With five regular season losses heading into the playoffs, high football pundits across the state gave Dr. Phillips no chance to beat undefeated Vero Beach Friday night on the road but when the clock drained down in the Regional Semifinal, the defending State Champions were the ones left standing. DP (7-5) put the ball in the capable hands of senior running back Japerri Powell, who rushed for 150 yards on 25 carries, and turned loose their rabid dogs on defense in a 19-7 victory to stun the host Indians, who found themselves knocked out of the playoffs by the Panthers for the second time in three years.

Vero Beach looked to make a statement on the opening play of the game, connecting on a deep pass for a 34-yard gain to the Panthers' 46, which ignited an already raucous home crowd, but the DP defense st...(more)