DP, Plant to meet in state playoffs for fourth consecutive season

ORLANDO — Dr. Phillips High School’s undefeated varsity football team knows big plays will be a must against playoff rival Tampa Plant.

Perhaps even more than DP needed to make during a dramatic Class 8A regional quarterfinal win over a quality squad from Valrico.

The Panthers have reached the second round of the FHSAA state playoffs for the ninth consecutive year. That accomplishment came after they withstood the play of the Bloomingdale Bulls and quarterback Isaiah McIntyre en route to a 24-21 comeback victory Nov. 14.

Up next for Dr. Phillips (11-0) is a Friday night matchup against the surging Plant Panthers, who have won 10 straight games following a season-opening loss to Lowndes (Ga.) High at the South Georgia Classic. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Bill Spoone Stadium, as DP and Plant square off in the regional semifinals for the fourth consecutive season.

Dr. Phillips entered the postseason tied atop the final Associated Press Class 8A state poll with First Coast. Plant is ranked fifth.

“Home field has been very important,” said fourth-year head coach Rodney Wells, who currently is tied with Tom Carlsen for most career wins (45) at Dr. Phillips. “The two games we played down there we lost — one in overtime — and the one time they came here we won. So the home team is 100% right now, and, hopefully, we can keep it that way.”

Plant earned a 49-13 home victory over DP on its way to the 2011 Class 8A state title. Dr. Phillips was ranked No. 1, and Plant held the No. 2 spot in 2012 — DP’s defense dominated that year in a 24-7 triumph at Bill Spoone Stadium — while Plant head coach Robert Weiner watched his team successfully stop a two-point conversion to clinch a 24-23 overtime win in Tampa last season.

“We have nothing but the utmost respect for coach Weiner,” Wells said. “A lot of the things that he’s done in the past, we’ve emulated in trying to build a dynasty-type program like he’s done there. We still have another couple steps to go, but Coach Weiner is a class guy.”

CLOSE CALL

Plant’s offense is directed this season by junior quarterback Rex Culpepper, but it’s hard to imagine that DP will face a more dynamic signal-caller than it did in the regional quarterfinals in McIntyre.

Bloomingdale’s aforementioned junior directed a pair of first-half scoring drives last Friday as the Bulls (9-2) built an early lead and quieted the DP crowd. When McIntyre ran to his right and zipped an 11-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Keijers in the back of the end zone, and Shane NeSmith followed with the extra point, Bloomingdale had a 14-3 advantage with 9:48 left in the second quarter.

“This was the first quarterback that I’ve hit this year and realized that he’s not going down,” DP sophomore defensive end Dylan Meeks said. “Every other quarterback I’ve hit, I thought that he would go down on first contact. It reminded me a lot of playing against (Timber Creek’s) Jacques Patrick in our first game, where I hit him, and I knew he was going to keep going, and he was going to make a play. (McIntyre) is a player, and he was going to do what he needed to do.”

The 14-3 halftime deficit rekindled memories of the Class 8A regional finals in 2012, in which Dr. Phillips trailed visiting Tarpon Springs East Lake 14-0 in the first half before rallying for a 31-21 victory.

“He’s probably the best quarterback that we’ve played against since the guy (Pete DiNovo) from East Lake a few years ago,” Wells said of McIntyre. “He was hard to bring down. He could run it, and he made all the throws. He checked into every play correctly, and I think he’s the best player that we’ve played in a long time.”

Bloomingdale received the second-half kickoff, but DP forced a three-and-out series, and the Panthers utilized a Wildcat formation to then go on a 10-play, 62-yard scoring drive. Running back Daquan Isom had the majority of the carries before Jaquarius Bargnare reached the end zone on a 5-yard run.

Ethan Shafer, who kicked a 28-yard field goal that opened the scoring with 8:27 remaining in the first quarter, added the point after to make it 14-10.

Junior nose guard Tashaun Lindquist recovered a fumbled snap on Bloomingdale’s ensuing possession. That set up Bargnare’s 3-yard TD run — with Lindquist serving as the lead blocker — to give DP a 16-14 lead.

Jalean Perkins intercepted a McIntyre pass along the sideline from his cornerback position early in the fourth quarter, but a roughing-the-passer penalty gave the Bulls possession at the DP 43-yard line. Chris Wonsley later scored on a 2-yard run as Bloomingdale went ahead 21-17 with 9:18 to go.

Dr. Phillips finished with only 58 passing yards, but quarterback Rudy Norwood had two completions for 12 total yards on DP’s game-winning drive. Emare Hogan subsequently ran in from 2 yards as the Panthers grabbed a 24-21 lead with 4:59 left.

McIntyre moved Bloomingdale to the Dr. Phillips 23-yard line with 85 seconds remaining. However, a penalty pushed the Bulls back 5 yards, and, on the next play, Lindquist recovered an inadvertent fumble in the backfield.

“The football gods were on our side with those last couple plays,” Wells said. “I told the kids before the playoffs started that there’s no more regular season, and nobody’s going to be intimidated. Everybody is fighting for their life, and every game is a final exam. Nobody wants to go home, and there’s going to be some times in the playoffs when we’re down.”

Dr. Phillips rushed for 304 yards behind center Christian Huber, guards Colby Meeks and Lorenzo Martinez and tackles Bo Alexander and Calvin Ashley. The Panthers also used Nick Smith and Dylan Meeks in two-tight-end formations to support their power running game.

Isom gained 170 yards on 23 carries, giving him 1,191 rushing yards for the season.

Dr. Phillips also overcame 11 penalties for 85 yards. The Panthers have been flagged 102 times in 11 games compared with a combined 59 penalties for their opponents.