February 27, 2010  -  Dr. Phillips 64  -  St. Petersburg 49.  The Panthers are headed to the FINAL FOUR!  The Panthers entered the game just one win away from attaining yet another preseason goal - winning the region championship and advancing to the Final Four in Lakeland.  DP would not be denied on this night taking down St. Petersburg High School to advance to the Panthers 5th 'Final Four' in school history!  The first quarter went back and forth with the Panthers leading 14-8 at the end of one.  The second quarter was the big difference in the game for the Panthers as DP jumped on the Green Devils, outscoring them 23-10 in the second to take a commanding 37-18 lead to the half.  St. Petersburg would not go down without a fight as the controlled the third quarter and outscored DP 14-6 in the quarter to make the score 43-32 at the end of three.  The Panthers would not wilt however and outscored St. Pete 21-17 in the fourth quarter to take the commanding 64-49 win.  Shane Larkin had a big night with 18 points, 8 steals, 4 assists, and 3 rebounds.  Keenan Green came up huge for the Panthers playing his best game of the year scoring 11 points, grabbing a team high 9 rebounds and swatting 3 shots.  Great job Keenan!  Pat Ryan battled foul trouble the entire game but finished with 10 points and 3 assists.  Kerby Lubin was a stat stuffer with 8 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 steals.  Damani Cade added 8 points and 5 assists.  Chris Thomas played well with 7 points and 7 boards.  Senior Matt Lohr finished out the scoring with 2 points in his final home game as a Panther.  It was a great team effort and a great win for the Panthers.  Dr. Phillips improves to 26-5 on the season and adds a region championship to the district and metro championships already won this season!  Great job Panthers!  Dr. Phillips advances to the Final Four of the Class 6A state tournament in Lakeland.  Dr. Phillips will take on Dr. Krop High School from Miami in the state semifinal game on Friday March 5th in the Lakeland Center.  Game time is 8:30 pm.  Tickets are $9 and parking is $7.  Dr. Krop advanced to Lakeland by beating Columbus High School 79-63 in their regional final.  Dr. Phillips traveled to Dr. Krop earlier this season and lost 62-68 in a thrilling game.  It should be a great contest as the Panthers try to avenge their earlier loss in this 'Battle of the Dr.'s'.  Congratulations to the team and especially the seniors.  All of your hard work is now paying off.  You are the regional champions!  Well played.  Panther fans, come out to the Lakeland Center on Friday and cheer on your team as they play for the opportunity to play in the State Championship Game on Saturday!

February 23, 2010  -  Dr. Phillips 57  -  Vero Beach 45.  Dr. Phillips advances to the 'Great 8' round of the Class 6A state tournament with the big win over Vero Beach.  The Panthers corrected their recent slow starts by coming out and dominating Vero Beach in the first half.  The Panthers led 28-14 at the break thanks to some smothering defensive pressure that was the difference in the game.  To hold a very good (district champion) team to 14 points in a half was one of the Panthers best defensive performances of the year.  The third quarter was back and forth and ended with the same margin (14) as halftime at 41-27.  The Panthers extended the lead to 19 points in the fourth quarter before emptying the bench.  The Indians hit a couple of late three's to cut the margin to 12 at 57-45, but the game was never in doubt.  Pat Ryan hit a couple of huge three's in the first quarter to establish the lead and Shane Larkin took over in the second quarter, scoring 10 points in the quarter to help push the lead to 14 at the half.  Kerby Lubin led the Panthers in the third quarter with 5 points and Shane Larkin added 9 in the fourth quarter.  Shane Larkin led DP with 19 points and 9 rebounds.  Pat Ryan had 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists.  Damani Cade, playing with a broken nose suffered in practice on Saturday, had 8 points.  Kerby Lubin logged 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals.  Chris Thomas and Keenan Green combined for 11 points and 11 rebounds at the center spot.  Sophomore Zach Pindar scored his first varsity point as well.  Congrats.  Defense was the difference in this game.  The Panthers have been playing great defense of late and it was definitely the key in this game.  DP improves to 25-5 on the season.  With the win the Panthers advance to the Elite 8 of the Class 6A state tournament where they will play for the Regional Championship on Saturday.  Dr. Phillips will host St. Petersburg High School on Saturday February 27th at 4:00 pm.  The winner will advance to the Final Four in Lakeland!  Dr. Phillips is 52-8 in their last 60 games!  Way to go Panthers!  DP fans, please come out and support the team and especially the seniors who will be playing their last game in the 'House of Payne' on Saturday night.  Great job on making the Regional Finals, but the Panthers still have more business to attend to!

February 18, 2010  -  Dr. Phillips 67  -  Treasure Coast 51.  The Panthers advance to the 'Sweet 16' of the Class 6A state tournament with the playoff win over Treasure Coast.  The Panthers weren't at their best in the first half as a scrappy Treasure Coast squad played DP tough, but the Panthers came out with a lot more fire and intensity in the second half to pull away to the 67-51 victory.  DP jumped out to a six point lead at the end of the first quarter, but Treasure Coast outscored the Panthers by six in the second quarter to tie the game at 25 at halftime.  The Panthers came out in the third quarter with a passion that was lacking in the first half and dominated the third quarter outscoring the Titans by 10 to take a 47-37 lead at the end of the third quarter.  The Panthers would continue to extend the lead in the fourth quarter to the final 16 point margin.  Kerby Lubin was the difference in this game with 16 points and a DP individual season high 16 rebounds!  Kerby also contributed 4 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks in his best game of the year.  Way to step up Kerby!  Pat Ryan led the Panthers in scoring with 19 points and 6 assists.  Shane Larkin had 17 points and 6 rebounds.  Damani Cade had 7 points and 9 rebounds, giving him a total of 31 rebounds in his last three games!  Great job Damani.  Keenan Green came up big for the Panthers with 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals.  Chris Thomas, Roderick Lawrence, and LaQuentin Smith all contributed to the win as well for the Panthers.  DP improves to 24-5 on the season qne advances to the Sweet 16 in the Class 6A playoffs.  The Panthers will play next on Tuesday February 23 at home against Vero Beach High School in the Regional Semifinal round of the playoffs.  Vero Beach is the district 6 champion and defeated Wekiva to earn a spot in Tuesday's game at Dr. Phillips.  Game time is 7:00 pm.  Congratulations to the team for their playoff victory.  Any playoff win is a huge win.  They are very hard to come by.  Come out to DP on Tuesday night to support your Panthers in this huge playoff game!

