Dr. Phillips QB Stanley Anderson-Lofton headed to Middle Tennessee

Dr. Phillips quarterback Stanley Anderson-Lofton has settled in on his college destination and the 6-foot-3, 207 dual-threat has committed to Middle Tennessee State.

Anderson-Lofton, who was part of the most prolific scoring game in Central Florida history last season when DP lost to Lake Mary 76-60 , said he picked Middle Tennessee because of the connection he felt with the coaching staff.

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“What really sold me was getting on the board and having a conversation with the offensive coordinator and understanding his vision,” Anderson-Lofton said of Bodie Reeder. “They know that I’m a dynamic quarterback and I use my legs a lot, but they want to limit the amount of hits I take.

“He said when I run the ball in his offense, it’s going to be more of a situational thing. I’m not going to be running 20 times a game. I’ll just be running when I have to.”

Anderson-Lofton likes the sound of that, but he is used to taking hits at Dr. Phillips as one of the focal points of the DP running game, as well as his ability to pass the football. Last season, he was the second-leading rusher on the team with 231 yards on 46 carries, scoring 7 touchdowns. He averaged 5 yards per carry.

The senior also threw for 1,291 yards and 10 touchdowns on 76 of 148 passing. In the opener against Lake Mary a year ago, he threw five touchdown passes and combined with Rams quarterback Noah Grubbs to set a combined state record for passing yards in a game at 1,036. He also ran for four touchdowns in the game.

In that game, Anderson was 21-of-36 passing (58.3%) for 508 yards with no interceptions.

Anderson-Lofton brought Dr. Phillips back last year after the Panthers had suffered two straight losing seasons, their fist since 2004. They were 7-5 a year ago and narrowly missed advancing to the state quarterfinals with an overtime loss against Tampa Plant.

He relishes his role in helping bring DP back to the level of play to which it is accustomed.

“It’s very important because that’s what I’m here for,” Anderson-Lofton said. “I’m a loud person and I like being the face of things and I like being a leader and DP has been the perfect opportunity for me and I’m grateful for it.”

He’s hoping for even bigger things this year.

“My expectations are to win and win in good fashion,” Anderson-Lofton said. “I want to show teams and show coaches that I can dominate at any level, and I have to start where I’m doing it right now.”

The big quarterback said DP head coach Rodney Wells has been a key factor in his progress.

“Coach Wells has been like a second dad to me. He’s helped me out tremendously,” Anderson-Lofton said. “I would not be the man I am today without Rodney Wells.”

Chris Hays can be found on X @OS_ChrisHays . He can be reached via email at chays@orlandosentinel.com .