Panthers win No. 100 forWells

Dr Phillips High School delivered football victory No. 100 for head coach Rodney Wells on Friday night with a 41-9 win against rival Olympia.

Wells lauded the school, which is his alma mater, and the community for giving him the foundation to build a perennial playoff team that won a 2017 state championship.

“To have the longevity to get 100 wins is special,” Wells said. “It’s all about the people around you.”

Wells’ 100th victory at Dr. Phillips resembled a typical Panthers victory in manyways.

Big plays on offense? Check. Jalen Thompson turned two short passes into 19- and 25-yard touchdown plays for the Panthers. Running back Amir Johnson also ran for a 33-yard score late in the first half.

Thompson said that the Titans focused on taking deep-ball receiver Ledger Hatch out of the offense, which opened up the quick outs.

“We’re justworking allweek on it,” Dr. Phillips quarterback BrandonMoreno said. “We just had to execute it. The fact that we did waswhywe got the win.”

Next man up? Check. Moreno, DP’s backup quarterback, started and completed 6 of 10 passes for 89 yards and the two scores to Thompson.

Wells said coaches made the decision early in the week to start Moreno with an eye on the playoffs. He wanted to get Moreno experience.

“I felt like Iwas prepared whatever the situation was,” Moreno said.the

Regular starter JoJo Patti entered in the second half and engineered two touchdown drives.

Strong defense? Check. Gerald Grenes sacked Olympia quarterbacks three times. He also hit running back Rommarrus Hinson as he threw a halfback pass late in the first half, forcing a floater that Jaelen Jackson picked off for his second interception in as many weeks.

Grenes and the

Panthers held

Hinson to 10 yards rushing on 10 carries, well below his previous 127-yard-per-game average. Thanks to four sacks overall, Dr. Phillips held Olympia to minus-21 yards rushing.

Beating a rival? Check. While the Panthers earned their 18th victory in a row over previously unbeaten Olympia (3-1), they bent but didn’t break against the Titans offense. DP surrendered only three plays of 20 yards or longer. Olympia’s Charles Brooks completed 14 of 22 passes for 189 yards, spreading passes to five different receivers.

Olympia coach Travis Gabriel, who has known Wells for more than 20 years, said the DP coach sets the standard.

“He’s one ofmy closest friends,” Gabriel said of Wells. “He just works his kids hard. What you see on the field is who he is at all times. He’s a hard-nosed guy who demands the best fromhis kids.

“What he’s doing, we’re all trying to mimic that. He’s a state champion. He’s done enough to earn his stripes. We’re just trying to learn fromhim.”