February 13, 2010  -  Dr. Phillips 58  -  Wekiva 41.  DISTRICT CHAMPIONS!  The Panthers win their second consecutive district championship and third in the last four years with the win over Wekiva.  The Panthers came into the game looking to run the table in one of the toughest districts in the state, and they did exactly that with the 58-41 win over Wekiva to claim the 2010 district championship.  The game was very similar to yesterdays semifinal.  The game was close throughout the first half, but the Panthers defense came up big in the second half holding Wekiva to just 23 points in the second half and pulling away for the victory.  Damani Cade finished the first quarter with a big slam dunk to give the Panthers a 15-11 lead after one.  DP outscored Wekiva by two in the second quarter to take a 24-18 halftime lead.  The Panthers outscored the Mustangs 18-9 in the third quarter to extend the lead to 42-27 at the end of the third quarter and the Panthers went on to the big 58-41 win.  The Panthers team defense was great as was their rebounding which was the key to victory.  Damani Cade was the game MVP with 13 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks.  His rebounding was huge for the Panthers.  Pat Ryan led all scorers in the game with 15 points.  Pat also grabbed 9 boards from the guard position.  Great job.  Shane Larkin had 13 points, 5 rebounds, 4 steals, and 2 assists.  Kerby Lubin has been playing great ball of late logging 11 points, 8 rebounds, and an incredible 7 steals for the game.  Keenan Green and Chris Thomas split time at the 5 spot and both played great defense on Wekiva's strong inside game.  It was a great team effort and a great win over a very good opponent.  The Panthers improve to 23-5 on the season.  Wekiva drops to 19-9.  It is the Panthers third district title in the last four years and second in a row.  Great job Panthers.  It is an accomplishment that no one can take from you.  You earned it.  Dr. Phillips will play next in a regional quarterfinal playoff game at home on Thursday February 18th against Treasure Coast High School.  Treasure Coast is the district runner-up from district 6 in Class 6A.  Treasure Coast lost to Vero Beach in their district title game.  Wekiva will travel to Vero Beach on Thursday.  Panther fans....come out in force to the House of Payne on Thursday to support your team and congrats to the squad on the big accomplishment.

February 12, 2010  -  Dr. Phillips 66  -  West Orange 42.  The Panthers advance to the district championship game and clinch a spot in the regional playoffs with a big win over West Orange.  The West Orange Warriors entered this game having won 16 of their last 17 games, but it was Dr. Phillips who proved to be the better team on this night dominating the second half on their way to the huge 66-42 win.  The win clinches a playoff birth in the Class 6A playoffs.  The first half was back and forth the entire time with neither team able to establish control.  The halftime score was 25-25.  The Panthers would give up the first two points of the third quarter and then went on a 17-0 run to take control of the game.  The Panthers finished the third quarter up by 15 points and outscored West Orange 23-8 in the deciding quarter.  The Panther defense was great in the second half holding West Orange to just 17 points in the second half.  Shane Larkin was the difference with 31 points, 4 steals, 2 assists, and 2 rebounds.  Kerby Lubin played one of his best games as a Panther scoring 13 points, grabbing 9 boards, dishing out 3 assists, and collecting 2 steals.  Damani Cade had a team high 11 rebounds and a team high 6 assists.  Keenan Green played quality minutes and contributed 8 points and 5 rebounds.  Chris Thomas battled foul trouble all night but had 5 points and 3 boards.  The Panther defense was the key in this big win.  DP's team defense was at or near the best that it has been this season.  The Panthers improve to 22-5 on the season and advance to the district championship game on Saturday night against Wekiva High School.  Wekiva beat Apopka 42-38 in the other semifinal game.  Game time is 7:00 pm and the game is at Wekiva High School.  Congrats to the team for making the district final as well as the Class 6A regional tournament and good luck against the Mustangs in the final.

February 9, 2010  -  Dr. Phillips 64  -  Ocoee 54.  Dr. Phillips advances to the district tournament semifinal game with the win over the Knights!  The Panthers entered the district tournament as the #1 seed, but that meant little to Ocoee who came out with a lot of intensity in this elimination game.  The Knights played the Panthers tough the first half with DP going to the break with just a 33-29 lead.  Shane Larkin has been ill the last couple of days and Coach Long's original plan was to sit him the entire game to try and rest him for Friday, but with the Panthers only up four at the half, Shane started the second half to try and extend the lead.  The Panthers did that extending the lead to 13 at the end of the third quarter, but somebody forgot to tell Ocoee to roll over and they didn't scrapping their way back to just a four point deficit midway through the 4th quarter.  The Panthers, led by Pat Ryan wouldn't be denied the victory on this night however.  Pat Ryan was the difference in the game nailing 5 threes against Ocoee's zone on the way to a game high 23 points.  Pat also added 5 rebounds and 5 assists.  Damani Cade was a stat stuffer logging a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.  Kerby Lubin had 13 points and 4 rebounds.  Shane Larkin had 9 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists in just half a game of playing time.  Shane has been ill the past couple of days and Coach Long's plan was to rest him the entire game, but that plan was scrapped with the Panthers just up four at the half.  Shane wasn't nearly 100 percent, but played well considering the circumstances.  Chris Thomas was big inside with 5 boards, 2 blocks and 2 steals.  The Panthers weren't at their best, but in the playoffs the goal is to 'survive and advance' and DP did just that.  The Panthers will next play on Friday in the semifinal round of the district tournament.  DP will take on the winner of Wednesday's West Orange vs. East Ridge matchup.  Game time will be either 5:30 or 7:30 pm.  That will be finalized after Wednesday's games.  Congrats to the Panthers on winning this elimination game and good luck to the team on Friday in the all important district semifinal game!

February 6, 2010  -  Dr. Phillips 66  - Lakeland Kathleen 58.  The Panthers win their 20th game of the season for the 17th consecutive season - a record in the state of Florida!  Dr. Phillips continued one of the most impressive streaks in Florida prep history by logging their 17th consecutive 20 win season with a big 66-58 win over Lakeland Kathleen at the Mosaic Stinger Shootout in Bartow.  The Panthers weren't at full strength with starter Kerby Lubin sitting the game out with a sore knee and Keenan Green not playing as well, but the rest of the team stepped up in a big way especially the three returning starters - Shane Larkin, Pat Ryan, and Damani Cade.  DP got off to a great start jumping out to a 15-4 lead, but then hit a dry spell and the quarter ended with DP up 15-11.  Shane Larkin had to sit out the last 3 and a half minutes of the second quarter with 3 fouls, but the team still managed to go to halftime with a 30-28 lead.  The Panthers gradually pulled away in the second half and eventually extended their lead to 12 points.  Chris Thomas fouled out of the game with over 6 minutes left and the Panthers, playing without 3 of their top 6 players, held on for the 66-58 win over a 19-6 Kathleen squad.  Shane Larkin, Pat Ryan, and Damani Cade were all stat stuffers for this game, which didn't get started until almost 10:30 at night.  Shane Larkin had 21 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals.  Pat Ryan had 21 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals.  Damani Cade had 19 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals.  Chris Thomas had 5 points and 4 blocks.  The Panthers finish out their regular season with a 20-5 record.  The game was covered by Bright House Network and will be televised on Monday February 8 at 4:00 pm on Bright House (Channel 47).  It's the second time this season the Panthers have played on Bright House.  The Panthers extend their 20 game win streak to an amazing 17 consecutive seasons!  Congratulations to this team for upholding the tradition of excellence that this program stands for.  The Panthers will play next on Tuesday February 9th at 7:30 pm against Ocoee High School in the first round of the district tournament.  All district games are played at Wekiva High School.  Good luck to the Panthers as they start the most important part of the season.

Post Script:  Lakeland Kathleen would later advance all the way to the Class 5A Regional Semifinal round of the state playoffs where they would lose to the eventual Class 5A state champs - Bartow HS.

