Welcome to the official web site of the Dr. Phillips High School varsity boys basketball team.

2007-08 DR. PHILLIPS VARSITY BASKETBALL

2007-08 Varsity Panthers:  Front Row (Left to Right): #4 Chuck Ford, #12 Darius Donaldson, #11 Pat Beckett, #33 Damani Cade, #5 Makenson Joseph, #10 Sydney Ware, #22 Pat Ryan. 

Back Row (Left to Right): 9th Grade Coach Anthony Jones, JV Coach Ben Sokolowsky, #34 Lamel Hamberg, #32 Tyron Louis, #23 Justyn Watkins, #40 Victor Gray, #21 Andy Lin, Head Varsity Coach Anthony Long, Asst.Varsity Coach Jason Lee, Asst. Varsity Coach Trey Wellington.

2006-07 CLASS 6A STATE

RUNNER-UP (25-7)

2006-07 Class 6A State Runner-Up - Dr. Phillips Panthers (25-7 District and Region Champions)

Front Row (Left to Right):  Damani Cade #33, Chuck Ford #22, Aeramis Harris #4, Chris Warren #3, Taylor Larson #5, Makenson Joseph #11, Larry Webb #10.  Back Row (Left to Right):  Asst. Coach Anthony Jones, Manager Thomas Fundora, Asst. Coach Ben Sokolowsky, Zach Garrand #30, Tyron Louis #32, Justyn Watkins #23, Ray Willis #21, Lamel Hamberg #34, Head Coach Anthony Long, Asst. Coach Jason Lee, Asst. Coach Rich Anderson.

15 CONSECUTIVE 20+ WIN

SEASONS!

* 130-39 RECORD OVER THE LAST 6 SEASONS

* 8 TIME METRO CHAMPIONS

* 6 TIME DISTRICT CHAMPIONS

* 4 TIME REGION CHAMPIONS (FINAL FOUR)

* 1 STATE RUNNER-UP

2008  FINAL RECORD: 21-6  GREAT FLORIDA SHOOTOUT CHAMPS

2007  FINAL RECORD: 25-7  DISTRICT CHAMPS, REGIONAL CHAMPS & CLASS 6A STATE FINALIST

2006  FINAL RECORD: 21-6

2005  METRO CONFERENCE RUNNER-UP (12-2) - 20-6

2004  METRO CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS (14-0) - 20-7

2003  METRO CONFERENCE RUNNER-UP (11-2) - 23-7

Chris Warren (Ole Miss) goes up for two and...........

finishes with authority for two of his 38 points in the 2007 State Championship game.

Justyn Watkins (State Fair CC) skies for two in the 6A State Championship Game.

Makenson Joseph goes to the basket against Ely.

Tyron Louis (Southern Wesleyan) skies over a Northwestern defender for two in the Panthers big win which put them in the state championship game!

Chris Warren, an Ole Miss signee, holds 20 different school records!

 Justyn Watkins was named to the Class 6A Final Four All-Tournament Team last year. 

Tyron Louis (Southern Wesleyan signee) winds up and.......

 throws down a slam against West Orange.

Panther guard Chuck Ford is continuing DP's long tradition of outstanding guards - Chris Warren (Ole Miss), Jason Rich (Florida State), Trey Hopkins (Western Carolina), and Mario Sissini (Coastal Carolina).

The Panthers have gone 73-13 in Metro Conference games over the last six seasons with one Metro Conference Championship and three Runner-up finishes. 

The 'Blue Zoo' student section is the best in the state!  The Panthers have only lost four home games in the last six years!

The front of Dr. Phillips' gym.

An aerial view of the Dr. Phillips campus.

DR. PHILLIPS NEWS & NOTES 

May 30, 2008 - Dr. Phillips releases their 2008-09 Varsity Basketball Schedule.

          Wed.     Nov. 19          Preseason Classic at Dr. Phillips     Home          7:30 pm

                                                            (Ocoee vs. Timber Creek at 6:00 pm

                                                            Oviedo vs. Dr. Phillips at 7:30 pm)

          Fri.          Nov. 21          Preseason Classic at Dr. Phillips     Home          7:30 pm

                                                            (Ocoee vs. Oviedo at 6:00 pm

                                                            Timber Creek at Dr. Phillips at 7:30 pm)

          Tue.          Dec. 2          Oak Ridge                                        Away          7:30 pm

          Dec. 3 - Dec. 6              Greyhound Invitational Tournament     Lyman HS     TBA

                                                             (3 games)

          Wed.          Dec. 10          Wekiva                                        Away          7:30 pm

          Fri.             Dec. 12          Apopka                                        Away          7:30 pm

          Tue.           Dec. 16           Edgewater                                   Away          7:30 pm

          Thr.            Dec. 18          St. Cloud                                      Home          7:30 pm

          Fri.             Dec. 19          Bishop Kenny                              Home          7:30 pm

          Dec. 26 - Dec. 30          Great Florida Shootout                    Poinciana HS     TBA

                                                                 (4 games)

          Tue.          Jan. 6               Evans                                        Home               7:30 pm

          Fri.           Jan. 9               Olympia                                    Home               7:30 pm

          Fri.           Jan. 16             Cypress Creek                          Home               7:30 pm

        Sat..         Jan. 17             MLK Classic - Bethune Cookman College - Daytona - TBA

          Tue.          Jan. 20             Ocoee                                        Home              7:30 pm

          Wed.         Jan. 21             Colonial                                     Home              7:30 pm

          Sat.           Jan. 24              Winter Park                              Home               7:30 pm

          Tue.          Jan. 27              West Orange                              Away               7:30 pm

          Fri.           Jan. 30               East Ridge                                  Away               7:30 pm

          Tue.          Feb. 3               Boone                                        Home               7:30 pm

          Thr.           Feb. 5               Jones                                         Home               7:30 pm

          Fri.           Feb. 6               Timber Creek                              Away               7:30 pm

          Feb. 9 - Feb. 14               District Tournament @ Dr. Phillips     Home          TBA

May 21, 2008 - Jason Rich (DP Class of 2004) is officially inducted to the Dr. Phillips High School Athletic Hall of Fame!  Congratulations to DP basketball star Jason Rich who was honored on Wednesday as just the 24th athlete ever to be inducted into DP's athletic hall of fame!  He is just one of a handful of athletes that were inducted in their first year of eligibility. Jason is DPs only basketball player to be named 1st team all-state twice.  He is the schools 3rd all-time leading scorer with over 1,200 points despite playing just two years at DP.  He led the Panthers to their only undefeated Metro Conference championship in 2004 as well to a number one ranking in the Class 6A polls for several weeks of the season - the first time in school history that the Panthers were ranked #1.  Jason still shares the single season record for points averaged per game - 23 ppg.  He was listed among the top 30 players in the nation during his senior season, was a Parade All-American, and played in the prestigious Michael Jordan Capital Classic before heading off to Florida State University on a basketball scholarship.  While at FSU Jason scored over 1,300 points and finished his career as FSU's 17th all-time leading scorer.  Jason was a four year starter at FSU and was honored this season with the Bob Sura Outstanding Offensive Player award at FSUs banquet. Jason graduated last month from FSU (in four years) with a degree in social sciences. Jason Rich is currently working out for several NBA teams and plans to pursue his professional basketball aspirations in the upcoming years.  Jason has always been a model student, citizen and player during his time at DP and FSU.  Thank you Jason for being such a great representative of Dr. Phillips High School. 

2008 Dr. Phillips Athletic Hall of Fame inductee Jason Rich with DP hoops coach Anthony Long.

2004 DP alumn and 2008 DP Hall of Fame Inductee Jason Rich throws one down with authority!  Jason is DPs 3rd all-time leading scorer and FSUs 17th all-time leading scorer.

May 21, 2008 - 2008 Panther senior Makenson Joseph is honored as the 'Principal's Award' winner at the DP athletic banquet.  Congratulations to Makenson Joseph who was honored on Wednesday with the prestigious 'Principal's Award' for men's basketball.  The award is recognition for an athlete who stands out both on the court but also off the court in how they represent Dr. Phillips High School.  Makenson has been a great role model during his four years in the basketball program and is a very deserving winner of the award.  Congratulations!  The 'DP Nation' is very proud of you!  Previous principal's awards winners for basketball are as follows:  2008 - Makenson Joseph;  2007 - Chris Warren;  2006 - Chris Warren;  2005 - Mario Sisinni;  2004 - Jason Rich;  2003 - Jack Berry.

DPHS principal Gene Trochinski presents Makenson Joseph with the 'Principal's Award' recognizing his outstanding achievements both on and off the court.

May 15, 2008 - Tyron Louis makes it official by signing a scholarship to play next year at Southern Wesleyan University!

Tyron Louis signs his scholarship papers as his parents look on.

