No. 1 Dr. Phillips faces challenges

The Dr. Phillips girls’ lacrosse team has roared through the regular season with little resistance, but the Panthers know they may have to scratch and claw their way through the postseason.

Undefeated DP (14-0) faces some of the state’s best competition in this week’s District 12 tournament at Bishop Moore.

The Panthers, ranked No. 2 in Florida by LaxPower.com and seeded No. 1 for district play, will face fourth-seeded The First Academy (11-3) at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday in the first of two semifinal games.

Second-seeded Bishop Moore (12-4) will play third seed Olympia (11-6) in the second semifinal at 7:30 p.m. The championship game is 7 p.m., Friday.

The top four teams in each district compete for a title, with only the champion advancing to the firstround state play-in games on April 13. All four teams in District 12 are ranked in the top 25 in the LAXpower.com state poll.

“Our district may be the toughest in the state,” said DP coach Bill Morse, whose team is ranked No. 1 in the Sentinel Super Six. “I have a lot of respect for TFA, Bishop Moore and Olympia. They are very good teams and are wellcoached. It’s no secret that the team that wins this district has an excellent chance to get to Jupiter (for the state tournament).”

The Panthers, who lead the state in goals per game at 20.1, barely beat Bishop Moore, 13-11, on Feb. 24. Since then, Bishop Moore has gone 8-3, including a stunning 11-9 upset of defending state champ St. Johns Bartram Trail on March 24.

District 12 isn’t the only tough district around.

In boys’ play, Lake Highland Prep (11-6) has history on its side with four state titles (2011, 2013, 2014, 2015) and two state runners-up finishes (2010, 2012). Last year, the Highlanders made it to the final four.

Lake Highland will host the District 10 tournament as the No. 1 seed.

The hottest area boys team is Hagerty (15-1), which has ripped off 15 consecutive wins since a 12-5 season-opening loss to Lake Mary. The Huskies are seeded No. 1 for the District 9 tournament at Lake Howell. Lake Mary (10-5) may be a darkhorse after beating West Orange 11-6 on Tuesday and playing defending state champ Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas close in an 8-5 loss. The Rams host the District 8 tournament as the No. 1 seed.

West Orange (15-2) won its first 15 games and was ranked No. 1 in the boys Super Six, but the Warriors lost their final two regular season games against Lake Mary 11-7 and Bishop Moore 15-7.