February 4, 2010  -  Dr. Phillips 67  -  Jones 56.  The Panthers win the Metro West Championship with the win over Jones.  The Panthers were looking to clinch the Metro West Championship with a win at Jones and DP came through in a big way.  The Panthers came out with a lot of passion early and it showed as DP jumped out to an amazing 18-0 lead in the first quarter.  DP was never seriously threatened the rest of the way as the Panthers cruised to the Metro title and their 19th win of the season.  Shane Larkin was the difference maker in this game with a game high 23 points, a game high 7 assists, and a game high 6 steals.  Kerby Lubin has been playing good ball of late with 12 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 steals.  Pat Ryan had 11 points and Damani Cade contributed 8 ppoints, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block.  Chris Thomas was solid with 7 points and 8 rebounds.  The Panthers run the table in the Metro West and in the district for the season.  DP improves to 19-5 overall, 8-0 in the district, and 8-0 in the Metro West.  Congratulations to the squad on their performance against Jones.  It was one of the better played games by DP the entire season.  The guys really came out to play on this night.  The Panthers play their final regular season game on Saturday at Bartow High School against Lakeland Kathleen High School at 9:00 pm as part of the Mosaic Stinger Shootout.  The game will be televised on Bright House Network on a tape delay basis.  We don't know yet when the game will be played on TV for everyone to see, but we will let you know the day and time of the broadcast as soon as we know.  Both the DP/Kathleen game and the Bartow/Montverde game before DP's game will be broadcast on Bright House Network.

February 2, 2010  -  Dr. Phillips 66  -  Boone 43.  Dr. Phillips picks up a road win over the Braves.  Dr. Phillips traveled to Boone and dominated this game from the beginning.  Shane Larkin scored 9 points in the first quarter to help the Panthers pull out to a 18-10 first quarter lead.  DP extended the lead to 13 at the half (33-20) and to 21 at the end of three (49-28), and extended the final to 66-43.  All but one Panther scored in the game with the bench playing most of the 4th quarter.  It was a good way to bounce back after Friday's disappointing loss to Winter Park.  Shane Larkin was the stat stuffer on this night with 25 points, 6 rebounds, 4 steals, 2 assists, and 2 blocks.  Damani Cade had 10 points and 7 rebounds.  Kerby Lubin had 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists.  Chris Thomas had 3 points and 3 boards.  Matt Lohr had 2 points and a rebound.  Roderick Lawrence had 2 points and 2 rebounds.  LaQuentin had 4 rebounds and an assist in the win.  DP improves to 18-5 on the season.  The Panthers play next on Thursday at Jones High School at 7:30 pm.  A win on Thursday would give the Panthers the outright Metro West championship.  Good luck to the Panthers on Thursday and congrats to the team on their win over Boone.

January 29, 2010  -  Winter Park 66  -  Dr. Phillips 56.  The Panthers come up short against Winter Park.  Winter Park entered this contest ranked #13 in the nation by the USA Today and #19 in the nation by ESPN and they proved worthy of their lofty ranking defeating the Panthers under tough circumstances.  Although it won't be officially called so, this game was for the true Metro Conference championship and the Wildcats had a little too much for the Panthers in a very exciting game.  There was a great crowd on hand and the atmosphere was electric.  The Wildcats got off to a good start and stretched their lead to 21-13 at the end of the first quarter.  DP won the second quarter by a point but trailed at halftime by a score of 37-30.  DP clearly had the momentum of the game on their side late in the third quarter when Winter Park standout Austin Rivers fouled out of the game and DP put on a run to trail by just two points at the end of the third quarter (47-49).  The Panthers couldn't keep the momentum going in the 4th quarter as Winter Park made a run of their own pulling away for the 10 point victory.  Shane Larkin led all scorers in the game with 25 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals but no other Panther could manage double figures in points.  Damani Cade had 9 points and 7 rebounds.  Pat Ryan had 8 points and 3 assists.  Kerby Lubin had 8 points and a team high 8 rebounds.  The Panthers drop to 17-5 on the season and the Wildcats of Winter Park improve to 18-4 on the year.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Winter Park guard Brett Comer whose father lost his battle with cancer earlier in the day.  Brett showed incredible courage in playing the game and leading Winter Park in scoring with 16 points.  The whole deal kind of puts a high school basketball game in proper perspective.  The Panthers play next on the road at Boone High School on Tuesday night at 7:30 pm.  Congratulations to Winter Park on the win.  Coach Bailey does a great job and they have a great program.  They were clearly the better team on this night.

Post Script:  Winter Park would later win the Class 6A State Championship game over Dr. Phillips.

January 26, 2010  -  Dr. Phillips 79  -  South Lake 35.  The Panthers cruise in their final district matchup.  Dr. Phillips had already secured the #1 seed for the district tournament before playing South Lake, but the Panthers wanted to finish the district regular season with an unblemished record and DP did exactly that cruising to the big win over South Lake.  The Panthers controlled every quarter.  DP led at the half by 25 and the game went running clock midway through the third quarter.  No regular starter even played in the 4th quarter.  The five Panther seniors got the start because it was senior night at the 'House of Payne'.  Seniors Matt Lohr, Chris Thomas, Damani Cade, and Pat Ryan all played well and hopefully had an enjoyable evening.  Junior Shane Larkin led the way with 19 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds, and 4 steals in about two quarters of playing time.  Pat Ryan added 14 points and 2 assists.  Kerby Lubin had 12 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals.  Sophomore Roderick Lawrence had a career high 11 points to finish out the Panthers in double figure points.  Damani Cade had 6 points and 5 rebounds in the effort.  Matt Lohr had 3 points and 3 rebounds for the Panthers.  DP improves to 17-4 on the season and finishes the district schedule with a perfect 8-0 record and will be the #1 seed in the district tournament at Wekiva High School.  The Panthers next game is a big one!  DP travels to Winter Park on Friday night to take on the nationally ranked Winter Park Wildcats.  It isn't a district game or even a Metro game anymore (DP is in the West, WP in the East).  What the game is however is a battle between two of the best teams and the best programs in Orlando.  It's a bragging rights game.  It should be a lot of fun and a great atmosphere.  Panther fans - make sure to come out to Winter Park on Friday night and support your Panthers for the 7:30 pm game.  It should be one of the better games played in all of Central Florida this year.  Congrats to the Panthers on finishing the district season undefeated and good luck to the Panthers on Friday against the Wildcats.

