Just what the Dr. Phillips ordered

Jojo Patti and Ledger Hatch connected for two touchdown passes and Dr. Phillips rallied to win its high school football home opener 28-12 against Wekiva on Friday.

Patti completed 11 of 20 pass attempts for 173 yards and two touchdowns as the No. 5 team in the Sentinel Super 16 improved to 3-1. It’s the third consecutive game in which the junior completed more than half of his passes.

“The way the defense moves, theway theywork, especially when we all watch film together, it’s easier to understand,” Patti said. “When we go out on the field, the game is like slowmotion.

“I knowwhat’s going to happen. It’s just simple football.”

He targeted most of his passes at Hatch, who caught five for 121 yards and also drew at least two penalties for pass interference.

The road team hadwon the past three games in this series. But Dr Phillips reversed that trendbehind an offensive line that began to assert itself late in the first half against the No. 10Mustangs (1-2).

Dr. Phillips started solving Wekiva’s defense late in thesecondquarter, mixing run and pass on its last drive of the half. That set up Patti’s 10-yard touchdownpass toHatch on the last play of the half. Hatch tiptoed just inside the side of the end zone.

Dr. Phillips’ defense erased a Panthers fumble with a three-and-out to open the second half. Then Patti found Hatch for a 27-yard touchdown to give the Panthers a 14-12 lead.

Dr. Phillips trailed after that. never