April 29, 2008 - Senior Tyron Louis to play next year at Southern Wesleyan University!  Congratulations to Panther senior Tyron Louis who has committed to play college basketball next season at Southern Wesleyan University in Central, South Carolina.  Southern Wesleyan is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and participates in the Southern States Athletic Conference.  Tyron is a two year varsity player for the Panthers.  He played a big role in DP's 2006-07 run to the state championship game and was a starter for this seasons 21-6 Panther squad averaging 7.3 points per game, 6.0 rebounds per game, and 1.5 steals per game.  A signing ceremony for Tyron will be held on Monday May 5th during lunch in the DPHS media center.  Congratulations to Tyron Louis on fulfilling your dream of playing college basketball.  The Panther Nation is very proud of you.

Southern Wesleyan signee Tyron Louis soars above the rim for two.

April 17, 2008 - 2004 DP Basketball Alumn Jason Rich is elected to the Dr. Phillips HS Athletic Hall of Fame!  Congratulations to Panther basketball great Jason Rich who was elected today in his first year of eligibility to the DPHS Athletic Hall of Fame.  Jason remains the only Panther in basketball history to be selected 1st team All-State for two consecutive years.  He graduated as the DP all-time leader in points scored in a season and points per game average and as the second leading scorer in school history.  Jason Rich was honored as a Parade All-America selection after his senior season.  He led DP to its only undefeated Metro Conference finish and had the Panthers ranked 1st in the state during his senior year.  He played in the prestigious Jordan Capital Classic All-Star game before attending Florida State University on a basketball scholarship.  Jason is currently on target to graduate from FSU in the spring and leaves FSU as a four year starter and one of the top 20 all-time scorers in Florida State history!  Jason will undoubtedly be playing professional basketball somewhere in the near future.  Congratulations to Jason Rich on this prestigious honor.  The Hall of Fame ceremony will be held at Dr. Phillips on Wednesday May 21st at 6:30 pm.

March 23, 2008 - Justyn Watkins and Chuck Ford earn 'All-Orange County' honors by the Orlando Sentinel.  Congratulations to Panther senior Justyn Watkins and junior Chuck Ford who were named today to the 2nd Team All Orange County squad by the Orlando Sentinel.  Both Justyn and Chuck have been previously honored by being named to the All-Central Florida and All-Metro teams as well.  Congrats to both of these young men on representing the Panthers so well.  Here are all of the All-Orange County selections.  1st Team - Keith Clanton (OCP - Player of the Year);  Eddie D'Haiti (Oak Ridge);  Dexter Fields (Olympia);  Kyle McClanahan (Winter Park);  Alix Petitfrere (Edgewater);  and Kedric Taylor (Evans).  2nd Team - Darrick Brown (University);  Chuck Ford (Dr. Phillips);  Eddie Piccinini (Pine Castle);  Austin Rivers (Winter Park);  and Justyn Watkins (Dr. Phillips).  3rd Team - Thomas Austin (Pine Castle);  Martell Bouie (Olympia);  Rodney Blount (Ocoee);  Jonathan Thompson (Jones);  and Jeremy Williams (Oak Ridge).

March 20, 2008 - Two Panthers earn 'All-Central Florida' honors by the Orlando Sentinel.  Congratulations to Panther senior Justyn Watkins and junior Chuck Ford who were both recognized today as part of the 3rd Team All-Central Florida squad by the Orlando Sentinel.  It is a prestigious honor as all high schools in all of Central Forida are considered for the award.  Chuck Ford was one of just three players out of the 16 recognized that are underclassmen.  This gives him an early edge on becoming a first team All-Central Florida member next year.  Congratulations to Justyn and Chuck on the honor.  Here is a list of all of the All-Central Florida selections:  1st Team:  Keith Clanton (Orlando Christian Prep) -Player of the year;  Brett Chance (Lake Howell);  Kenny Dale (Eustis);  Dashan Harris (Montverde Academy);  Kyle McClanahan (Winter Park);  Lorne Merthie (Winter Springs).  2nd Team - Eddie D'Haiti (Oak Ridge);  Dexter Fields (Olympia);  Alix Petitfrere (Edgewater);  Eddie Piccinni (Pine Castle Christian);  Kedrick Taylor (Evans).  3rd Team - Marcus Capers (Montverde Academy);  Chuck Ford (Dr. Phillips);  C.J. Reed (Port Orange Atlantic);  Woody Taylor (Winter Springs);  Justyn Watkins (Dr. Phillips).

March 11, 2008 - 2007 DP Alumn Chris Warren is named to the SEC All-Freshmen team.  Congratulations to Ole Miss' (and DP's) Chris Warren for being a unanimous selection on the SEC All Freshmen team which was released today.  The honor is voted on by the head coaches in the SEC.  Chris joins Patrick Patterson (Kentucky), Nick Calathes (Florida), Jai Lucas (Florida), A.J. Ogilvy (Vanderbilt), and Anthony Randolph (LSU) as unanimous selections to the team.  Almost all of Chris' fellow SEC all-freshmen were McDonald's High School All-Americans.  Do you think maybe they missed somebody??

Chris Warren - A unanimous SEC All-Freshmen selection and holder of 20 Panther school records. 

March 9, 2008 - 2004 DP Alumn Jason Rich is honored on FSU's Senior night.  Jason Rich is still Dr. Phillips' only two time 1st Team All State player and on Saturday before FSU's last regular season home game against Miami Jason was honored on Senior night.  Jason has scored over 1,200 points in his career at Florida State and is ranked in the top 20 all time scorers at Florida State.  Jason scored 16 points in FSU's overtime victory over the Canes in the game.

Jason Rich (DP Class of 2004) is one of FSU's top 20 all time scoring leaders.

Jason Rich with his parents (Ronnie and Addie) and Coach Hamilton on FSU's Senior Night.

February 29, 2008 - Panther boys assistant coach Anthony Jones is named the next Panther head varsity girls coach.  Congratulations to boys assistant Coach Anthony Jones who was named today as the Dr. Phillips Head Varsity Girls basketball coach.  Anthony has served as both the boys 9th grade coach as well as the boys JV coach throughout his seven years with the boys basketball program.  Coach Jones also currently serves as the Panthers head girls flag football coach.  The boys program will miss Anthony and his dedication but wish Coach Jones well in his new challenge.

February 25, 2008 - Chris Warren, Dr. Phillips' all-time leading scorer, becomes Ole Miss' all-time leading freshman scorer!  Unfortunately the Rebels lost their last game at LSU, but Chris Warren scored his 396th point of the season which put him in the number one position for freshman scorers at Ole Miss.  A pretty impressive achievement considering they have been playing basketball at Ole Miss since 1908 and the Rebels still have a minimum of six games left in their season (likely more)!  Chris leads Ole Miss in scoring, assists, three pointers made and minutes played this season.  Ole Miss currently is 18-8 on the season and fighting for a NCAA tournament birth.  Congratulations to Chris on the outstanding achievement.  All Panthers are very proud of you!

2007 DP alumn and all time leading scorer Chris Warren became Ole Miss' all time leading freshman scorer on Saturday against LSU.

February 14, 2008 - Justyn Watkins and Chuck Ford are both selected to the All Metro Conference teams!  Congratulations to Panther senior Justyn Watkins who was named to the 2007-08 1st Team All Metro squad and junior Chuck Ford who was named to the 2nd Team All Metro squad.  The All Metro Conference teams are determined by a vote of all the head coaches in the Metro Conference.  Each coach is not allowed to vote for their own players.  This makes the awards significant because the 10 young men selected to these teams were put there by all of the opposing coaches in the Metro.  These are the players that opposing coaches hate to face and have to game plan against.  Congratulations to Justyn on his 1st Team selection and Chuck on his 2nd Team selection.  The 'Panther Nation' is proud of both of you!  Here are the entire teams:  1st Team All Metro - Justyn Watkins (Dr. Phillips, Sr.), Kyle McClanahan (Winter Park, Sr.), Alix Petitfrere (Edgewater, Sr.), Eddie D'Hati (Oak Ridge, Sr.), and Dexter Fields (Olympia, Jr.).  2nd Team All Metro - Chuck Ford (Dr. Phillips, Jr.), Darrick Brown (University, Sr.), Jeremy Williams (Oak Ridge, Sr.), Austin Rivers (Winter Park, Fr.), and Jonathan Thompson (Jones, Sr.).

2007-08 1st Team All Metro Selection - Justyn Watkins

2007-08 2nd Team All Metro Selection - Chuck Ford

February 11, 2008 - Chris Warren named SEC Freshman of the Week for the 3rd time this season!

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. For the third time this season, Ole Miss point guard Chris Warren has been tabbed the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week, the league office announced Monday.

The Orlando, Fla., native poured in a career-high 26 points at Arkansas on Saturday, his fourth 20-point performance in league play. He single-handedly kept Ole Miss in the game, scoring 18 points in the second half, including 11 straight for the Rebels in the stretch run to cut a 12-point Razorback lead with just under three minutes remaining to a three-point edge with 51 seconds left in the game. The lightning-quick rookie drained six three-pointers (6-of-8), dished out five assists and made three steals in the game.

Warren ranks sixth in the SEC with 18.4 points per game in league play and ninth with a 16.4 average in all games. He also ranks third in assists and three-pointers in all games.