January 23, 2010  -  Miami Dr. Krop 68  -  Dr. Phillips 62.  #2-6A Dr. Krop holds off the #4 6A Panthers in a close one.  Dr. Phillips made the long drive to Miami to take on one of the Class 6A favorites in Dr. Krop High School.  Dr.  Phillips played well for the first 28 minutes of the game, but couldn't hold off a furious Dr. Krop rally late to pull out the win.  The game was back and forth in the first quarter with the quarter ending in a 20-20 tie.  DP dominated the second quarter going to the half with a 41-31 lead.  Krop rallied in the third quarter to cut the DP lead to two, but DP wouldn't give up the lead and extended their lead back up to 9 points at the end of the third quarter (55-46).  Unfortunately for the Panthers Dr. Krop dominated the 4th quarter holding DP to just 7 points in the quarter and pulling away late for the win.  DP looked a little run down in the fourth quarter and simply couldn't hold on against a very talented Dr. Krop squad.  Pat Ryan was the stat stuffer of this game scoring a game high 24 points and grabbing 4 rebounds.  Pat missed just three shots the entire game.  Shane Larkin played well logging 18 points and dishing out a team high 7 assists.  Kerby Lubin grabbed a team high 10 rebounds and scored 8 points, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Krop squad.  Dr. Phillips drops to 16-4 on the season and Dr. Krop improves to 17-3 on the season.  It was definitely two of the states best class 6A teams going at it.  The Panthers are hoping for a chance at a rematch with Dr. Krop.  For that to happen both teams would be meeting in Lakeland.  Congrats to Krop on the win and a tip of the hat to the Panthers for taking on two top ranked teams in the state on back to back nights.  Hopefully these tough games will leave the Panthers battle tested for hopefully back to back games in the district tournament in February.  DP will next play on Tuesday night at home in their final regular season district game against South Lake High School.  It will be senior night where the Panthers will honor their 5 seniors so make sure to come out to DP on Tuesday at 7:30 pm to cheer on your Panthers especially the seniors.

Post Script:  Miami Dr. Krop would later advance all the way to the Class 6A Final Four where they would meet Dr. Phillips again.  Dr. Phillips defeated Dr. Krop in the 6A State Semifinals.

January 22, 2010  -  Dr. Phillips 56  -  Edgewater 55.  The 4th Ranked Panthers knock off the 5th Ranked Eagles in a thriller.  Edgewater came into the game with an 18-1 record and a #5 state ranking but left the 'House of Payne' with a loss in this big Metro Conference matchup.  Damani Cade came out on fire in the first quarter scoring 10 points and leading the Panthers to a 17-16 lead.  The second quarter went back and forth with the game going to the half tied at 29.  Edgewater came out hot at the beginning of the third quarter scoring the first 8 points of the quarter and held on to lead by five points at the end of three (43-38).  The game would stay at that margin until the final minute when DP made a big late rally.  Damani Cade hit a huge three in the final minute to cut the lead to one.  DP forced an Edgewater turnover and ended up with the ball, down 1 under their own basket with 9 seconds left.  The Panthers executed their baseline out of bounds play perfectly and Pat Ryan hit the game winning layup to pull out the big win.  It was DP's only lead of the second half.  Damani Cade was the best player on the floor on this night and the difference in the game with 25 points, 7 rebounds, 5 steals, and 3 assists.  Pat Ryan had 8 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists.  Keenan Green was solid with 6 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks.  The Panthers improve to 16-3 on the season, 7-0 in the district, and 8-0 in the Metro Conference.  With the win, the Panthers secure at least the Metro West co-championship.  The Panthers can win the Metro West Championship outright with a win over Jones next week.  There's no time to celebrate however as the Panthers murderers row schedule continues tomorrow.  The Panthers right after taking on the #5 team in the state will travel to Miami on Saturday to take on the #2 team in the state Dr. Krop High School (17-3).  Good luck to the Panthers as they take on Dr. Krop and congratulations on the big win over Edgewater.

Post Script:  Edgewater would later advance all the way to the Class 6A Regional Semifinal round of the playoffs where they would lose to the eventual state champ - Winter Park.

January 16, 2010  -  Miami Norland 66  -  Dr. Phillips 61.  The Panthers come up short against Norland.  Two of Florida's best high school basketball programs went toe to toe on Saturday at the Florida Prospects MLK Classic and unfortunately the Panthers came up a little short, falling to Norland High School by a score of 66-61.  The half was tight all the way with the Panthers trailing by three after one (12-15) and one at half (28-29).  The third quarter was the difference in the game with Norland extending their lead to six points.  The Panthers fought back in the 4th quarter, but it was Norland who made a few more plays and a few more defensive stops down the stretch to pull out the victory.  Shane Larkin played probably his best game as a Panther.  He scored a career high 32 points, had a game high 5 steals, 4 assists, and 4 rebounds including an incredible offensive tip dunk rebound over two Norland players.  Shane was clearly the best player on the floor and in the entire event.  Pat Ryan was solid for the Panthers with 8 points and a game high 5 assists, but unfortunately for the Panthers there wasn't a lot of additional help.  Norland's tough defense surely played a factor in that.  Damani Cade had 7 points.  Chris Thomas had 6 points and a game high 7 rebounds.  Kerby Lubin had 6 points and 4 rebounds.  Norland was the better team on this night.  The Panthers are working hard to try and play defense how Norland does.  The Vikings have won two of the last four Class 6A state championships and are the favorite to win the Class 4A title this year.  Hopefully the Panthers will learn from the loss and it will make them better later this season.  DP drops to 15-3 overall for the season, 7-0 in the district, and 8-0 in the Metro Conference.  The schedule doesn't get any easier as the Panthers next play on Friday at home against Edgewater High School.  Edgewater is currently 17-1 with their only loss coming to Winter Park.  Edgewater is ranked in the top 10 in the state in Class 6A.  On the very next day after the Edgewater game (Saturday) the Panthers will travel to Miami to take on 6A power Dr. Krop who is also ranked in the top 10 in Class 6A.  Dr. Krop beat Evans by 30 points in the game before the Panthers played and also has beaten Norland this year.  They are probably the most talented 6A team in the state, so the Panthers will have their hands full for their next two games, but it will give DP the chance to play some of the best competition in the state and find out where DP stands against the best in the state.  Panther fans - don't miss the opportunity to come out to DP on a Friday night and cheer on the Panthers in one of their last home games as they take on a 17-1 team.

Post Script:  Miami Norland would later advance to the Class 4A Regional Semifinal round of the playoffs where they would lose to final four participant Cardinal Gibbons.

January 14, 2010 -  Dr. Phillips 80  -  Ocoee 55.  Dr. Phillips clinches the #1 seed in the district tournament with a district win over Ocoee.  The Panthers controlled this one from the opening tip and rolled to the big win over the Knights.  The Panthers were up 10 after one, 19 at the half, and 32 after three quarters.  No Panther starter even played in the final quarter as the Panthers cruised to the 80-55 win.  The win puts DP at 7-0 in the district and officially clinches the first seed in next months district tournament at Wekiva.  Shane Larkin was the game MVP with a double-double - 18 points and 10 assists.  Damani Cade was a stat stuffer with 14 points, 6 rebounds, and a team high 4 steals.  Pat Ryan had 10 points and 4 assists.  Kerby Lubin had 7 points and 7 rebounds and Chris Thomas had 5 points and 7 rebounds.  No starter played in the 4th.  LaQuentin Smith had 4 points and 4 rebounds.  Roderick Lawrence had 4 points and 5 boards.  Keenan Green had 7 and Matt Lohr had 2 as every Panther scored in the game.  Dr. Phillips, ranked #4 in Class 6A, improves to 15-2 on the season, 7-0 in the district, and 8-0 in the Metro Conference.  Dr. Phillips plays next on Saturday in a high profile game against state powerhouse Miami Norland High School.  The game is at Jones High School at 7:00 pm on Saturday as part of games going on all day at the Florida Prospects MLK Classic.  Miami Norland has won two of the last four Class 6A state championships and is one of the best programs in the state.  It will be a great matchup of two great programs in Florida.  Panther fans, be sure to come out to Jones HS on Saturday night to watch the big game.  Congrats to the Panthers on their win over Ocoee.

