FLORIDA TOP 25 PREVIEW: No. 15 Dillard Panthers team preview

With the 2022 high school football season here we are previewing the Top 25 teams in our Florida Top 25 rankings that we have already debuted on Varsity Sports Network’s Florida Gridiron Report last week. Rankings for the Florida Top 25 will be updated each Wednesday night on the Florida Gridiron Report and on FloridaHSFootball.com along with all classification rankings.

NO. 15 DILLARD PANTHERS

Head Coach: Tyler Tate, 2nd year

Classification & District: Class 3M-District 11

2021 Record: 10-2

Key Athletes: RB Christopher Johnson, Sr; OT Rico Jackson, Sr; QB Armani Norcius, Sr; DE Joshua Lloyd, Jr; CB Antione Jackson, Sr; WR Arthur Jenkins, Sr; WR Tastean Reddicks, Sr; CB Trevaughn Martinez, Sr; LB Joshua Bowen, Sr; LB Anu Steward, Sr; S Jerry Johnson, Sr; OT Daniel Michel, Sr; CB Zyon Pressley, Sr; CB Hyajah Miller, Jr; WR Marcus Striggles, Jr; LB Keith Thompson, Jr.

2022 Schedule

Kickoff 7 PM ET unless noted

* – Denotes District Game

Fri. 8/26 (Week 1) – Rock Creek Christian, Md.

Fri. 9/2 (Week 2) – @ Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna

Fri. 9/9 (Week 3) – @ Miramar

Fri. 9/16 (Week 4) – BYE WEEK

Sat. 9/24 (Week 5) – @ Miami Central (at Traz Powell)

Fri. 9/30 (Week 6) – Lauderdale Lakes Boyd Anderson*

Fri. 10/7 (Week 7) – Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas*

Fri. 10/14 (Week 8) – @ Plantation

Sat. 10/22 (Week 9) – Fort Lauderdale*

Fri. 10/28 (Week 10) – @ Tallahassee Lincoln (at Gene Cox)

Sat. 11/5 (Week 11) – Pompano Beach Blanche Ely

Season Outlook: Dillard was poised for a potential deep playoff run before being pushed out of the Regional Semifinals last year by Homestead in a stunning turn of events. However, this season the Panthers seem to have loaded up with a ton of top tier talent in Broward County as nearly 2 dozen athletes hold Division I offers. The Panthers graduated 15 seniors from last year’s team, but 45 varsity players, including 12 starters (6 offense, 6 defense) are returning which provides the team the needed experience to contend for a deep playoff run and contending with St. Thomas Aquinas for a potential district championship. The biggest challenge for Dillard is going to be needing to focus on one game at time in order to be able to contend for the district championship.