While star striker Donavan “Gusto” Phillip shifts his focus to his junior season with North Carolina State University’s Wolfpack, the accolades from his standout performance with the Flint City Bucks in USL League Two continue to roll in.
On Friday, the burly forward was not only named in the 2025 USL League Two Team of the Year for the Central Conference, but he was also handed Conference Player of the Year honours.
“Phillip was nearly unstoppable this season, scoring 12 goals en route to a co-Golden Boot award,” read the citation. “The North Carolina State University striker also collected nine assists in 2025. His prolific play throughout the season earns him the honour of Central Conference Player of the Year.”
The USL League Two Team of the Year is put together by the USL’s sporting team based on regular-season performances and agreed upon by league officials. Phillip added five more goals in four postseason appearances.
The Marchand native was also this week named to the 2024 Atlantic Coast Conference’s Preseason Watch List. Out of the 15 schools in the conference, the Wolfpack member is one of two forwards placed on the watch list.
Phillip enters his second season in the red-and-white after closing out his sophomore campaign with selection in the 2025 Major League Soccer SuperDraft. He was the No. 62 overall pick by the Colorado Rapids, but ultimately decided to return to Raleigh and use more of his collegiate eligibility.
In the 2024 season, he made 19 total appearances with 14 starts. Logging 1,175 minutes, he was toward the top of the leaderboard in numerous categories among the team, which included tied for second in goals with six, and tied for third in assists (four). He made a big impact in high-pressure games, scoring twice against No. 10 SMU in the regular season and in two NCAA Tournament matches.