January 12, 2010 -  Dr. Phillips 63  -  East Ridge 56.  The Panthers remain undefeated in the district with a win over the state ranked Knights.  The Panthers and Knights both entered this district matchup ranked in the top 10 in the state in the Class 6A rankings, but more importantly district seeds were at stake in this matchup televised by Bright House Networks.  Pat Ryan got off to a great early start in the first quarter with six points, but the Panthers could only manage a 10-10 tie at the end of one.  The second quarter went back and forth with Shane Larkin scoring six, but DP found themselves down by one (27-28) at the half.  East Ridge jumped out to a 38-30 lead midway through the third quarter, but the Panthers made a run of their own to take a 41-40 lead after three quarters.  DP would outscore the Knights by 6 in the 4th quarter to take the 63-56 win.  Pat Ryan was the game MVP with outstanding defense all night long on East Ridge's Virginia Tech commitment Robert Brown as well as 16 points, a team high 5 steals, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals.  Shane Larkin was a stat stuffer as well with a game high 20 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals.  Damani Cade had 17 points and a team high 7 rebounds to go with 4 steals and 3 assists.  Keenan Green played well for the Panthers off the bench playing for Chris Thomas who was in foul trouble most of the game.  Kerby Lubin added 5 rebounds.  East Ridge drops to 14-4 on the season.  Dr. Phillips improves to 14-2 on the year, 6-0 in the district, and 6-0 in the Metro Conference.  DP only needs to win one of their final two district games (Ocoee and South Lake) to secure the first seed for the district tournament.  Dr. Phillips plays next on Thursday in another district matchup at Ocoee High School at 7:30 pm.  On Saturday the Panthers will take on state power Miami Norland High School, who has won 2 of the last 4 Class 6A state championships at 7:00 pm at Jones High School.  Should be another couple of great tests for the Panthers.  Congrats to the team for their big win over a very talented East Ridge squad.

January 9, 2010  -  Winter Springs 66  -  Dr. Phillips 54.  The Panthers drop their second game of the year to Winter Springs.  Dr. Phillips entered this showdown ranked #1 in Class 6A and Winter Springs ranked #3 in Class 6A, but it was the Bears that were the better team on this night.  The Panthers found themselves down big in the first quarter for the second consecutive night.  The quarter ended with Winter Springs up 22-14.  DP recovered some in the second quarter and went to halftime down just one (29-30), but were soundly outplayed in the third quarter and found themselves down 9 after three and Winter Springs cruised to the 66-54 win.  DP had beaten Winter Springs just 9 days earlier, but it was painfully obvious to Panther fans that Winter Springs was the more motivated team, executed better, and simply wanted the win more than the Panthers.  Congrats to the Bears.  They were clearly the better team on this night.  Chris Thomas was one of the few bright spots for the Panthers with a double-double, logging 11 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, and 1 steal.  Damani Cade had 10 points and 4 rebounds.  Kerby Lubin had 9 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals.  Shane Larkin had 8 points and 3 rebounds.  Winter Springs improves to 14-3 on the season.  Dr. Phillips drops to 13-2 on the season, 5-0 in the district, and 6-0 in the Metro Conference.  The Panthers play next at home in a big district game against East Rigde High School in Clermont.  The game will be televised live throughout Central Florida on Bright House Networks - Channel 47 at 7:30.  East Ridge is also ranked in the top 10 in Florida in Class 6A with their two standout players Robert Brown who is headed to Virginia Tech and Steve Forbes who is headed to Stetson.  It will be another tough test for the Panthers.  Come out to Panther gym on Tuesday night and support your Panthers.  It's no fun to lose, but hopefully the loss will teach the team some valuable lessons that will benefit them later in the season.

Post Script:  Winter Springs would later advance to the Class 6A Regional Quarterfinal round of the playoffs where they would lose to the eventual state champ - Winter Park.

January 8, 2010  -  Dr. Phillips 52  -  Wekiva 47.  Dr. Phillips downs Wekiva in a matchup of district unbeatens.  Both Dr. Phillips and Wekiva entered the game with perfect 4-0 district records and tied for first place.  This game would determine who would have the inside track to the #1 seed in the district tournament in February.  The Panthers took a huge step towards their goal on Friday by beating a very good Wekiva squad in their own gym by a score of 52-47.  DP got off to a sluggish start and found themselves down by 7 at the end of the first quarter (14-21), but the Panthers defense was really good in the second quarter holding Wekiva to just two points in the quarter and went to the half up one (24-23) in a defensive battle.  The game would remain close the entire way with DP up by three at the end of the third (39-36) and the Panthers would make the plays necessary down the stretch to hold on for the 5 point win.  DP's defense again was solid holding the Mustangs to 47 points.  Damani Cade was the difference maker in this game with 18 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, and a steal.  Shane Larkin added 17 points, 3 rebounds and 2 steals.  Pat Ryan had a team high 7 assists and Kerby Lubin had a team high 10 rebounds in the game.  Dr. Phillips found out earlier in the day that they had moved up to the #1 spot in the Class 6A rankings from the #2 spot they held earlier.  The Panthers improve to 13-1 on the season, 5-0 in the district, and 6-0 in the Metro Conference.  DP has little time to celebrate however as they next play at home tomorrow (Saturday - Jan. 9) against Class 6A #3 Winter Springs.  The Panthers defeated Winter Springs 9 days ago for third place in the Tampa Hoops Classic so the Bears will have revenge on their mind.  Panther fans - come out to Dr. Phillips and enjoy a great boys and girls double-header.  The Panther girls are 18-0 on the season and play against state power Ely High School at 6:00 pm and the Panther boys take on Winter Springs after the girls game.  Should be a lot of fun.  The boys improve to 40-4 in their last 44 games.  Congrats to the team on the huge district win over a very good Wekiva team.

Post Script:  Wekiva would later on advance the the Class 6A Regional Quarterfinals of the playoffs where they would lose to Vero Beach.

January 6, 2010  -  Dr. Phillips 73  -  Apopka 58.  The Panthers pick up a road district win over the Blue Darters.  The Panthers jumped out to a early 23-9 lead at the end of the first quarter thanks to a Shane Larkin half court buzzer beater and never looked back on their way to the 73-58 district win.  Shane Larkin was the stat stuffer on this night with 25 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds and 4 steals.  Pat Ryan had a great game as well with 18 points.  Kerby Lubin, Damani Cade, and Chris Thomas all shared the team high with 6 rebounds each.  LaQuentin Smith had 4 points and 3 rebounds.  Matt Lohr, and Keenan Green all contributed to the victory off the bench as well.  It was a great overall team effort.  Dr. Phillips improves to 12-1 on the season, 4-0 in the district, and 5-0 in the Metro Conference.  DP plays next on Friday night in a huge district matchup against Wekiva at Wekiva High School.  Both teams are currently undefeated in the district and the winner will have an early advantage in obtaining the first seed for the district tournament.  Panther fans - come out to Wekiva on Friday night and cheer on your Panthers.  Once again, congratulations to the team on the big district road win over the Blue Darters and your fantastic start to the season.  The Panthers have won 39 of their last 43 games!  Keep up the good work.