The 5-foot-10, 170-pound guard already seventh in school history with 64 three-pointers made this season, while his 345 points scored are sixth-most by a freshman in the Rebel programs history.

Warren also earned Freshman of the Week honors on Dec. 3, following big performances in wins over New Mexico and Troy, and Dec. 24, after leading the Rebels to the San Juan Shootout title and earning tournament MVP accolades. He is the second SEC freshman to three-peat on the weekly honors, joining Vanderbilts A.J. Ogilvy.

Chris Warren, DP's all time leading scorer, is in contention for the SEC Frehman of the Year Award and a shoe-in for SEC Freshman 1st Team honors.

February 8, 2008 - Edgewater 55  -  Dr. Phillips 50  The Panthers season comes to an end against Edgewater.  Dr. Phillips' season ended Friday night when the Panthers fell to the host Edgewater Eagles 55-50 in the semifinal round of the district tournament.  DP jumped out to an eight point lead at halftime but Edgewater battled back to tie the game after three quarters.  The fourth quarter was tight the whole way with the game tied with one minute to go.  Unfortunately for the Panthers, Edgewater was the team that made the big plays in the final minute that determined the winning margin.  Chuck Ford was phenomenal for the Panthers all night long scoring 23 points but no other Panther managed to score in double figures for the game.  Justyn Watkins had 9 points and 7 rebounds.  No other Panther managed more than 5 points.  Ultimately DP could not overcome 19 turnovers for the game.  Edgewater gets credit for much of it however.  They were the better team on this night and the Panthers wish them luck and hope they will represent our district well in the playoffs.  Dr. Phillips finishes the season with a 21-6 record, the 15th consecutive season the Panthers have won 20 or more games.  The Panthers won the Great Florida Shootout and had a memorable run in the Montverde Academy Invitational Tournament.  The final loss of a season always stings, but the 2007-08 DP Hoops team gave us all a lot of great memories and a successful season by just about anyones standards.  Thank you to the four seniors - Justyn Watkins, Makenson Joseph, Tyron Louis, and Sydney Ware for all of the blood, sweat, and tears (and joy) that you put into the DP basketball program.  Congratulations to all of the Panthers on a fine 2007-08 basketball season.

Post Script:  Edgewater would go on to win the district tournament the next night over Evans and advance to the Regional Semifinal round of the Class 6A state playoffs.

February 6, 2008 - Dr. Phillips 78  -  East Ridge 39   The Panthers advance to the district semifinals with a win over the Knights.  Dr. Phillips opened up the district tournament with a big 78-39 win over East Ridge in a quarterfinal matchup.  The Panthers would not overlook East Ridge on this night.  DP jumped out to a 19-12 first quarter lead and then held the Knights to just 5 points the entire 2nd quarter to go in up 38-17 at halftime.  DP kept their foot on the throddle in the 3rd quarter outscoring the Knights 27-11 and putting the game on a running clock in the middle of the quarter and the rest of the game went quickly under the running clock.  All but one Panther scored in the victory.  Justyn Watkins led DP with 13 points.  Makenson Joseph had 10 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals.  Chuck Ford had 9 points, and a team high 6 assists.  Victor Gray had 8 points and 4 rebounds.  Damani Cade was the stat stuffer on this night with 8 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists and one thunder dunk to end the third quarter.  Darius Donaldson had a varsity career high of 8 points and 6 rebounds.  Tyron Louis had 6 points and 5 rebounds.  Freshman Shane Larkin made his varsity debut scoring 4 points.  Sophomore Pat Ryan had 6 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists.  Lamel Hamberg had 4 points and 3 rebounds.  The Panthers improve their record to 21-5 on the season and advance to the semifinal round of the district tournament on Friday February 8th.  DP will take on Edgewater at 7:00 pm at Edgewater High School.  The winner advances to the district final and the state playoffs.  The losing team has their season end.  This makes it the biggest game of the year so the Panthers will be counting on the Panther Nation and the Blue Zoo to come out in full force to support DP in their quest for a playoff berth.  Congrats to the Panthers on the win. 

February 5, 2008 - The Panthers strong performance at the MAIT keeps them in the Class 6A Top 10!  The Florida Sports Writers Association released their most recent Top 10 poll today and the Panthers check in at the #10 position in the state in Class 6A.  Here is the entire Class 6A Poll:  1. Boyd Anderson (24-1);  2. Olympia (23-2);  3. Winter Park (24-1);  4. Miami Dr. Krop ((23-2);  5. Winter Springs (22-3);  6. Miami Norland (19-6);  7. Orange Park (23-2);  8. Palm Beach Gardens (22-3);  9. DeLand (19-3);  10. Dr. Phillips (20-5).  How many other programs in the state could lose three starters (Chris Warren - Ole Miss, Ray Willis - University of Oklahoma, and Aeramis Harris) and their top two players off the bench (Taylor Larson and Larry Webb) and compete at the highest level in their class and be state ranked the whole season the following year?  Answer - Not many if any at all.  Congrats to the Panthers on their fine regular season.  Now, hopefully the Panthers can put together a playoff run like last years!

February 2, 2008 - Arlington Country Day 61  -  Dr. Phillips 60  -  The Panthers fall one point short of winning the Montverde Academy Invitational Championship.  Dr. Phillips finished out their wonderful tournament by taking the three time defending state champions Arlington Country Day to the end before falling by one point.  Chuck Ford tried to make it two buzzer beating game winners in two nights but his shot fell short to win the game.  The Panthers played their best basketball of the season in the tournament.  King High School from Milwaukee went on to win their other two games of the tourney after falling to DP as did Montverde Academy after falling to DP.  Chuck Ford once again dominated the game for the Panthers.  Chuck had 18 points, 5 assists, and 2 rebounds.  Chuck was the best player in the tournament and was rewarded for his efforts by being named the MAIT Most Valuable Player of the tournament!  This is in a tournament with players already inked to go to Texas A&M, Kansas State, Vanderbilt, and Washington State!  The MVP rarely comes from a team that doesn't win the championship, but the tournament directors and any one else who watched the tournament couldn't deny Chuck Ford's dominating performance!  Congratulations to Chuck on your wonderful accomplishment!  Justyn Watkins played great as well.  He had 17 points and 11 rebounds and was named to the all tournament team.  Tyron Louis had 8 points, three rebounds and two steals.  Lamel Hamberg had 4 points and 5 rebounds.  Makenson Joseph had 6 points and 5 rebounds. Victor Gray had 4 points and 5 rebounds.  It was unfortunate that the Panthers came up just short but the coaches and players are all encouraged by the way DP played throughout the tournament.  DP is playing their best basketball right now going into the most important time of the year - districts and beyond.  Dr. Phillips' next game will be in the district tournament on Wednesday February 6th at Edgewater High School.  The Panthers will take on East Ridge High School at 5:30 pm in a district quarterfinal game.  Good luck to the Panthers in the district tourney and congrats once again on your play at the MAIT as well as your 20-5 regular season record - 15 consecutive 20+ win seasons!

Post Script:  Arlington Country Day would go on to win their 4th consecutive Class 2A State Championship.

The Panthers accept their runner-up award at the Montverde Academy Invitational Tournament.

Chuck Ford accepts his tournament Most Valuable Player award at the MAIT.

Justyn Watkins receives his All-tournament award at the MAIT.

Chuck Ford and Justyn Watkins pose with their tournament hardware at the MAIT.

The MAIT All-Tournament team - Justyn Watkins and Chuck Ford from DP, two players from ACD (one going to Kansas State), two players from Montverde Academy (Texas A&M and Washington State) and one player from King HS (Wisconsin).

