By EVM Staff

Flint City Bucks striker Donavan “Gusto” Phillip has been named 2025 USL League Two (USL2) Player of the Year.

Phillip earned the title over players across 144 teams, nationally. He led USL2 with 12 regular-season goals and was the Bucks’ first “Golden Boot” winner since 2014. He also added nine assists as Flint won the league’s Great Lakes Division.

During the postseason, Phillip notched six more goals in four matches, powering the Bucks to another Central Conference title and an appearance in the national semifinal. He also scored a hat trick at Kettering University’s Atwood Stadium on the season’s last day to surpass the club’s prior Flint-era scoring record, held by Jelldrik Dallmann (11 goals).

“Winning this award means so much to me – it’s truly an honor. Huge love to my Bucks family,” said Phillip in a Bucks press release on Aug. 21. “None of this would have been possible without our incredible coaching staff and the amazing players I had around me. I’m proud to represent Flint City and be a part of something special. This award isn’t just for me; it’s for our fans and the entire Flint community.”

From the coaching perspective, Bucks head coach Paul Doroh noted that Phillip had “really put in the work this summer” in order to refine his game, especially in front of goal.

“He is a superior athlete, so he has the ability to generate opportunities from almost nothing,” said Doroh. “We really challenged him and gave him opportunities in training to develop a goal-scorer’s mindset. He took the information and ran with it. I’m super happy for him and know the rest of his teammates will be too. We’re excited to see what the future will bring for him.”

Phillip, now entering his junior season with North Carolina State University, was selected by the Colorado Rapids in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft last winter. He was picked 62nd overall.

In additional exciting news for this year’s Bucks team, captain and center back Ellis Jones was also honored by the league.

Jones was named alongside Phillip as part of the 11-man Central Conference Team of the Year. According to the Bucks’ press release, the Englishman played “a major role in six clean sheets” and helped Flint end the regular season tied for the third-lowest goals against total in the conference.

The 2025 Flint City Bucks ended their season in the USL2 national semi-finals, losing out to Ballard FC in a 2-1 match played out in Seattle, WA.