TWO GAMES AWAY: Dr. Phillips girls seek second state championship

Only two games stand between the Dr. Phillips High School girls varsity basketball team and their buzz word for the season: “repeat.”

“We just set the bar really high this year because of a selfish goal: We wanted to repeat (the) state champions (title) and also qualify for nationals if the opportunity presented itself,” head basketball coach Anthony Jones said. “So, the girls have been working extremely hard with everything that we are doing this season, and also with the hard work in practice, (they) have been doing a great job at stepping up to all the challenges and obstacles. I tell them all the time, ‘It’s not going to be easy when you want to repeat as a champion, because there are a lot of stuff that can stop you from reaching your goal, and that stuff is called life.’” 

The Lady Panthers snagged the Class 7A, District 5 regional championship for the second consecutive year after defeating Oak Ridge for the third time this season 83-50 Friday, Feb. 17. 

“(Winning that game was) like, when you accomplish something big, it makes you want to get something bigger,” senior and guard Jordan Ward said.

SHARING IS CARING

Fundamentals, passing the ball and communication are key elements that have helped the team earn its 2022-23 achievements, including the regional championship and, before, a district championship. 

“The more we pass the ball, the more we share the ball and talk (to each other), the more points we score,” Jones said. “The less points we score is when we don’t pass the ball. We are playing out of character and that’s not our style. The more we share the ball, the more we have fun and high five each other and the more we think we are playing fumble, we tend to score more offensively.” 

Adaptability and a diverse — but consistent — coaching staff also have bolstered the Panthers’ success.

“I never gave up my old-school ways (of training); I changed and adapted,” Jones — who has been coaching at Dr. Phillips since 2001 — said. “You can’t be successful if you don’t change, That’s part of life.” 

The coaching staff at Dr. Phillips comprises Jones and four assistant coaches: Abner Ham, Sam Brown, Tierra Brown and Tyrone Scott. 

“We are all so different as coaches, but it works well in the program,” Jones said. “When you have a challenging coaching style, it makes the team stronger. As long as we are humble, as long as we keep it professional, as long as we can work together and this is what we teach the kids, we don’t always have to think the same or have the same opinions or way of doing things. … We are able to bounce off of each other. … We teach them a lot in practice, so the more different perspective that we teach the girls, the girls have more open minds and different ways of thinking the game out. So it’s been working for us, I’m very happy and blessed to have a great coaching staff and also be able to coach these young ladies.” 

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Despite a 28-1 overall season record, the Lady Panthers are taught to stay composed, mentally sound and — above all — respectful. 

“It doesn’t matter who the opponent is, my approach is ‘We respect our opponent,’” Jones said. “Every opponent is better than us, and we are going to kill the mosquito with an ax; that’s my motto. We are afraid of everybody, we respect our opponent, because that’s someone who can take something from us.” 

For junior and point guard Trinity Turner, respect may come first, but speed is a close second. 

“We just try to go out and go fast, because people can’t keep up with us when we are fast,” she said. “We are just trying to get better for states and win (the state championship title) again.” 

This mentality solidified from before the start of the season, but as the 2022-23 girls basketball season approaches its imminent end, the Dr. Phillips ladies are working on staying mentally strong despite having to face another strong opponent in No. 4 Miami in the state semifinals. 

“We are defending state champions; everybody is coming to our gym or have already circled our name,” Jones said. “They know exactly who they are going to play, so we have to be prepared and ready for that type of atmosphere. We have to be prepared for those challenges. When we step on the court we already know — and assume — that this team is going to bring its ‘A game.’ They don’t have to tell us to be ready, because we know everybody is going to be ready for us, so we are going to be ready.” 

For freshman, point guard and shooting guard Kendal Perry, this season has met all — if not more — of the expectations she had when she made the varsity team at the school. 

“When I first came here, that was my main goal (win states), and we are making it happen so I’m really happy with it,” she said. 

Ward believes the team’s success this year on the road to making it to states also can be attributed to how the girls bond on and off the court.

“Our success has a lot to do with our teammates and our chemistry,” she said. “We are actually really close; we bond well like sisters. So, when we get on the court, we don’t argue back and forth.”

Come 12:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 24, the Lady Panthers will face Miami in the state semifinals to continue their pursuit of a back-to-back state championship title — and ring.

“It’s never easy, but everything has panned off as (long) as we have worked hard at practice,” Jones said. “We can smell that we are almost done, we are almost there, so it’s up to us to grab that and just take it.”