Defense, special teams spark Dillard win; West Broward falls
Dillard entered this season eager to prove it would be one of the most improved teams in South Florida.
The Panthers may be one of the most improved in the state overall.
With most Broward County teams struggling so far this weekend in its annual football showcase event which pits the best of the 954 against some of the best in the nation, Dillard had little trouble against Dr. Phillips, a team typically among the best in Orlando and statewide.
Led by its defense, which mustered four sacks and four turnovers, Dillard turned a close game in the first half into a 39-0, running clock rout on Friday night on its home turf.
Dillard (1-0) debuted that brand new synthetic turf, which it dedicated at halftime to alum and former Super Bowl champion Isaac Bruce, on Friday.
The speedy surface played perfectly for the Panthers, who showed off their speed and playmaking ability.
Senior Christopher Tillman made two critical plays, which sparked the rout.
With Dr. Phillips driving, Tillman intercepted quarterback Camren West in front of his own goal line and returned it 71 yards to the Dr. Phillips 29.
Two plays later, Dillard quarterback Jayden Chico lofted a perfect fade into the corner of the end zone to junior Anthony Jennings for a 23-yard touchdown pass to break a scoreless stalemate just before halftime.
Tillman then took a punt from Dr. Phillips after their opening drive of the second half, and returned it 64 yards for another touchdown to put Dillard ahead 14-0.
Dillard’s defense did the rest, limiting Dr. Phillips to 173 total yards and only 48 passing as it put constant pressure on West.
Chico would connect with Anthony Carey Jr. on another touchdown pass in the third quarter.
In the fourth with Dillard letting several backups play, Lamech Rucker Jr. and Alexander Pinder Jr. each scored rushing touchdowns to cap the scoring.
Dillard hopes to become a legit contender in Class 4A this season. The Panthers advanced to the regional semifinals last season and nearly upset eventual state champion Plantation American Heritage before losing 24-14.
Broward National Football Showcase - Corner Canyon (UT) 38, West Broward 13: The improved Bobcats (0-1) knew they’d have a daunting task against the Chargers (2-0), who were ranked No. 19 nationally by MaxPreps, as their first game.
West Broward’s ground game totaled 230 yards led by Daquon Adderley and Amos Bradford. But it couldn’t handle Corner Canyon’s own high-powered offense, which built a 17-0 halftime lead and cruised to the win.
Senior quarterback Helaman Casuga, a Texas A&M commit, ran for 85 yards and two touchdowns while senior Weston Briggs totaled over 60 yards rushing and two touchdowns to lead Corner Canyon. Casuga also threw for 210 yards and Josh Harris intercepted West Broward quarterback Brandon Mincy twice.
Adderley’s 5-yard touchdown run to open the second half cut the Bobcats’ deficit to 17-7. But Corner Canyon answered quickly with a 16-yard touchdown run by Briggs. Bradford’s score from 1 yard out with 1:13 left in the third cut the deficit to 31-13.
The game started two and a half hours late due to a lightning delay and was later halted for half an hour by another weather delay.
This story was originally published August 23, 2025 at 8:34 AM.
