DP flag football locks up 7th district title in past 8 seasons -- Observer Preps

The defense for the Dr. Phillips flag football team pitched another shutout Thursday evening and the Panthers overcame a slow start in the first half to score a 19-0 win over Timber Creek in the FHSAA Class 2A, District 3 Championship.

Dr. Phillips (14-0) will now face Martin County, the champion of District 2A-4 and last season's state runner-up, on the road at 7 p.m. May 12 in the regional semifinals. The game will offer an opportunity for a bit of payback for the Panthers, whose season ended in a game against Martin County last spring, and the winner will advance to the regional finals on May 16.

The district title is the second consecutive for Dr. Phillips and the Panthers' seventh district title in the past eight seasons.

Against Timber Creek, the Dr. Phillips defense helped its offense get going in the second half. An interception by Aunjani Miller set up an eventual touchdown pass from Kaylee Messina to Tiffany Tolbert late in the third quarter. Later, early in the fourth quarter, Miller came up big again, helping to force a punt. The ensuing drive for the Panthers ended with a touchdown pass from Messina to Nisa Costa in the corner of the end zone. 

Messina and Tolbert would hook up for one more touchdown to finalize the 19-0 victory.

The victory is the third consecutive shutout for the Panthers' defense and their eighth of the season. In total, Dr. Phillips has outscored opponents 418-43 this spring.

Their next task will arguably be their toughest, though. The Panthers are ranked No. 3 in the state by FloridaHSFootball.com, and Martin County is ranked No. 2.

Contact Steven Ryzewski at [email protected].