February 1, 2008 - Dr. Phillips 54  -  Montverde Academy 53  -   Chuck Ford nails a running three pointer at the buzzer to win and advance to the championship game of the MAIT!  What a great game for the Panthers and Chuck Ford!  DP had their work cut out for themselves taking on the host school Montverde Academy in the semifinal round of the tourney but the Panthers were up for the challenge.  Montverde Academy is ranked #1 or #2 in the entire state of Florida in the polls and already has players signed to play at Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, and Washington State, but that didn't intimidate the Panthers.  Chuck Ford was clearly the best player on the court on this evening in front of a capacity crowd.  Chuck dominated the entire game both offensively and defensively.  He scored 26 points, grabbed 4 rebounds, dished out three assists and didn't have a single turnover despite having the ball in his hands the entire game.  With the Panthers down two points with 6 seconds left Chuck Ford took the ball and drove the court by three defenders and let a running three pointer from the left side of the floor go from about 24 feet at the buzzer and nailed it to win the game with no time left on the clock!  Game over - Panthers win a wild one!  DP showed great heart and character as Montverde jumped on DP early leading by a score of 24-11, but the Panthers didn't fall apart and regrouped to get back in the game.  DP scratched and clawed their way to within three points at halftime.  Montverde led pretty much the entire second half by about 4 points until the end.  Chuck Ford hit a three pointer with 8 seconds left to pull DP within one.  The Panthers fouled with 6 seconds left.  The Eagles hit one of two free throws to set the stage for Chuck Ford's heroics at the buzzer!  Justyn Watkins had 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals.  Makenson Joseph had 10 points and 4 rebounds.  Victor Gray, Damani Cade, Lamel Hamberg, and Tyron Louis all grabbed 3 rebounds each.  The win gives DP a 20-4 record and continues Dr. Phillips' amazing streak of excellence.  The Panthers have now won 20 or more games for 15 consecutive seasons!  This is believed to be a record in all of Florida and the Panthers challenge anyone to give a school that is even close to this phenomenal streak of excellence.  (Schools are only allowed to play 25 games in a season plus you are guaranteed to play one in the district tournament.)  Congratulations to the Panthers on the huge win over Montverde and for advancing to the championship game of the MAIT tourney.  DP has put together their two best games of the season and appear to be peaking exactly at the right time of the year - playoff time.  The Panthers will take on three time defending state champion Arlington Country Day School from Jacksonville, Florida in the championship game on Saturday at 7:30 pm.  ACD defeated Louisiana's 4A state champion in the semifinals who defeated Florida's 4A state champion (Pace) in the quarterfinals!  The win definitely marks on of the biggest regular season victories in school history.  Panther fans, come out and support DP as they go for the tournament championship on Saturday at 7:30 pm.  Congrats on the win as well as continuing one of the most impressive streaks in state history (15 straight 20+ win seasons).  The 'Panther Nation' is especially shining on this fine night!  Great job players!

Post Script:  Montverde Academy would go on to finish 3rd in the tournament....their only loss to DP.

Chuck Ford nailed a 3 at the buzzer to lift DP over Montverde Academy.  He had 26 points total.

January 31, 2008 - Dr. Phillips 61  -  Rufus King HS (Milwaukee, WI) 50   -   The Panthers take down the Wisconsin power!  King HS came to the Montverde Academy Invitational Tournament as one of the pre-tourney favorites but the Panthers came ready to prove that we play some pretty good basketball here in Florida.  Statement made!  DP played well in defeating the Generals in the opening game of the tournament on Thursday.  They key to the game was the Panthers dominating second quarter.  DP trailed by three at the end of one, but outscored King 19-5 in the second quarter to take a 32-21 halftime lead.  King came back in the third quarter and trailed by just six points at the end of the quarter.  They cut the lead to two points in the fourth quarter but the Panthers would allow them no closer and finished the game on a 6-0 run to win by a score of 61-50.  Chuck Ford led the Panthers in scoring with 19 points.  Chuck added 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals.  Justyn Watkins had 13 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals.  Makenson Joseph had a very good all around game with 12 points, a team high 5 steals, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks.  Victor Gray once again led the Panthers in rebounding with 9.  Lamel Hamberg contributed 7 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals.  Tyron Louis and Damani Cade both chipped in four points.  Dr. Phillips improves to 19-4 on the season and now have defeated teams from Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Georgia this season.  The Panthers will play next on Friday night at 7:30 pm in the semifinal round of the tournament against the host school - Montverde Academy.  Montverde Academy finished last season ranked #4 in the nation in the USA Today poll and currently have seniors who have already signed to play at Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, and Washington State!  Needless to day they are very talented and will present a tough test for the Panthers!  Come out to Montverde on Friday and see if your Panthers can pull the uspset!  Congratulations to the players on their season best victory!  Don't count out this group against Montverde!

Post Script:  King High School would go on to finish 5th in the tournament (2-1)....their only loss coming to DP.

Junior guard Chuck Ford led DP with 19 points in DP's big win over King HS from Milwaukee.

January 29, 2008 -  Dr. Phillips 62  -  Jones 52   The Panthers come up big in the 4th quarter to win at Jones.  Both Dr. Phillips and Jones entered the game with impressive 17-4 records but it was the Panthers that would prevail in this tightly contested matchup.  Dr. Phillips trailed by 1 at halftime and by 2 at the end of the 3rd quarter but the Panthers would put on an impressive 20-8 run in the 4th quarter when the game was on the line to pull out the big road victory over a quality opponent.  Victor Gray stepped up and had a couple of huge plays in the final minute to seal the victory.  Victor finished with a team high 12 rebounds and 9 points.  Justyn Watkins again was a stat stuffer with 9 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals, and 1 block.  Chuck Ford led the Panthers in scoring with 14 points.  Makenson Joseph had 13 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists.  Tyron Louis added 8 points and 5 rebounds.  Lamel Hamberg had 7 points, 7 rebounds, 5 steals, and 2 assists.  The Panthers improve to 18-4 on the season with the win.  Dr. Phillips plays next on Thursday January 31 at the Montverde Academy Invitational Tournament at 3:00 pm against Rufus King High School from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  King High is a powerhouse program in the state of Wisconsin.  DP has already played teams from Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Georgia this season and now will take on a midwestern power in King.  Good luck to the Panthers at the Montverde Tournament.  Some of the best high school programs in the country will be there for the 8 team tournament.  Congratulations to Coach Sokolowsky and the Dr. Phillips JV Boys Basketball team who finished their season with a win at Jones.  The JV Panthers finished with a 13-2 record on the season.  The Varsity Panthers are 18-4, the JV Panthers 13-2, and the Freshmen Panthers 8-4  -  Dr. Phillips State of the Union Address:  Things are good in Panther Country at all levels.  Congratulations to the entire program.

Post Script:  Jones would go on to win their district tournament and advance to the Class 3A Regional Semifinal round of the playoffs.

Junior forward Victor Gray had 12 rebounds and the game clinching shot against Jones.

The Panthers prepare for battle.

January 25, 2008 -  Dr. Phillips 65  -  East Ridge 64   DP pulls out a close one on senior night.  Dr. Phillips honored their four seniors - Justyn Watkins, Makenson Joseph, Tyron Louis, and Sydney Ware before the game in the 'Senior Night' ceremonies.  Many thanks for all that these fine young men have done for Dr. Phillips High School and continuing the legacy of excellence that the DP basketball program has established.  Justyn, Makenson, and Tyron were all big contributors in the Panthers run to the state championship game last season and have represented (along with Sydney) DP well throughout their fine careers.  In the game against East Ridge the Panthers secured the #2 seed in the district tournament with the win.  Dr. Phillips finished the district with a 6-2 record.  The Panthers were led by Justyn Watkins who is not playing at 100% because of a foot injury, but his 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals were critical in the win.  Chuck Ford had 11 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists.  Damani Cade had 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals.  Lamel Hamberg was perfect from the floor scoring 9 points.  Makenson Joseph and Tyron Louis contributed 7 points each and Victor Gray had 6 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals.  The Panthers defense left a lot to be desired but DP made enough plays to pull out the victory.  We'll take an ugly victory over a pretty loss.  DP improves to 17-4 on the season.  The Panthers play next on Tuesday January 29th at Jones High School (7:30 tip off).  Congratulations to DP's four seniors - Justyn Watkins, Makenson Joseph, Tyron Louis, and Sydney Ware on the victory and their fine careers at Dr. Phillips.  Hopefully, these four can add a few more chapters to their legacy at DP in the next month.

Sophomore forward Damani Cade had 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals in DP's win over East Ridge.

January 23, 2008 -  Oak Ridge 61  -  Dr. Phillips 55   The Panthers drop their first game at home in almost 4 years.  February 21, 2004......February 21, 2004.....in the District Tournament at Dr. Phillips High School against Evans.....that was the last time the Dr. Phillips boys basketball team lost a home game!  That impressive streak of nearly four years ended on Wednesday with a home loss at the hands of the Oak Ridge Pioneers who improved their record to 18-4 on the season.  Congrats to the Pioneers.  They were the better team on this night.  Last year the Pioneers held DP to twenty-something percentage shooting from the floor in a DP loss at Oak Ridge and most of the Panthers said it was a fluke, but on this night the Panthers shot 17 for 68 from the floor for the game - 25%.  We're not calling it a fluke this time.  Two years in a row Oak Ridge has forced DP into a terrible shooting performance.  Chuck Ford was a warrior on the court playing his best game of the year by far.  Chuck had 22 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 steals, and no turnovers.  He was the best player on the floor on this night, but unfortunately there wasn't enough help to get the victory.  Sydney Ware came off the bench and scored 11 points.  Makenson Joseph chipped in 10 points, 4 assists, and 3 steals, but no other Panther scored more than 6 points.  DP trailed by 7 at the half and trailed by 11 points with just over three minutes to go in the game.  The Panthers rallied to take a brief two point lead but Oak Ridge's big man scored on the next two possessions to give them a lead that they would not relinquish.  The Pioneers shot 6 for 8 from the free throw line in the final minutes to put the game away.  Dr. Phillips drops to 16-4 on the season with the loss.  The Panthers play their final district game on Friday night at 7:30 pm against East Ridge.  A DP victory would secure the #2 seed for the district tournament.  Olympia will finish as the #1 seed.  Friday will mark the final regular season home game for the four Panther seniors - Justyn Watkins, Makenson Joseph, Tyron Louis, and Sydney Ware.  Please come out to DP on Friday night and send off your four Panther seniors in style.

