Pittsboro resident Nicholas Parker thought he might be dreaming when he bought a $5 scratch-off and uncovered a $200,000 prize.

“I really thought it was a dream and that I would wake up any second,” he recalled. “I was pinching myself.”

Parker bought his lucky Carolina Panthers scratch-off from the Sheetz on North Broad Street in Fuquay-Varina on Friday morning.

“At first I thought I just won $200,” he said. “Then I saw all the zeroes and I just sat there looking at it.”

He said it took a minute for him to process the win.

“When it finally set in I got super excited and started freaking out a little bit,” he laughed.

Parker arrived at lottery headquarters Friday to claim his prize and, after required state and federal tax withholdings, took home $142,501.

He said he will use the money to pay bills and invest.

The Carolina Panthers game debuted in July with five $200,000 top prizes. Two $200,000 prizes remain to be claimed.

For details on how $4.2 million raised by the lottery made a difference in Chatham County last year, visit www.nclottery.com and click on the “Impact” section.