RaShawn Powell scored 28 points and Tyriefe Beard chipped in 12 points and eight rebounds to lead Men’s Basketball to a 61-50 comeback victory over First Academy. DP (14-4) found themselves down six after the first quarter, 15-9, but righted the ship in the second. Jerard Pierre Louis cut the deficit in half, 16-13, with a layup and Powell tied the game at 20-20 with a pair of free throws with just over a minute left in the half. In the third quarter, DP turned up the defensive pressure and it paid off as the Panthers outscored the Royals, 21-8. Powell’s cross over dribble and 12-foot jumper triggered a 7-0 run that included a deep three by David Stephen as well as a steal and thundering dunk by Tyriefe Beard with 1:20 to go. DP continued to pour it on into the fourth quarter as an 18-foot jumper by RaShawn Powell capped a 17-2 Panther run for a 47-32 lead and they never looked back. Jerard Pierre Louis finished with nine points but was even stronger defensively on the glass with 14 rebounds and took four charges in the paint.
Dr. Phillips Football closed out their season with a 13-1 record and Regional Championship. The Orlando Sentinel recognized seven Panthers on their All-Central Florida team led by senior Matt Milano who was named the Central Florida Defensive Player of the Year. The Boston College-bound safety registered 100 tackles, four interceptions and 18 tackles for loss and wreaked havoc on opposing offenses all year long. Joining Milano on the first team is defensive tackle Kenderson Obas who led DP with 109 tackles and a record-tying 15 sacks. Second team honors were bestowed upon running back Eric Harrell (1,459 yards, 25 touchdowns), three-year starting offensive guard Victor Clavier and defensive end Chadwick Williams (94 tackles, ten sacks, five forced fumbles). Junior wide receiver Roderick Proctor was named Honorable Mention All-Central Florida after leading the Panthers with 43 receptions for 773 yards and 10 touchdowns as well as Florida-bound safety Marcell Harris, who finished with over 50 tackles in a season cut short due to a knee injury.