Post Script:  Oak Ridge would go on to finish as their district runner-up and advanced to the Class 6A Regional Quarterfinal round of the playoffs. 

Chuck Ford had 22 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 steals against Oak Ridge.

Justyn Watkins slams one home against Oak Ridge.

January 22, 2008 - Dr. Phillips 71  -  Colonial 56   Dr. Phillips picks up a Metro conference win at Colonial.  Dr. Phillips improved their record to 16-3 on the season with a road victory at Colonial High School on Tuesday night.  The Panthers went to halftime with a 12 point lead but never could put away the pesky Colonial squad but came away with the 15 point victory anyway.  Chuck Ford was the stat stuffer on this night with 18 points, 6 steals, 5 assists, and 2 rebounds.  Tyron Louis had his second consecutive double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds.  Makenson Joseph played well with 14 points, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 2 rebounds.  Victor Gray contributed 8 rebounds and Darius Donaldson played his best varsity game contributing 6 points and was perfect from the field.  Sophomore Damani Cade had 5 rebounds and 4 assists.  All but one Panther scored in the win.  Dr. Phillips plays next on Wednesday in a big game against Oak Ridge at the 'House of Payne'.  DP and Oak Ridge are two of the best teams in the Orlando area.  Dr. Phillips is 16-3 and Oak Ridge is 16-4 on the season so it should be a great game.  The Panthers will need all the support they can get from the 'Blue Zoo'.  Make sure to come out to DP on Wednesday at 7:30 pm to support the Panthers in their big game against Oak Ridge.

Makenson Joseph had 14 points and 4 assists in the Panthers win over Colonial.

Justyn Watkins shows nice elevation and form on this shot against Colonial.

January 18, 2008 - Dr. Phillips 90  -  West Orange 68.  The Panthers get back on the winning track defeating the Warriors.  Five different Panthers scored in double figures as Dr. Phillips defeated West Orange in a district and metro conference game.  The Panthers controlled the game throughout and the outcome was never in doubt.  Tyron Louis logged a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.  Chuck Ford tied Tyron with a team high 15 points and also had 5 assists and 2 steals.  Two Panthers came off the bench to score double figures.  Sydney Ware shot lights out on the way to 14 points and Damani Cade had 12 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists.  Makenson Joseph nearly had a double-double with 9 points and a team high 9 assists.  Justyn Watkins had 12 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks (including one into the 8th row!).  Victor Gray contributed 5 points and 7 rebounds on the night.  DP jumped out to a 18-8 lead at the end of the first quarter; led by 19 at half and never looked back.  The Panthers improve to 15-3 on the season and 5-2 in the district.  The Panthers play next on Tuesday January 22nd at Colonial High School at 7:30 pm.  Congratulations to the Panthers on the win!  The next home game is a big one against Oak Ridge.  The Pioneers are currently 16-4 and one of the better teams in the area.  DP will be looking to avenge their loss from last season at the hands of Oak Ridge.

Sydney Ware had 14 points for the Panthers in their victory over West Orange.

Justyn Watkins goes above the rim to block a shot against West Orange.

January 15, 2008 - The Panthers remain ranked in the Class 6A Top Ten.  Despite suffering a loss to Ocoee on Friday the Dr. Phillips boys basketball team remained in the Top 10 rankings by the Florida Sports Writers Association.  DP dropped from 8th to the number 10 spot.  Here are the most recent rankings:  1. Winter Park (20-0); 2. Boyd Anderson (18-1); 3. Palm Beach Gardens (18-1); 4. Olympia (16-2); 5. Miami Springs (15-3); 6. Miami Dr. Krop (15-1); 7. Miami Norland (15-4); 8. Vero Beach (15-2); 9. Orange Park (15-1); 10. Dr. Phillips (14-3).

Here are the updated district standings through January 15th - 1. Olympia (5-0); 2. Dr. Phillips (4-2); 3. Edgewater (3-2); 4. Apopka (4-3); 5. Ocoee (3-3); 6. West Orange (2-3); 7. Evans (2-4); 8. East Ridge (2-4); 9. Wekiva (1-5).

Sophomore guard Pat Ryan.

January 14, 2008 - Chris Warren update.  Chris Warren is currently leading Ole Miss in scoring (16 ppg), assists (6 apg), three point field goals, and minutes played.  Ole Miss is currently 14-1 and ranked #15 in the nation.  Sports Illustrated recently honored Chris as one of their mid-season Top 20 Freshmen in the nation!  Chris has been the SEC Freshman of the Week twice and has been mentioned several times on ESPN's College Gameday show as one of the best freshman in the country!  Congratulations to Chris on your wonderful start to the season.  The 'Panther Nation' is extremely proud of you!

Chris Warren, holder of 20 DP school records, is leading Ole Miss (14-1; #15 in the nation) in scoring and assists.

January 11, 2008 - Ocoee 73  -  Dr. Phillips 71  The Panthers drop their first game of '08 at Ocoee.  Dr. Phillips' six game winning streak came to an end at Ocoee on Friday night with a 73-71 loss to the Knights.  The Panthers just couldn't get out of the first half hole they put themselves in.  The Panthers weren't ready to play and it showed.  DP had 15 turnovers, not for the game but in the first half alone and found themselves trailing at half by 17 points.  The Panthers decided to play to their potential in the second half and showed a lot in coming back to take a brief lead, but two costly turnovers in the last minute and another miserable free throw shooting performance (10 for 20) was too much to overcome.  Hopefully the Panthers will learn from the loss.  You can get away with taking a quarter or half off against mediocre teams, but you can't do it against talented and good teams like Ocoee.  Ocoee was the better team on this night and deserved to win.  They simply were more hungry and wanted it more than the Panthers.  It was painfully obvious in the first half.  Makenson Joseph played well for the second consecutive game with 17 points, 7 assists, 6 steals, and 4 rebounds.  Justyn Watkins had 16 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists.  Chuck Ford had 13 points and 6 rebounds.  Tyron Louis and Lamel Hamberg each added 10 points to give the Panthers 5 players in double figures for the game.  The Panthers drop to 14-3 on the season with the loss.  DP will take a few days off to prepare for semester exams next week and then take on the West Orange Warriors at home on Friday January 18th at 7:30 pm.  It's DP's first home game in over a month so please come out and support your Panthers on Friday.

Junior Lamel Hamberg had 10 points against Ocoee.

January 9, 2008 - Dr. Phillips 75  -  Boone 52   The Panthers pick up another Metro win over the Braves.  Dr. Phillips and Boone played even up in the first quarter with DP taking an 18-17 lead at the end of one period of play.  Then the Panthers decided to tighten up their defense.  Halftime score - DP 38 - Boone 20!  That's correct.  The Panthers outscored Boone 20-3 in the second quarter to take control of the game.  The Panthers played everyone liberally in the second half as they cruised to the 75-52 win.  All but one Panther scored with Makenson Joseph leading the way with 19 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals.  Justyn Watkins added 17 points, 7 steals and 3 assists.  Lamel Hamberg had 8 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists in the win.  Sophomore Pat Ryan had a varsity career high of 7 points and 2 assists.  Chuck Ford had 7 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds.  The Panthers, ranked #8 in the state in the Class 6A poll, improve to 14-2 on the season (6-2 in the Metro; 4-1 in the District).  Dr. Phillips plays next on Friday night at Ocoee High School at 7:30 pm in a big district game.  Come out to Ocoee on Friday and support the Panthers.  Congratulations to the Panthers on their impressive 14-2 start to the season.

Sophomore guard Pat Ryan had 7 points in the Panther win over Boone.

January 8, 2008 - The Panthers are ranked #8 in Class 6A and #4 in the Super 6.  Here are the latest polls released today:  Florida Sports Writers Association Class 6A Top 10 - 1. Winter Park (17-0), 2. Boyd Anderson (14-1), 3. Palm Beach Gardens (16-1), 4. Olympia (14-2), 5. Miami Springs (13-2), 6. Dr. Krop (12-1), 7. Santaluces (16-2), 8. Dr. Phillips (13-2), 9. Orange Park (13-0), 10. Norland (11-3).  The Olando Sentinel 'Super 6' - 1. Montverde Academy (15-2), 2. Winter Park (17-0), 3. Olympia (14-2), 4. Dr. Phillips (13-2), 5. Orlando Christian Prep (15-2), 6. Lake Howell (14-2).

Junior Panther wing Lamel Hamberg.

