Senior running back Eric Harrell rushed for 129 yards and three touchdowns and junior Deionte Gaines ran for 105 yards and a score to lead DP Football to a 28-8 victory over host Wekiva. DP (3-0) overcame a sluggish start and a myriad of penalties for their third consecutive victory. This was the first time DP had two backs rush for over 100 yards for the first time since 2008 when Dee Hart and Marvin Ford accomplished the feat vs. Plant City Durant in the playoffs.
Wekiva utilized a ball control, clock chewing offense to keep the Panther offense off the field and it was effective in the early going. After the Panthers went three and out on their opening drive, the Mustangs took over in superb field position at the DP 35. Four plays later, Wekiva ran it in and converted the two point conversion for an 8-0 lead with 4:16 left in the first quarter. On the ensuing drive, DP allowed a 30-yard run by Deionte Gaines go to waste as the drive stalled at the Wekiva 37. The Mustangs assumed possession and marched 44 yards with the help of two 15 yard penalties but were forced to punt it back to the Panthers with 8:40 to go in the second quarter. From their own 12, DP’s Eric Harrell broke through the line, cut left and raced unscathed for a career-high 88-yard touchdown run.
Down 8-7, the DP defense forced a fumble with 3:36 left in the half, Senior safety Matt Milano pounced on the ball to give the Panthers possession at the Wekiva 15. Eric Harrell carried three times for all 15 yards, the third being a four-yard scamper for his second score of the night for a 14-8 lead heading into the half.
In the third quarter, facing second and 17 from the DP 32, Deionte Gaines took the handoff and slipped down the right side of the field for a 68-yard touchdown run, his career-high. With just over a minute gone in the second half, DP’s lead stretched to 21-8. The defense thwarted Wekiva on fourth down in consecutive drives and the offense made them pay dearly for it. With 9:04 left in the fourth quarter and the ball at the Wekiva 30, it was Harrell again, busting through the right side, slipping past tackles and barreling 30 yards for his third touchdown of the night. Harrell has rushed for three touchdowns in two of his first three games. Down 28-8, Wekiva had no option but to pass. After the Mustangs drove inside the DP 20, senior defensive tackle Mike Morales registered consecutive sacks, the second on fourth down, to close out the victory.
In other DP sports news, last Thursday DP Men’s Bowling raised their record to 4-0 with a decisive victory over the Olympia Titans, 2625-2359, their highest team score in nearly two years. George Johnson continued his torrid pace with a 579 series, highlighted by a team-best 216, 171 and 192 games. Cameron Datema equaled Johnson’s 579 series as well, with progressively stronger games of 156, 189 and 196. Dalton Wainwright’s 550 series (191, 179, 180) and AJ Dattino’s 539 series (162, 186, 191) completed the scoring. DP will look to secure their fifth consecutive win Tuesday at Oak Ridge.
Women’s Bowling may have dropped two close matches in a row but ended their slide with a resounding 700-pin victory over Olympia, 2044-1334, DP’s highest output of the season. Senior Riley O’Donnell rolled a match-high 199 in her opening game en route to a 470 series. Taylor Gilman sandwiched strong games of 176 and 177 in her 491 series and first year bowler Kaley Eastwood rolled a season-high 161 game. DP, which evened ita mark at 2-2 on the season, will travel to Oak Ridge Tuesday.
Freshmen Football took an 8-0 lead in the first quarter and never looked back as they zipped past visiting Wekiva for a 20-6 victory to even their record at 1-1. In the JV Football matchup, freshman running back Alvin Brown rumbled 65 yards for a touchdown and Dominique Brown’s 48-yard interception return led to a one-yard scoring run by Brown again to give DP (2-0) a 14-0 lead at the half. In the second half, Jamari Smith’s interception return for a touchdown sealed the deal as the Panthers knocked out the Mustangs, 21-8.
