Panthers’ coach is sidelined
Dr. Phillips to open practices without Wells
Preseason football practice for defending state champion Dr. Phillips will get off to an unusual start on Monday.
“It’ll be the first time I ever missed a practice,” said Panthers head coach Rodney Wells.
Wells, a DP alum who led the program to its first state title with a 17-7 win over Delray Beach Atlantic in December, is scheduled for surgery Monday on a torn Achilles tendon he suffered while playing pickup basketball over the summer.
He expects to wear a splint for up to a month following surgery, then be in a walking boot for five more weeks during recovery.
Wells also expects things to go as planned on the practice field early this week in his absence.
“He’s talked to the leaders on the team and he’s expecting us to step up in place of him and show the younger guys what to do, and make it so that no one is missing a beat,” said Dr. Phillips senior linebacker Cam Williams.
The other fall sports programs opening preseason practices Monday are volleyball, golf, cross country, bowling and swimming and diving.
The football teams at Edgewater and Lake Howell will rise early for the opening of practices at 6 a.m., making them the first to huddle up among Sentinel coverage-area teams throughout Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Lake and west Volusia counties.
Edgewater players will take part in a team lock-in on campus beginning today at 6 p.m.
“We think it’ll be a great team-building experience,” Edgewater coach Cameron Duke said.
The start of preseason practice turns the page on the 2017 dream season for DP. The Panthers are far removed from taking their victory lap at the team’s postseason banquet and being recognized at nearby Universal Orlando and at an Orlando Magic game.
“After that it was back to work, back to business as usual,” said Williams. “We’ve been working hard since spring and preparing our minds and bodies to get back out there and compete at a high level.”
Dr. Phillips returns just two starters on offense — wide receivers Devon Buchanon and Stephen Schyck — and six on defense, including five players who scored touchdowns from that side of the ball last fall.
Hitting the reset button and starting from scratch while prepping for a new season will be vital when it comes to putting it all together in time for another postseason push.
DP has played in the state title game the past two years, losing 14-10 to Miami Southridge in 2016. That level of success has been attained as a result of younger players getting snaps at the varsity level before eventually being thrust into a starting role.
“We tried to make it known at the beginning that we are not state champions,” Wells said of this year’s team. “We just lost more than 30 seniors who were great kids and great players, and they were the state champions. We’ve got a lot of work to do right now.”
Along with six other key returning players that factored in the state title season, the Panthers will look to implement junior varsity standouts and other newcomers into the equation at the onset of 2018.
Among those expected to make a mark at some point after moving up from JV are junior athlete Nivon Holland and sophomore free safety Jadai Smith.
Williams remembers what it was like biding his time in hopes of becoming a regular contributor at DP.
“Our coaches set it up to where it’s a smooth transition to varsity,” he said. “You just have to put your head down and soak up the surroundings and watch and follow the older guys and you’ll be just fine.”
Brendan Cyr is projected to take over at quarterback after transferring from West Orange.
“It’s going to be challenging at first, but it’s all about getting to the playoffs, and hopefully by then we’ll be in a rhythm like we were last year,” Wells said.