January 5, 2008 -  Dr. Phillips 74  -  Osceola 63    Dr. Phillips takes down the Kowboys.  The Panthers traveled to Osceola High School to take on the Kowboys fresh off of their fine showing at the Great Florida Shootout.  It was DP's first game in a week and the Panthers were a little rusty in the first half, but DP played a strong second half to pull away for the 74-63 win.  It was a very balanced attack with five different Panthers scoring in double figures.  Sydney Ware had a career high 16 points and shot Osceola out of the zone they opened up in.  Lamel Hamberg played a fine game scoring 12 points, grabbing 6 rebounds and playing great defense on Osceola's best guard.  Victor Gray proved to be a force in the middle logging a double-double with 10 points and a team high 13 rebounds.  Victor also added 3 assists, 3 blocks and a steal in the win.  Chuck Ford had 8 points and a team high 10 assists.  Makenson Joseph had 12 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals.  Justyn Watkins had another stat stuffing line with 11 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block.  The Panthers trailed by two at half (30-32) but outscored Osceola 22-9 in the third quarter to take control of the game.  Dr. Phillips improves to 13-2 on the season.  The Panthers play next on Wednesday January 9, 2008 at 7:30 pm at Boone High School.  Congratulations to the Panthers on the big win.

Justyn Watkins had 11 points and 7 rebounds against Osceola.

January 1, 2008 - Dr. Phillips moves up to #4 in the latest Orlando Sentinel 'Super 6'.  Here are the rankings.  1. Montverde Academy (12-2);  2. Winter Park (17-0);  3. Olympia (13-1);  4. Dr. Phillips (12-2) Great Florida Shootout Champs;  5. Winter Springs (12-3);  6. Lake Howell (10-2).  Happy New Year to all Panthers (and non-Panthers).  Ole Miss moved up to #18 in the nation in both the AP and USA Today polls (12-0).

December 29, 2007 - Dr. Phillips 64  -  Stone Mountain High School (Stone Mountain, Georgia) 47  -  THE PANTHERS WIN THE GREAT FLORIDA SHOOTOUT!  Wow!  Dr. Phillips ran the gauntlet this week at the Great Florida Shootout on the way to their first 16 team national invatitional tournament championship in school history.  No one could argue the Panthers played the toughest bracket in the field.  Here's the proof.  After disposing of Eau Gaille in the first round the Panthers took on Pennsylvania power Easton High School who finished last season 29-2 and in the final four and DP took them down.  Easton would go on to win all their other games at the GFSO finishing 5th -  their only loss to the Panthers.  DP then took on Illinois power Champaign Central in the semifinals.  Central finished last season with a record of 24-5 and won their region in Illinois.  DP disposed of them in the semifinals.  Champaign Central went on to finish 3rd in the GFSO - their only loss to the Panthers.  The Panthers then took on Stone Mountain High School from just outside Atlanta, Georgia in the championship game and disposed of them.  Stone Mountain finished last season with a record of 26-7 and were regional finalists.  The Panthers defeated three different teams in the shootout who all finished with 3-1 records in the tournament with their only loss at the the hands of Dr. Phillips!  DP dominated the championship game from start to finish.  The Panthers defense was suffocating in the first half as they held Stone Mountain to just 11 points!  Halftime score was 34-11.  The Panthers cruised in the second half for the 64-47 win.  The win is a significant accomplishment for the Panthers.  Hundreds of college players and over 30 NBA players have played in the Shootout's 27 year history and many of the championship teams have gone on to win state title's and finish with national rankings.  DP joins an elite and illustrious group of teams who can call themselves Great Florida Shootout Champions including such nationally known programs such as Jersey City St. Anthony's High School, St. Benedict's, Miami Senior, and Lexington Catholic.  The win marks the second time Coach Long has guided a team to the Great Florida Shootout Championship.  In 1999, Coach Long's Gainesville High School team won the Great Florida Shootout on their way to a 33-2 record, a #7 national ranking, and a second consecutive state championship.  Justyn Watkins was named the GFSO most valuable player as well as being on the All-Tournament team.  Justyn had 17 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals.  Chuck Ford was also named to the All-Tournament team as he logged his second consecutive double-double with 12 points and 10 assists.  Chuck has had 22 assists in the last two games with just three turnovers!  His play has been outstanding as he was awarded the Great Florida Shootout championship game ball.  Sydney Ware had 10 points in his second varsity start.  Lamel Hamberg had 9 points and 6 rebounds.  Victor Gray also added 9 points and 6 rebounds.  The Panthers improve to 12-2 on the season with the championship victory.  Here's a nice statistic for you.  The Panthers finished the 2007 calendar year with a record of 29-3!  The Panthers started off 2007 by winning 17 consecutive games before losing the state championship game and now have won 12 and lost 2.  Good work Panthers!  Congratulations to these young men on their outstanding accomplishment.  This is something special that no one can take from the guys regardless of what happens the rest of the season.  The team is playing well together and working towards playing their best ball in the district tournament in February.  Thanks to all of the Panther fans who came out and supported DP throughout the Great Florida Shootout.  For more information on the tourney visit the website at www.gflso.com.  Dr. Phillips now has a few days off to enjoy their accomplishment.  The Panthers next game will be on Saturday January 5th against Osceola High School at Osceola High School at 6:00 pm.  The game is one of three games being played in an event called the Kowboy Classic.  Panther fans make sure to make the short trip to Osceola to support your 12-2 Panthers.  The 'Panther Nation' is very proud of all the Panthers!  Great job on the GFSO championship.

The Panthers gather together to receive their championship trophy for winning the Great Florida Shootout.

December 28, 2007 - Dr. Phillips 93  -  Champaign Central High School (Champaign, Illinois) 85  -  The Panthers advance to the championship game of the Great Florida Shootout!  Dr. Phillips had six different players score in double figures in the GFSO 93-85 semifinal win over defending tournament runner-up Champaign Central High School.  The game MVP for the Panthers was junior point guard Chuck Ford.  Chuck directed the fast paced game logging a double-double with 13 points and 11 assists (with only two turnovers).  Chuck's play was instrumental in the victory.  The Panthers led the entrire game leading by 4 after one (16-12); 13 at half (40-27); 11 after three (61-50);  and held on for the 8 point win (93-85).  Justyn Watkins led the Panthers in scoring with 20 points.  Justyn added 6 assists and 4 rebounds.  Victor Gray had 12 points and 4 rebounds in his second consecutive start.  Makenson Joseph had 12 points and 6 assists.  Lamel Hamberg logged 11 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals.  Tyron Louis had 11 points and 9 rebounds.  Sydney Ware scored 8 in his first varsity start and Damani Cade had 6 points and 4 rebounds in his first varsity start.  This was DP's best win so far this year.  The Panthers played well and took down a quality opponent.  DP improves to 11-2 on the season and advances to the championship game of the Great Florida Shootout on Saturday at 8:30 pm against Stone Mountain High School from just outside of Atlanta, Georgia.  Stone Mountain finished last season ranked #5 in Georgia with a 26-7 record.  They lost at the buzzer in the playoffs against the eventual state champion and are currently playing great.  They defeated regional finalist Lake Brantley 51-50 in the other semifinal game to advance to the title game to take on the Panthers.  DP fans - your Panthers are playing for the championship at one of the best known tournaments in the country!  Come out to Poinicana High School and support your Panthers at 8:30 pm as they try to bring the prestigious tournament title to 'Panther Country'.  Congrats to the players on making the championship game!  Good luck in the final.

Justyn Watkins doesn't discriminate when is comes to dunking on people.  Here he dunks on a fellow Panther in the championship game of the Great Florida Shootout!

December 27, 2007 - Dr. Phillips 66  -  Easton HS (Easton, Pennsylvania) 59  -  DP advances to the Great Florida Shootout semifinals with a win over Easton.  Easton High School came into the game with an 8-1 record and proved to be a tough opponent.  They finished 29-2 last season and made it to the Final Four in Pennsylvania, but the Panthers proved to be the better team on this night pulling out a 66-59 win.  The Panthers trailed by three at halftime and after three quarters but DP's defense tightened up and on offense the Panthers finally exploded with a 27 point fourth quarter to extend the lead and take control of the game.  Chuck Ford led the Panthers with 19 points, 5 assists and 5 steals.  Victor Gray logged his first double-double as a Panther with 12 points and 11 rebounds.  Makenson Joseph had 10 points and Sydney Ware scored 10 for the second consecutive night for the Panthers.  Lamel Hamberg's defense on Easton's best shooters proved to be critical to the Panthers success as well especially in the 4th quarter.  The Panthers made the big plays when it counted in the 4th quarter to seal the victory.  DP improves to 10-2 on the season and advances the the semifinals of the tournament against last years GFSO tourney runner-up Champaign Central High School from Champaign, Illinois.  Champaign finished last year with a 24-5 record and won their region in Illiniois last year (just as DP did).  It will be a tough test for the Panthers but that's why DP plays in tournaments like this (and later in Montverde's tourney) - to play great teams from all over the country.  DP fans - please come out to Poinciana HS and support the Panthers in their quest to bring home the championship trophy!  Congrats to the Panthers on their big win.

Some of the Panthers pose for a picture after winning the Great Florida Shootout.

