Although the Wekiva Mustangs mounted several scoring threats Friday against the Dr. Phillips Panthers, the points mostly didn’t materialize, and Dr. Phillips won 35-6.

“Another game with a lot of mistakes, and the scores are always hard to deal with,” Mustangs coach Doug Gabriel said. “However, progress is being made. This was the first contest we moved the ball with some consistency. When a team is starting from the ground up, running plays in the opponent’s territory during the first half is noticeable and a difference from the previous four games.”

Turnovers ended four possessions inside the Panthers’ 40-yard line, including two in the red zone. A recovered fumble was partially responsible for the end of a fifth possession inside Dr. Phillips’ territory as well.

“This team is no different than any other with little experience and lots of youth,” Gabriel said. “The team is listening to how. Yet, the actual application isn’t being executed. The ability to carry what is learned and executed properly during practice to the games and the much more intense environment develops over time… Understanding why works hand-in-hand with improvement.”

The Panthers have made a living throughout their history by focusing on creating damage after the initial contact during rushes and pass receptions. The team successfully snaps the ball quickly, usually less than 7 seconds after the ball is placed on the field by the referees.

The Panthers’ defense then secures victory by placing the onus on its opponents to make plays. The most recent contest against Wekiva was another in the long line of demonstrating how to execute that style of play to near perfection.

Total yards were 270-141 in favor of the Panthers. The Panthers rushed for 114 yards and passed for 156 yards. The team gained an average of 8.2 yards per carry.

Wekiva had more rushing yards at 121 but only passed for 20.

Dr. Phillips took the lead just over a minute into the contest, marching 45 yards on six plays. Senior running back Zion Matthews rushed the last 5 yards and pushed in behind the center of the line. Frederico Montalvo-Salazar’s successful extra point attempt put the Panthers up 7-0, and the team never relinquished the advantage.

Panthers senior defensive tackle Phynx Taylor capitalized on the Mustangs relative youth and inexperience to turn an error into the second Dr. Phillips touchdown.

Wekiva attempted a screen pass into one-on-one coverage on the right sideline. However, the ball was thrown behind the intended receiver instead of in front, so was a lateral and a rushing attempt.

The Mustangs receiver assumed the result was an incomplete pass and the play was over, so began walking back to the huddle. Taylor tracked the throw and scooped up the loose ball. With no Wekiva defenders behind the line of scrimmage, Taylor ran 33 yards for the touchdown.

Matthews scored his second touchdown on a 6-yard run. Wide receiver Zhytrez Ervin scored on a 30-yard pass from Camren West, and Jaiden Smith scored on a 20-yard pass from Tien Williams for the Panthers two additional touchdowns. Kicker Montalvo-Salazar went 5-for-5 in extra points.

“Injuries have been a huge part of the story as well,” Gabriel said. “We seem to have bad juju. Way too many for a good team to overcome, let alone a team starting over.”

More than two-thirds of the 22 Mustangs starting players have missed significant amounts of time due to injury.

Isaiah McNish accounted for the lone Wekiva touchdown near the end of the game, pushed into the end zone on a 3-yard rush. McNish, one of the few Mustang players with experience at the varsity level, was debuting for the 2025 season.

Wekiva hosts district rival Oviedo next. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday at Mustang Field. The contest will be part of the Mustangs homecoming week.