December 31, 2009 - Dr. Phillips 65  -  Winter Springs 51.  Dr. Phillips finishes 3rd at the prestigious Tampa Hoops Classic with the win over the Bears.  Two of Central Florida's best teams squared off for 3rd place at Tampa Plant HS and the Panthers came out with the big win over a quality Winter Springs squad.  The first quarter ended in a 14 all tie, but the Panthers stepped up their defense in the second quarter holding Winter Springs to just 5 points for the quarter and went to the half up 27-19.  The third quarter, just like the first quarter was a draw at 14, but the Panthers pulled away in the fourth quarter to earn the 65-51 win to capture 3rd place in the Tampa Hoops Classic.  Shane Larkin was the difference in the game with 24 points, 6 steals, 5 assists, and 3 rebounds.  Damani Cade logged a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds.  Kerby Lubin had 10 points and 5 rebounds.  Chris Thomas had 8 points and Pat Ryan had 7 points.  The Panthers finish the tourney with a 3-1 record and third place.  The only team to defeat DP, Arlington Country Day School, went on to win the tournament 54-41 over nationally ranked St. Anthony's from New Jersey.  Dr. Phillips improves to 11-1 on the season with their only loss a close one to a nationally ranked program.  Congrats to the Panthers on their great start to the season.  Dr. Phillips will next play a district game on Wednesday January 6th at Apopka.

Post Script:  Winter Springs would advance to the Class 6A Regional Quarterfinals later in the season where they would lose to the eventual state champ - Winter Park.

December 30, 2009 - Dr. Phillips 58  -  Arlington Country Day School 68.  The Panthers drop their first game of the season.  The Panthers entered the game on a 10 game win streak (37 of their last 40) to start the season but unfortunately that came to an end against the 5 time defending 2A state champs Arlington Country Day School from Jacksonville.  ACDS completely blitzed the Panthers early on jumping out to a 18-2 lead.  DP didn't give up under tough circumstances and battled back to only trail by 5 points at halftime (32-37).  DP then pulled to within 3 points midway through the third quarter but couldn't close the margin any further.  The Panthers trailed by 7 after three and ended up losing by 10.  Congrats to ACD.  They were the better team on this night.  DP showed a lot of courage coming back from the early deficit but has no one to blame but themselves for digging themselves such a big hole to start the game.  It's hard to spot a top level team like ACD a 16 point early lead and recover.  The Panthers nearly did it, but the hole proved to be too much to get out of.  Pat Ryan led DP in scoring with 18 points and had 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals, and 2 blocks.  Damani Cade had 17 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals.  Shane Larkin had 13 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals.  Kerby Lubin had 8 points and 7 rebounds.  DP falls to 10-1 on the season.  The Panthers will play on Thursday in the 3rd place game against Winter Springs at 5:15 pm at Tampa Plant High School  Winter Springs lost to St. Anthony's from Jersey City in the other semifinal game.  Both teams will be playing their 4th game in 4 days.  It should be a great game featuring two of Central Florida's best teams.

Post Script:  Arlington Country Day would later advance all the way to the Class 1A State Championship Game later in the season where they would lose to Orlando Christian Prep.

December 29, 2009 - Dr. Phillips 47  -  Tampa Prep 45.  DP advances to the semifinals of the Tampa Hoops Classic.  Both Dr. Phillips and Tampa Prep entered the game undefeated on the season.  Tampa Prep had come off of an impressive win over Grace Prep from Texas and the Panthers were coming off a big win as well.  The game matched two very good teams (on Tampa Prep's home floor) and the game was tight the entire way with the Panthers making the big shot and an even bigger defensive stop to win the game by two.  It was a defensive struggle the entire way.  DP could only muster 9 points at the end of the first quarter and found themselves trailing by four, but battled back to go to the half even at 23.  Points were definitely hard to come by.  The second half was back and forth as DP pulled out to a 5 point lead only to see Tampa Prep come all the way back and take a 4 point lead with 4 minutes to go in the game.  DP kept their composure in a hostile environment however, and made all the big plays in the last minute of the game to pull out the exciting win.  Shane Larkin and Damani Cade were both stat stuffers on this night.  Shane Larkin had a game high 18 points, as well as a game high 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals.  Damani Cade's line was just as impressive with 9 points, 7 rebounds, a game high 7 steals, and 5 rebounds.  Kerby Lubin chipped in 11 points and 3 rebounds.  Pat Ryan had 6 points and 2 steals.  The Panthers improve to 10-0 on the season and advance to the semifinals of the Tampa Hoops Classic where they will take on 5 time defending state champion Arlington Country Day at 6:15 pm at Tampa Plant HS.  Arlington Country Day manhandled New York City's Lincoln High School to reach the semifinal round.  Winter Springs will play fabled Jersey City St. Anthony's High School in the other semifinal following the Panthers game.  Congratulations to the Panthers and their hard fought victory.  The team is playing really good defense so far this season and they will need their best effort to beat a very talented ACDS squad.

Post Script:  Tampa Prep would advance all the way to the Class 2A State Championship Game later in the season where they would lose to Providence.

December 28, 2009 - Dr. Phillips 52  -  Norfolk Christian (VA) 43.  The Panthers win their opening game of the Tampa Hoops Classic.  DP had a tough opening draw matching up against Virginia power Norfolk Christian with highly touted James McAdoo.  McAdoo (6'9", 215) is ranked the #4 player in the nation in his class and has already committed to play at the University of North Carolina.  The Panthers smothering defense proved to be the difference in this game as the Panthers battled for the 52-43 win.  The game was tied at 11 after one, the Panthers held Norfolk to 9 points in the second quarter to go to the half up 28-20.  Norfolk battled back and was down just two points at 38-40 with 6 minutes to go in the game, but the Panther 'D' buckled down and held Norfolk to just 5 points in the last 6 minutes of the game.  Damani Cade led the Panthers with 17 points and 9 rebounds.  Shane Larkin had 15 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals.  Pat Ryan had 9 points and 4 rebounds.  Chris Thomas had 6 points and 10 boards.  The Panthers team defense held James McAdoo to just 11 points.  Great job Panthers.  DP improves to 9-0 on the season.  DP will play next on Tuesday night at 8:00 pm at Tampa Prep High School against the winner of the Grace Prep (TX) and Tampa Prep game which is being played on Monday night at 8:00 pm.  Congrats to the Panthers on the quality win against a very good squad.