December 26, 2007 -  Dr. Phillips 70  -  Eau Gaille 45  The Panthers open the Great Florida Shootout with a win.  Eau Gaille High School entered the Great Florida Shootout with a 10-2 record but the Commodores proved to be no match for the Panthers on this night.  DP started a little sluggish trailing by two at the end of the first quarter (11-9), but DP took control of the game in the second quarter and went to halftime with a 10 point lead (27-17).  The Panthers continued to extend the lead taking a 15 point lead after three (44-27) and cruised to the 70-45 win.  Justyn Watkins led DP with 24 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals.  Lamel Hamberg had one of his best games of the year scoring 15 points and grabbing a team high 8 rebounds.  Sydney Ware came off the bench and logged a varsity career high of 10 points as well as 2 rebounds and 2 assists.  Damani Cade added 9 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals.  DP increases their record to 9-2 on the season.  The Panthers will take on Easton High School from Easton, Pennsylvania on Thursday December 27th at 7:00 pm in a quarterfinal game.  Easton was 29-2 last year and made Pennsylvania's Final Four last season so they should provide a tough test for the Panthers.  For more information you can go to the Great Florida Shootout's website at www.gflso.com .  Panther fans, come out to Poinciana and support your Panthers in the winner's bracket game against Easton.

Post Script:  Eau Gaille would later go on to win their district tournament and advance to the Class 6A Regional Quarterfinal round of the playoffs.

Panther guard Darius Donaldson in action.

December 23, 2007 - Chris Warren named the MVP of the San Juan Shootout!  Jason Rich scores 27 points!  Two of Dr. Phillips' best ever basketball players had great evenings on Saturday.  Chris Warren continues to shock everyone in the country except the people in Orlando who personally saw him play.  Ole Miss defeated Clemson last night 85-82 in the finals of the San Juan Shootout.  Chris led Ole Miss with 19 points.  Clemson was previously undefeated and ranked #15 in the country.  Chris has led Ole Miss to the best start in school history at 11-0 and Ole Miss is ranked #22 in the nation in the latest top 25 poll.  It is the first time since 2001 that Ole Miss has been ranked.  Chris continues to lead Ole Miss in scoring and leads the entire SEC in assists as a true freshman.  He leads Ole Miss in minutes played as well.  Chris was named the SEC Freshman of the Week for the second time this season. I wonder what some of the 'big time' college coaches who were afraid of Chris' height and body stature are thinking now.  Congratulations Chris on your outstanding performances so far this year.  What a special player and person he is.  Jason Rich logged a career high 27 points for Florida State Saturday evening against Providence.  Unfortunately the Noles lost the game but congrats Jason on your fine performance as well.  Both FSU and Ole Miss are striving to make the NCAA tournament for the first time in several years.  Good luck to both!

Chris Warren drives for two against Clemson.  Chris was named MVP of the San Juan Shootout, leads Ole Miss in scoring and assists, leads the SEC in assists, has led Ole Miss to its best start in school history (11-0) and its first national ranking since 2001, and has been named SEC Freshman of the Week two times.  Besides that Chris really hasn't done much.

December 21, 2007 - Winter Park 70  -  Dr. Phillips 58  -  The Panthers lose to Class 6A's top ranked team.  DP traveled to Winter Park to take on the undefeated and top ranked Wildcats (13-0) on Friday.  Unfortunately for the Panthers Winter Park had too much on this night draining 8 three pointers and coming away with the Metro conference win over the Panthers.  Winter Park jumped on DP early extending to an 18-11 first quarter lead.  The Wildcats extended the lead throughout the second quarter getting up by as many as 16.  The Panthers rallied to trail by just 9 at halftime (34-25).  Winter Park held DP to just 11 points in the third quarter and once again extended.  The Panthers rallied back in the 4th quarter, trailing by just 8 points with 2 minutes left but the tank was empty and DP didn't have another run in them.  Winter Park won by 12 and extended their record to 14-0.  DP played hard but Winter Park exploited a few defensive breakdowns that you sometimes get away with against lesser teams.  Congratulations to Winter Park.  They were the better team on this night.  Justyn Watkins led DP logging a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds.  Chuck Ford had 17 points and Tyron Louis had 9 points and 4 rebounds.  The Panthers drop to 8-2 on the season (5-2 in the Metro; 4-1 in the district).  DP now takes a few days off before participating in the Great Florida Shootout December 26-29 at Poinciana High School.  The GFSO is one of the oldest and best tournaments in Florida with teams from Illinois, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Georgia, North Carolina, Puerto Rico and Florida participating.  The Panthers will take on Eau Gaille HS on December 26th at 4:00 pm at Poinciana High School.  You can find out a lot more information on the tournament by visiting their website at www.gflso.com .  It's disappointing to lose but the Panthers are in great shape at 8-2 on the season with their two losses against the #1 and #4 teams in Class 6A both on the road.  DP will regroup and play well in the GFSO.  To all Panthers (and even non-Panthers!) - Have a very Merry Christmas!

Post Script:  Winter Park would go on to finish the season with a 29-2 record, winning their district, and advancing to the Class 6A Regional Semifinal round of the playoffs.

Justyn Watkins had a double-double against Winter Park with 20 points and 12 boards.

December 20, 2007 - Dr. Phillips 80  -  Evans 62  -  DP notches a big road district win over the Trojans.  The Panthers went to Evans on Thursday on the first of another back to back road games in preparation for the district tournament.  DP controlled things the entire game against the Trojans extending their lead to 5 points at the end of the first quarter and then to 15 points at halftime (41-26).  The Panthers went on to the 80-62 district road win.  Lamel Hamberg was the stat stuffer of the night for the Panthers with 11 rebounds, 10 points, 5 steals, 4 blocks and 3 assists in the victory.  Chuck Ford led DP in scoring and assists with 20 points and 6 assists.  Justyn Watkins added 15 points and 4 rebounds.  Tyron Louis chipped in 9 points and 3 blocks.  Sydney Ware played well logging 7 points and 2 rebounds in limited time.  The Panthers increase their record to 8-1 on the season (5-1 in the Metro;  4-1 in the district).  The Panthers don't get any rest as they take on Winter Park at Winter Park on Friday.  Winter Park is currently ranked #1 in the state in class 6A with an 11-0 record.  Panther fans come on out to Winter Park to see your Panthers take on the state's top ranked team.  It should be a great game with the Panthers having a lot to prove on Friday.  Congratulations to the team on the win and the 8-1 start to the season.

Post Script:  Evans would later advance to the Class 6A Final Four in Lakeland, losing in the Class 6A state semifinals.

Justyn Watkins dunks against Evans.

December 18, 2007 - Dr. Phillips 83  -  St. Cloud 51  -  The Panthers cruise against the Bulldogs.  DP traveled to St. Cloud for a non-district game against the Bulldogs Tuesday night and the Panthers came out as the big winners.  All 12 Panthers scored in the contest with Justyn Watkins leading the way with 15 points, 5 steals and 3 rebounds in limited playing time.  Damani Cade added 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals for the Panthers.  Makenson Joseph had 11 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists.  Lamel Hamberg had 10 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists.  Chuck Ford led DP with 9 assists and Tyron Louis led the Panthers with 8 rebounds.  DP was up 19 at half and put the game on a running clock early in the 4th quarter.  Dr. Phillips improves to 7-1 on the season (4-1 in the Metro;  3-1 in the district).  DP plays next in a big district game on Thursday night at 7:30 pm against Evans.  The game will have big district tournament seeding implications and is very important to the Panthers!  DP will take on Winter Park, the #1 ranked team in the state in Class 6A, on Friday night at Winter Park.  The team needs the 'Panther Nation' to come out in force to Evans on Thursday and Winter Park on Friday.  Come out and support your Panthers and congratulations to the team on the victory over St. Cloud.

Justyn Watkins shoots against Olympia.

December 15, 2007 - Dr. Phillips 73  -  P.K. Yonge 63  -  DP gets back on the winning track in Gainesville.  The Panthers traveled to Gainesville High School to take on the defending Class 3A state runner up P.K. Yonge Blue Wave on Saturday.  The game was scheduled in hopes of getting the Panthers used to playing two quality opponents on back to back nights away from home in preparation for the district tournament in February where DP will have to do the same.  (The Panthers are doing the same next week as they take on Evans and Winter Park, both on the road, on consecutive nights.)  DP proved to be up to the task as they defeated the Blue Wave, ranked #4 in the state in class 3A by a score of 73-63.  Justyn Watkins again proved to be a stat stuffer with a line of 23 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals and 2 assists.  Chuck Ford played a great game for DP logging 22 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds.  Victor Gray added 7 points and 7 rebounds for the Panthers.  DP struggled early and trailed at the half by three points, just like the night before.  This time however the Panthers came out for the third quarter and played really well outscoring the Blue Wave 23-12 in the third quarter to take command of the game.  The key was the great defense played by Makenson Joseph and Lamel Hamberg on P.K. Yonge standout Josh Snodgrass, holding him to just 13 points and hounding him all game long with their tenacious defense.  The Panthers withstood a late rally and held on for the 10 point victory over a quality opponent.  DP improves to 6-1 on the season (4-1 in the Metro, 3-1 in the district).  DP plays next on Tuesday December 18th on the road at St. Cloud High School.  Game time is 7:30 pm.  Congratulations to the squad on their victory!

