Rivalries have a way of bringing out the best in players, but Friday night’s 51st edition of Fat Friday was something else entirely. For Freedom High School, it was a family affair — and a dominating one at that.
The Patriots routed East Burke 61-22 to move to 3-0 on the season, and three brothers — Justice and Julius “Juju” Dominguez and Si Perkins — each found the end zone. The trio turned the storied rivalry into their own backyard showcase, scoring touchdowns that carried just as much family pride as they did points on the scoreboard.
A dream fulfilled
For senior Justice Dominguez (No. 12), the oldest of the three siblings, Friday marked his last Fat Friday — and the first time he had ever shared the field with both of his brothers at once.
“I feel great. This is the first time we all have ever three been on the field together,” Justice said. “This I’ve been thinking of ever since I was in, like, eighth grade. I just couldn’t wait to play with Si Si … and then this year we all three together.”
Strength in numbers
Junior Juju Dominguez (4) called it a comfort to have family lining up next to him, saying it made him both more confident and more competitive.
“I feel like all three of us on the field at one time, it’s hard to stop,” Juju said. “And our team, we all work, like, really hard, all of us. And, like, that I got my brothers beside me. I’m way more comfortable.”
Polite, close and competitive
After the game, the three brothers spoke together — polite, humble and clearly tight-knit. Their bond was obvious, whether talking about sharing the field or celebrating each other’s touchdowns.
The competition doesn’t stop under the lights — it carries over to every part of their lives.
“Yeah, we all be in competition with who the fastest, who jumped the highest, who’s the best at the sport,” Julius laughed. “We all been competing since we can really run and walk. We always been up against each other and that’s how we got us better.”
The youngest joins the party
Sophomore Si Perkins (9), in his first Fat Friday appearance, didn’t waste the opportunity to score and to soak in the moment.
“It’s just a blessing. All I can do is just thank God,” Si said. “Proud to be on the field with them; it’s just great.”
A legacy together
The brothers know that what they did Friday night was rare — not many families get to take the field together in one of the region’s longest-running rivalries.
“We want people to remember us, you three brothers,” Juju said. “That don’t really happen a lot.”
And though Justice will graduate this spring, the bond continues.
“Honestly, it’s just me being on the field with my brothers,” Si said. “It’s the last Fat Friday for him, and next year I got one more with him.”
A rivalry win to remember
The Fat Friday tradition has spanned 51 years but rarely has it featured a storyline like this — three brothers each scoring in the same game. For Freedom, it wasn’t just a 61-22 win to stay undefeated. It was a night that the Dominguez-Perkins household, and the wider Patriot community, won’t soon forget.