Dr. Phillips football tops Riverview, wins region | Observer Preps

SARASOTA It seemed, for a few minutes, that Dr. Phillips High’s football season was in jeopardy of ending Friday night. 

The Panthers were leading 21-19 on the scoreboard, as they had all night, but the game was no longer in their control. Riverview High tramped down the field using option plays and screen passes, and with 10 minutes to go, the Rams’ attack stood inside the Panthers’ 10-yard line.

The crowd at the Ram Bowl stomped the bleachers. Everyone in attendance was expecting a score. 

On the next play, they got one — but not from Riverview. 

A low snap rolled past Rams senior quarterback Arthur Brantley IV. Panthers junior linebacker Jaquarri Powell scooped it and rumbled 87 yards to the house.

Suddenly, Dr. Phillips led 28-19, and neither team would score again. The fumble return quieted the crowd and sent the Panthers to the Class 8A State Semifinals. 

Big plays were a bit of a theme for the Panthers, and they were all timely.

With 21 seconds left in the first half, senior quarterback BeSean McCray found a hole in the Rams’ front seven and dashed 65 yards to the end zone. It made the halftime score 14-6 Panthers, putting pressure on the Rams to make plays in the second half.

They made some, but not enough. Their 19 points scored was a season low. 

Senior running back Devodney Alford also had a strong game, consistently churning out chunk plays and finding the end zone twice on goal line runs. 

As the Panthers tried for another goal line score late in the game, the two teams got into a shoving match, and that evolved into a miniature brawl. Two Rams were ejected, and as a result the teams did not shake hands postgame.