December 22, 2009 - The Panthers are ranked #2 in the most recent Class 6A state poll.  The Florida Association of Basketball Coaches and the Florida Sportswriters Association released their most recent state polls and the Panthers check in at the #2 spot in the Class 6A rankings.  Here is the entire 6A top ten.  1. Miami Dr. Krop,  2. Dr. Phillips,  3. Winter Park,  4. Miami Carol City,  5. Edgewater,  6. East Ridge,  7. Wharton,  8. American,  9. Winter Springs,  and 10. Boca Raton Community.  The Panthers will play against 5 of the top 10 teams in the poll! (No. 1 Dr. Krop on Jan. 23, No. 3 Winter Park on Jan. 29, No. 5 Edgewater on Jan. 22, No. 6 East Ridge on Jan. 12, and No. 9 Winter Springs on Jan. 9......looks like a pretty tough January!)  Congrats to Panthers on their high ranking.  Now you have to go out and prove you are worthy of the ranking.

December 19, 2009 - Dr. Phillips 80  -  Summit Christian 63.  Dr. Phillips impresses at the City of Palms.  The Panthers didn't have much rest from Friday's game, leaving Saturday morning for Fort Myers to participate in an individual Sunshine State Series game part of the City of Palms Classic.  DP faced a tough opponent in Summit Christian who was the Class 2A State Runner-up last season and returned their entire roster!  Summit Christian certainly didn't look like a small school team, but the Panthers proved to be too much for the Saints on this night.  The Panthers trailed 2-0, but never trailed after that point in the game.  DP had a nice first quarter jumping out to a 24-15 lead, but the Saints battled back to trail just by six at halftime.  Shane Larkin had a huge third quarter however scoring 12 points in the third quarter alone to pull the Panthers out to a comfortable lead.  The Panthers cruised through the 4th quarter on their way to the 80-63 win.  A very good Summit Christian squad drops to 8-2 on the season and the Panthers improve to 8-0 on the season.  DP was led by Shane Larkin with 18 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds.  Damani Cade logged a double double with 14 points and 11 rebounds.  Pat Ryan nearly had a double double with 14 points and 9 assists.  Chris Thomas had 12 points, 4 rebounds, and some great defense on Summit Christian's inside post players.  Kerby Lubin had 10 points and 3 rebounds.  All 5 DP starters scored in double figures.  Junior Keenan Green had his best game of the season with 5 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists.  The Panthers improve to 8-0 on the season (4-0 in the Metro and 3-0 in the District).  DP plays next at the Tampa Hoops Classic on December 28th at 1:00 pm against Norfolk Christian High School (Norfolk, Virginia) at Tampa Plant High School.  Norfolk Christian has one of the best players in the country in James McAdoo (6'9" 215 lbs) who is ranked in the top 5 in the nation and already committed to play college basketball at the University of North Carolina!  It should be another tough test for the Panthers.  Congrats on the big win over Summit Christian and good luck against Norfolk Christian High School!

Post Script:  Summit Christian would advance to the Class 1A Final Four later in the season where they would lose in the state semifinals to Arlington Country Day.

December 18, 2009 - Dr. Phillips 66  -  Cypress Creek 60.  The Panthers remain undefeated on the season with a Metro Conference win over the Bears.  It wasn't the prettiest of games, but DP gutted out a tough 66-60 win over the Cypress Creek Bears to improve their record to 7-0 on the season.  DP found themselves down by one after one, up by 6 at the half, up by one after three, and won the game by 6 points.  Pat Ryan was the game MVP for the Panthers with a team high 23 points, 5 assists, 3 steals, 2 rebounds, and 1 block.  Shane Larkin was solid with 13 points and a team high 6 assists and 4 steals.  Damani Cade had 11 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals.  Kerby Lubin had 6 points, and a team high 7 rebounds.  Chris Thomas battled foul trouble all night but had 6 points.  DP improves to 7-0 on the season, 4-0 in the Metro Conference, and 3-0 in the district.  The Panthers don't have any time to celebrate as they travel to Fort Myers on Saturday to participate in the Sunshine State Series portion of the City of Palms Tournament at Bishop Verot High School.  DP will take on the defending Class 2A runners-up Summit Christian School at 4:30 pm.  Summit Christian returns their entire team from last years squad so it should be a tough test for the Panthers on a big stage.  Good luck to the Panthers and congrats on the win over Cypress Creek.

December 17, 2009 - 2007 Panther Alum Chris Warren is doing well.  Chris Warren, 2007 DP grad and holder of 20 boys basketball records just scored his career high the other night for Ole Miss against UTEP.  Chris had 32 points including 11 in the overtime period of the Ole Miss win.  Chris currently is averaging 19 points per game which ranks 2nd in the entire SEC.  Chris had led the Rebels to a national ranking.  Ole Miss is currently 9-1 and ranked #20 in the nation.  Their only loss is to top ten Villanova.  Congrats to Chris Warren on his outstanding progress.  No one who ever watched him play at DP are surprised by his success.  Chris was a 1st Team All SEC Freshman selection and was averaging 19 points per game through 11 games as a sophomore and a preseason 1st Team All-SEC selection until suffering a season ending knee injury.  This year Chris is back to his old form.

December 16, 2009 - Dr. Phillips 65  -  Evans 59.     The Panthers notch another district win over the Trojans.  The Panthers hosted a young and talented Evans squad in a district game and battled to a 65-59 win.  The Panthers led the entire game, but never could deliver the knock-out blow to the pesky Evans team.  The Panthers were up 9 points after one, 8 points at halftime, 6 after three and held on for the 6 point win.  DP was led by Shane Larkin with 23 points and a career high 10 rebounds including a couple of huge tip in offensive rebounds.  Shane also logged 4 assists.  Pat Ryan had 16 points and 4 assists.  Junior Kerby Lubin had 14 points and 4 steals.  Chris Thomas was solid with 7 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 steals.  The Panthers improve to 3-0 in the district and 6-0 overall on the season.  The Panthers are playing great team defense giving up an average of just 52 points per game.  Dr. Phillips next plays on Friday in a Metro Conference matchup at Cypress Creek High School.  The Panthers then travel the next day to Fort Myers to take on defending Class 2A runner-up Summit Christian in a Sunshine State Series game at the City of Palms Tournament.  Congratulations to the Panthers on their district victory.  Keep up the good work.  The 'Panther Nation' is proud of you!

December 11, 2009 - Dr. Phillips 69  -  Olympia 45.  DP takes down the Titans in a district matchup.  The Panthers traveled the three miles down the road to Olympia's gym and gave their backyard rivals a 69-45 beatdown on Friday.  The Panthers won all four quarters and held the Titans to just 18 baskets the entire game.  The Panther 'D' was smothering on this night forcing the Titans into many turnovers which turned into Panther transition points.  Damani Cade was the stat stuffer and game MVP on this night with 14 points (including 4 three's),  a team high 5 assists, 4 steals, and 4 rebounds.  Shane Larkin led the Panthers in scoring with 19 points and also had a game high 7 steals.  Chris Thomas played well again nearly logging a double-double with 13 points and a team high 9 rebounds.  Junior Kerby Lubin had 11 points and 7 rebounds.  Pat Ryan had 5 points and 4 rebounds.  LaQuentin Smith is still getting back into basketball mode from the football team logged 3 points in the effort.  The Panthers improve to 5-0 on the season and 2-0 in district play.  DP will next take on the Evans Trojans on Wednesday December 16 at Dr. Phillips in another important district game.  Please come out to DP on Wednesday and support your Panthers.  Congrats to the guys on their strong effort against Olympia.

