Five members of the Dr. Phillips girls basketball state championship team brought their winning ways to the Panthers’ flag football team this spring.
It’s a group that includes Asiana Govan, a junior who made the go-ahead 3-point shot with 15 seconds to go in Dr. Phillips’ 47-45 victory over Miami High in the Feb. 26 Class 7A basketball state final in Lakeland.
Govan is now a two-way standout playing offense and defense for a DP squad that is the highest-ranked flag team in the Orlando area. The Panthers are 7-0 going into a Wednesday 5 p.m. home game against tough Timber Creek, which was 6-0 going into a Tuesday game vs. Boone (6-2).
Govan scored a touchdown and had 2 interceptions on Monday as the Panthers posted a 21-6 win against rival Wekiva (7-2).
“She’s electrifying all over the field,” said Anthony Jones, DP’s longtime highly successful head coach for both girls basketball and flag football.
The Panthers were flag football state champs in 2011, which was also the year the girls basketball program won the first of its four titles in Jones’ 14 seasons as head coach of that program. He’s in his 19th season as the school’s flag football head coach.
Kalea Rainey, a senior basketball player trying flag football for the first time, had an 82-yard interception return for a TD vs. Wekiva.
Alyssa Virella, a junior, joins sophomore Taylor Giguere and freshman Ronnice Berry as the other basketball players who have contributed.
“Those girls are also doing AAU (basketball) and I allow that,” Jones said. “They miss some (flag) practices, but as the basketball coach I know that’s important. Flag football is an outlet for them. They’re having fun. And I believe it helps their basketball IQ.”
The DP offense is triggered by sophomore Olivia Cadiz, who Jones describes as “the best quarterback in the Orlando hands down”. Her top receiving targets are Govan, Rainey and junior Kayla Estep.
“Wekiva was a big win for us, and Timber Creek is going to be another test,” Jones said.
Like DP, Timber Creek has been a consistent winner. Jim Buckridge, the only tackle football coach Timber Creek has had in its 21-year existence, has also been the Wolves girls flag football head coach for all but one of those years.
Timber Creek posted five shutouts in its first six games.
Wolves junior Ava Jessum, who plays the rush position, had 23 flag pulls and 9 sacks coming into the week. Sophomore linebacker Nevaeh Washington had 22 pulls, 3 pass deflections and an interception.
Timber Creek won 20-12 against Winter Park in the only game in which they had surrendered points.
On offense, TC is led by two-way senior standout Jasmine Cheema, who has 5 touchdown catches, 18 pulls and 2 INTs; and Ayanna Dixon, another senior who has a team-leading 21 receptions and 2 INTs. Senior quarterback Kain Hugh is 81-of-137 passing for 704 yards and 14 TDs.
Cypress Creek is 7-0 going into a Thursday night home game against East River. The Bears are in 2A District 9 alongside of Harmony (7-0) and St. Cloud (4-2), which were set to play Tuesday night.
Other area teams to watch include Apopka (7-2), which lost to Dr. Phillips 20-13 in a season opener, and Jones (3-1), which plays at Wekiva on Thursday.
This report was first published at Orlandosentinel.com. Varsity Content Editor Buddy Collings can be reached by email at [email protected].
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