Post Script:  P.K. Yonge would later advance to the Class 3A Final Four in Lakeland and finish as the Class 3A state runner-up.

Chuck Ford had 22 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds against 4th ranked P.K. Yonge.

December 14, 2007 - Olympia 79  -  Dr. Phillips 64  -  The Panthers suffer their first loss of the season at Olympia.  Dr. Phillips dropped their first game of the season Friday night to Olympia in a 79-64 loss to the Titans.  Justyn Watkins led the way with 22 points but unfortunately for the Panthers there wasn't a lot of other support.  Tyron Louis had 11 points, Chuck Ford had 10, Lamel Hamberg had 8 and Makenson Joseph had 7 points for the game.  The first half was back and forth and tight with the Panthers trailing by three at halftime (37-40).  DP started the third quarter cold making just one of their first ten shots and Olympia put together a run to take control of the game.  The Panthers battled back to get within 6 points, but Olympia pulled away for the win.  The key to the game was that Olympia dominated the second half and the Panthers had no answer for Olympia's runs.  Olympia was clearly the better team on this night.  Their returning 4 starters and the addition of transfers Jordan McCoy (13 points and at least 10 rebounds) and Sherwood Brown (11 points and at least 5 rebounds) make them a tough opponent.  Olympia's free throw defense was incredible as well with the Panthers shooting a pathetic 10 for 24 from the free throw line.  It wasn't DP's night and Olympia gets some credit for that.  The Panthers must now learn from the loss, improve upon their weaknesses from the game and hopefully be able to put together four good quarters against the Titans should they match up again in the district tournament.  DP drops to 5-1 on the season, 4-1 in the Metro and 3-1 in the district.  DP doesn't have any time to feel sorry for themselves as they take on P.K. Yonge on Saturday at 6:30 pm at Gainesville High School.  P.K. Yonge is currently ranked 4th in the state in class 3A and will provide another tough test for the Panthers!  Good luck to the Panthers as they take on the Blue Wave.

Post Script:  Olympia would go on to finish the season with a 24-3 record. 

Justyn Watkins shows off his verical against Olympia.

Justyn Watkins shoots for two against Olympia in front of a packed house.

December 11, 2007 - The Panthers are in all of the state rankings and polls.  There are three major polls which rank teams in the state and area.  Locally there is the Orlando Sentinel 'Super 6' which is a ranking of the best teams in Central Florida (regardless of classification).  Statewide there is the Florida Sports Writers Association class polls which rank the top 10 teams in the state in each classification and there is the 'Breakdown Magazine' top 20 poll which ranks the top 20 teams in all of Florida regardless of classification.  The Panthers (5-0) find themselves in all three polls.  Not bad for a team that lost three starters from last season - one to Ole Miss and another one to the University of Oklahoma!  Here is a breakdown of the polls:

Orando Sentinel 'Super 6' - 1. Montverde;  2. Winter Park;  3. Olympia;  4. Winter Springs;  5. Dr. Phillips;  6. Oviedo.

Florida Sports Writers Association Class 6A Top Ten - 1. Winter Park;  2. Santaluces;  3. Miami Norland;  4. Dr. Phillips;  4. Miami Dr. Krop;  6. Boca Raton;  7. Pompano Beach Ely;  8. Oviedo;  9. Olympia;  10. Mandarin

Break-down Magazine Top 20 - 1. Montverde;  2. American Heritage;  3. Dillard;  4. Miami Norland;  5. Santaluces;  6. West Lake Prep;  7. Miami Pace;  8. Boca Raton;  9. Olympia;  10. Boyd Anderson;  11. Kathleen;  12. East Gadsen;  13. Clearwater;  14. Dr. Phillips;  15. Charlotte;  16. IMG;  17. ACDS;  18. Pensacola;  19. Winter Park'  20. Gainesville. 

Panther forward Victor Gray.

December 8, 2007 -  Dr. Phillips 88  -  Rockledge 61  -  The Panthers cruise to a big win over Rockledge.  DP didn't have much time to celebrate their big win over Edgewater as they faced Rockledge at noon on Saturday in the first game of the 'Hoops for a Heart' classic at Oviedo High School against Rockledge.  The Panthers were a little sluggish at the start of the game but gradually extended the lead to nine points at the half and then pulled away in the second half on their way to the big 88-61 win.  Justyn Watkins led a balanced attack with 16 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals.  Makenson Joseph had 15 points, 5 assists, 2 rebounds and 2 steals.  Chuck Ford had 15 points for the Panthers.  Sydney Ware had a career high 12 points and 3 assists to give the Panthers four players who scored in doulble figures.  Tyron Louis had 9 points and Lamel Hamberg scored 6 points and grabbed a team high 11 rebounds.  The Panthers extend their record to 5-0 on the season, 4-0 in the Metro, and 3-0 in the district.  Former Panther Chris Warren once again led Ole Miss in scoring with 18 points in his Orlando homecoming game as Ole Miss (7-0) defeated UCF 76-67 later on in the evening.  Congrats to all of the current and former Panthers on Saturday's performance.  The Panthers next game is another big district game this Friday December 14th at Olympia.  Both teams are currently undefeated in the district and the winner will have the inside track to the #1 seed in the district tournament.  Make sure to get to Olympia early as the game will most likely be sold out.  It is a triple-header with the 9th grade game starting at 4:30;  the JV game at 6:00;  and the varsity game at 7:30 pm.  Come out and support the Panthers, with class, in this big game on Friday.

Senior forward Tyron Louis contributed 9 points in the win over Rockledge.

December 7, 2007 -  Dr. Phillips 92  -  Edgewater 75  -  Dr. Phillips picks up a big district and Metro win over rival Edgewater.  Dr. Phillips, behind Makenson Joseph's career high 28 points, jumped on top of Edgewater early and never let up to pull away for the big 92-75 win over the Eagles.  Makenson had 13 points in the first quarter alone, nailing 3 three's on the way to the Panthers 26-12 lead at the end of the first quarter.  Chuck Ford is back in his true form after recovering from a thumb injury.  Chuck had 12 points and a career high 13 assists on the night.  His play at the point was the key to the game.  He handled Edgewater's agressive pressure defense very well all night.  Justyn Watkins had a stat stuffing line with 15 points, 8 rebounds, 5 steals, and 4 assists.  Tyron Louis was the fourth Panther in double figures with 16 points and 7 rebounds.  Lamel Hamberg had 8 points and 5 boards for DP.  The Panthers led by 16 at half; 17 after three on their way to the 92-75 win.  Sophomore Pat Ryan played his best game of the season with 5 points and 2 steals.  Victor Gray added 4 rebounds and 3 points.  It was a great win for the Panthers in a big rivalry game in the city.  Panther alum Chris Warren, holder of 20 DP records, was in the house as well.  Ole Miss is playing at UCF on Saturday night and the coaching staff was kind enough to allow Chris to come to the game.  Chris received a huge and well deserved applause upon entering the gym.  Good luck to Chris on Saturday.  Dr. Phillips improves to 4-0 on the season, 4-0 in the Metro, and 3-0 in the district for the season.  DP doesn't have any time to celebrate as they take on Rockledge High School on Saturday at noon at Oviedo High School in the 'Rob Graham Classic'.  Congrats on the big win and good luck against Rockledge.

Post Script:  Edweater would go on to win the district and advance to the Class 6A Regional Semifinal round of the playoffs.

Makenson Joseph had a career high 28 points against Edgewater.

December 5, 2007 - Dr. Phillips 90  -  Wekiva 61  -  The Panthers pick up another district win over Wekiva.  Dr. Phillips just had too many weapons for first year Wekiva in this district matchup.  The Panthers jumped out to an 8 point lead at the end of the first quarter and increased the lead to 15 at the half and 24 at the end of three and cruised home for the district win.  Justyn Watkins led the Panthers in scoring with 21 points.  Justyn also added 4 steals, 2 assists and 2 blocks.  Chuck Ford had 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists.  Sophomore Damani Cade had a career high 14 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists.  Tyron Louis chipped in 11 points, 4 rebounds and 3 blocks.  Makenson Joseph had 8 points and a team high 5 assists.  Victor Gray led the Panthers in rebounding for the second consecutive night with 6 boards and 5 points.  All but one Panther scored on the night in the big DP victory.  The Panthers improve to 3-0 on the season (3-0 in the Metro, 2-0 in the district).  Dr. Phillips next plays in a huge district match-up against rival Edgewater on Friday night at home in the 'House of Payne'.  The JV game starts at 6:00 pm and the varsity game will start at 7:30 pm.  The DP vs. Edgewater game is always one of the best games in all of Central Florida every year.  You won't want to miss it.  It is the only time the two teams will play in the regular season.  The Panthers are counting on a huge crowd full of Panthers on Friday.  Congratulations on the 3-0 start.

Justyn Watkins led DP in scoring with 21 points against Wekiva.

December 3, 2007 - Chris Warren named the SEC Freshman of the Week - Ranks first in the SEC in assists and 10th in the nation in assists.  Check out the attached article.