December 8, 2009 - Dr. Phillips 62  -  West Orange 46.  The Panthers notch an important district win against the Warriors.  The Panthers jumped out to an early 11-6 lead in a defensive first quarter and played even with West Orange in the second quarter going to halftime with a 26-21 lead.  DP outscored the Warriors 18-14 in the third and 18-11 in the fourth quarters to pull away for the 62-46 win.  Chris Thomas was the game MVP playing his best game as a Panther.  Chris had 20 points, 9 rebounds, 4 blocks, 2 assists, and 2 steals.  He definitely was the stat stuffer for the night.  Kerby Lubin played his best game as a Panther logging 15 points and 4 steals.  Shane Larkin had 12 points, 9 assists, and 5 steals.  Pat Ryan had 9 points and 5 assists and Damani Cade had 6 points and 3 rebounds.  Any district win is a big win and the Panthers will take it.  West Orange was playing without their best player who is injured and will definitely be a factor in the district tournament.  DP improves to 4-0 on the season and 1-0 in the district with the win.  The Panthers already have played the defending 6A state champ Coral Reef this season and next take on the 6A state runner-up from last year in the Olympia Titans.  The game is on Friday and is at Olympia.  Game time is 7:30 pm.  Panther fans, come out to Olympia on Friday and cheer on your undefeated Panther hoops team against the Titans.  Congrats to the team on the big district win!

December 6, 2009 - Preseason rankings show the strength of Dr. Phillips schedule.  Florida Hoops (floridahoops.com) released their preseason rankings for Florida and they have shown what Panther fans have already known....the Panthers schedule is absolutely loaded this year!  In their Class 6A top ten, Dr. Phillips plays against 6 of the top 10 teams including the top 4 ranked teams!  DP plays #1 Dr. Krop, #2 Winter Park, #3 Winter Springs, #4 East Ridge, #7 Coral Reef, and #9 Evans!  #1, 2, 3, and 7 are all games the Panthers chose to play.  #4 and 9 are district games which is an indicator of how tough the district is.  The Panthers also play #1-4A Miami Norland, #9-3A Jones, and #4-1A Summit Christian!  Also, the Panthers play in the Tampa Hoops Classic that features 5 time defending 2A state champ Arlington Country Day (ranked #2 overall in Florida), Winter Springs, Clearwater, Tampa Prep, and Norland which are all ranked in Florida's top 25 overall!  The Panthers are ranked #6 in the state in Class 6A and #16 in the state in the overall all classes poll.  Nine ranked teams plus proabable games against ranked teams in the Tampa Hoops Classic and Mosaic shootout!  Wow.  The Panthers will definitely be battle tested.  If it's not the toughest schedule in Florida, it's definitely one of the toughest schedules in Florida.  DP opens the Tampa Hoops Classic against Virginia power Norfolk Christian High School which features junior James McAdoo (6'9", 210) who is ranked #4 in the nation in his class and has already committed to play college basketball at the University of North Carolina.  Here is the Class 6A top 10.  1. Dr. Krop, 2. Winter Park, 3. Winter Springs, 4. East Ridge, 5. Boyd Anderson, 6. Dr. Phillips, 7. Coral Reef, 8. Hialeah Miami Lakes, 9. Evans, and 10. Deland.

December 4, 2009 - Dr. Phillips 82  -  Lake Howell 69.  The Panthers improve to 3-0 on the season with the win over the Silver Hawks.  Dr. Phillips found themselves trailing 16-12 after the first quarter, but dominated the second and third quarters to pull away from a good Lake Howell squad.  The Panthers outscored Lake Howell 24-15 in the second quarter and 26-14 in the third quarter to stretch their lead to 62-45 at the end of three.  DP could never really put Lake Howell away, but hung on for the 82-69 win.  Shane Larkin was his usual stat stuffing self with 25 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals.  Pat Ryan logged a double-double with 15 points and a career high 10 assists.  Damani Cade is getting back into the basketball groove with 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists.  Chris Thomas had 8 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, and one block.  Kerby Lubin had 8 points and 6 rebounds.  The win improves the Panthers record to 3-0 on the season.  Dr. Phillips next plays at home on Tuesday December 8th against West Orange in their first district game of the year.  West Orange is a quality team who has already defeated Class 6A powerhouse Dr. Krop this season.  It should be a great game and an early season test for the Panthers.  Come out to the 'House of Payne' on Tuesday and support your Panthers and congratulations to the team on the victory over Lake Howell.

December 3, 2009 -  Dr. Phillips 82  -  Gateway 53.  DP takes their second win of the season.  The Panthers were facing a Gateway squad that had some momentum coming into the game coming off of a big win over cross-town rival Osceola, but they couldn't derail the DP squad on this night.  DP jumped out to a 22-15 first quarter lead and then blitzed Gateway 25-11 in the second quarter to lead 47-26 at halftime.  The Panthers didn't let up in the third quarter extending the lead to 67-41 at the end of the third quarter.  DP continued to extend the lead until the game went to a running clock with 3 minutes left.  It's the second game in a row for the Panthers that went running clock.  Shane Larkin was the game MVP with 20 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds, and 4 steals.  Pat Ryan contributed 14 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals.  Damani Cade had 16 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 steals.  Chris Thomas had 8 points and a game high 6 rebounds.  Kerby Lubin had 9 points and 4 rebounds. LaQuentin Smith came off of the football field and had 5 points as well.  It was a good all around effort.  The Panthers played very good team defense.  All the Panthers got quality playing time in the effort.  DP has little time to celebrate as they take on Lake Howell High School on Friday at 7:30 pm at Dr. Phillips.  It's the first home game of the season so make sure to come out and support your Panthers on Friday night.

November 28, 2009 - Dr. Phillips 77  -  Coral Reef 45.  The Panthers take down the defending state champions 77-45!  The DP boys basketball team opened up their 2009-10 season in a resounding way by hammering the defending class 6A state champs, Coral Reef High School, by a score of 77-45 in the Hoop Mountain Classic at West Orange High School.  Shane Larkin nailed two early three's to give the Panthers an early lead.  DP extended the lead to 20-12 at the end of the first quarter.  The second quarter was played even as the Panthers went to halfime with an eight point lead (40-32).  The third quarter proved to be the difference in the game as DP outscored Coral Reef 22-8 behind a smothering press and halfcourt defense on Coral Reef's Alabama signee Charles Hankerson.  The 4th quarter was more of the same as the game went running clock for the last 4 minutes as the Panthers stretched their lead.  Shane Larkin led all scorers with 31 points and he tied his own school record of 9 steals in a game.  Pat Ryan was a stat sheet stuffer with 12 points, 6 assists, 5 steals, 3 rebounds and a block.  Chris Thomas played well in his first varsity start with 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 blocks.  Damani Cade had 9 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists for the game.  It was a great defensive effort holding Coral Reef to 45 points for the game.  The Panther press was clicking in the full and half court.  The Panthers improve to 1-0 on the season with the big win over the defending state champs.  DP will next take to the road on Thursday December the 3rd as they take on Gateway High School at 7:30 pm.  Congratulations to the Panthers on your fine start to the season.