectations in his debut.

“Playing in my first game was great,” Thomas said. “It was very fast, and there was a lot of things that were unexpected, but I got through it and it was great.”

The freshman receiver, who moved into the starting lineup during the offseason, did not disappoint as he led Panthers in receiving yards for the season opener.

The 6-foot-2, 185-pound wide receiver recorded 91 of the Panthers’ 268 receiving yards, connecting with quarterback Alex McGough as if season opener was not his first collegiate game. His play of the night was a 45-yard connection that landed the Panthers in a great situation on the Indiana 14-yard line.

“As I looked up I saw that it was only one safety,” Thomas said. “McGough saw it, and I beat him and it just led me the way. It felt great.”

Thomas showed Panther fans the beginnings of being a dream weaver despite the 34-13 loss to Indiana.

“Stanley is an exceptional route runner,” wide receivers coach Kort Shankweiler told Pete Pelegrin. “He does a lot of stuff naturally that you don’t have to spend time coaching.”

There was a lot of miscommunication on plays and a few dropped balls that could’ve put the Panthers in a position to win their home opener. Although Thomas had a phenomenal start to the season, he knows that he and the team have to go back to the drawing board and prepare for Maryland to grab their first win.

“We have another big game against Maryland,” Thomas said. “Now our focus is on that. Come in tomorrow, get ready, and get all of that right.”

The Panthers will play the University of Maryland on Friday, Sept. 9 at 7:30 p.m.