Dr. Phillips has gone a perfect 3-0 against Vero Beach recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Panthers will square off against the Indians at 7:00 p.m. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Dr. Phillips is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. In a tight contest that could have gone either way, they made off with a 22-21 win over Central. The victory almost wasn't to be: the Panthers were down 21-6 in the third quarter.
Zion Matthews
| 11/21/25 @ Central | 119 |
| 11/14/25 @ Jupiter | 202 |
| 10/30/25 @ West Orange | 152 |
It was another big night for Zion Matthews, who rushed for 119 yards and one TD. His rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his third straight game with at least 119 rushing yards.
Dr. Phillips didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. Torrey Scott was the real danger to the passing game, picking up an interception all by himself. Dr. Phillips got some further help from McHenry Fortilien: he picked up a sack and made ten total tackles (3.0 for loss).
Meanwhile, Vero Beach put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They claimed a resounding 56-14 win over Lake Nona. With the Indians ahead 35-7 at the half, the matchup was all but over already.
Dr. Phillips better keep an eye on Efrem White. He was instrumental in Vero Beach's win, throwing for 106 yards and three touchdowns while completing 76.9% of his passes, and also rushing for 60 yards and one score on only five carries. White's longest reception was for an impressive 59 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per catch total. Marcus Melbourne was in the mix too, providing Vero Beach with two TDs.
Special teams played a big role in the game for Vero Beach, adding 14 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Melbourne, who ran a punt back for a touchdown.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Vero Beach's defense and their three sacks. Maleki Reed refused to say out of the backfield, picking up two sacks all by himself. Another thorn in Lake Nona's side was Reed, who picked up two sacks, forced one fumble, and made seven total tackles.
Dr. Phillips' record is now 9-3. As for Vero Beach, their record now sits at 12-0.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Dr. Phillips has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 196.5 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Vero Beach struggles in that department as they've been averaging 152 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Dr. Phillips was able to grind out a solid victory over Vero Beach in their previous meeting back in November of 2024, winning 21-14. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was the Indians' Champ Monds, who rushed for 58 yards and a pair of scores, and also threw for 142 yards on 12 of 26 attempts. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will the Panthers still be able to contain Monds? There's only one way to find out.
