Friday, January 20, 2012
The boys and girls basketball teams defeat Fairfax to stay in first place.
It was a struggle right to the bitter end, but the Palisades High boys basketball team notched its biggest victory of the season last Friday, turning back visiting Fairfax 64-60 to stay at the top of the Western League standings. The Dolphins led 45-19 with 6:33 left in the third quarter and appeared to be on their way to a blowout victory, but the Lions closed to within a point, 60-59, with 1:13 left. Then, trailing 62-60 they had the ball with a chance to tie or take the lead with 16 seconds left, but Brandyn Taylor missed a jump shot and Palisades' Jalon Wilson was fouled with four seconds left. He converted both free throws, finishing 10-of-10 for the game and Palisades hung on to beat Fairfax for the third straight time. "I'll take an…
Monday, January 2, 2012
The Palisades High junior earns All-American status with his eighth-place showing.
Palisades High School junior Drake Johnston is proving this winter that he is capable of performing as well on the dirt as he does on the track. Representing his club team, the South Orange County Wildcats, Johnston finished eighth and earned All-American status at the Junior Olympic Cross Country National Championships on December 10 at Whispering Pines Golf Course in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Competing in the boys intermediate division, Johnston completed the 5K course in 15:58. He had qualified for the finals by placing second at the regional meet (Hawaii, Nevada, Southern California) November 20 at Kit Carson Park in Escondido. Last summer, Johnston recorded All-American times in each of his three events and took home the silver …
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Richardson makes the defensive first team, Blake makes the offensive first team.
Coaches have selected the 2011 All-Western League football team and four Palisades High players have been picked for the squad. Making the defensive first team was senior outside linebacker Corey Richardson, who recorded 25 tackles and six sacks in five games. Senior defensive tackle Roman Thomas was a second-team selecton. Senior fullback Mylz Blake, who rushed for over 700 yards and nine touchdowns, was selected to the offensive first team along with junior guard Nathan Breall. Making the second team were senior offensive guard Chris Rose and senior tight end Michael Mell, who caught a touchdown pass against Westchester. Receiver/defensive back Gabe Marks of league champion Venice was named Player of the Year. Quarterback Nick King of …
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
The Dolphins stretch La Salle to the limit in the regional playoffs.
Beware the Dolphins. That was the message Palisades High girls volleyball coach Chris Forrest had for future opponents after watching his team nearly upset Pasadena La Salle in the first round of the Southern California Regional Division II playoffs Tuesday night. Palisades is the winningest program in the Los Angeles City Section with a record 27 section titles to its credit, but no City girls team has ever won a match in the state tournament since the switch from side-out to rally scoring. Not only did the Dolphins put an end to that streak, they also became the first City squad to take two sets in regional competition. The Dolphins were swept by Chino Hills in the first round last season. Tuesday's match was a different story, however…
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Two Dolphins doubles teams stay alive in the Individual tournament.
One duo's performance was a microcosm of it's entire season, the other's was unpredictable, but the results were positive for Palisades High's two remaining doubles teams in the quarterfinals of the City Individual tournament Monday at Balboa Sports Center. Second-seeded Perri Zaret and Julie Takakjian kept their ledger perfect with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Zalena Rojas and Estefania Valois of Bell, who upset No. 7 Megan Gin and Deborah Chen of Eagle Rock in the second round. Two games is the most any team has taken off the Dolphins' No. 1 tandem, which appears to be on a collision course with reigning champions Analyssa Tallas and Samantha Nuno of Granada Hills. "We had a pretty easy time of it," said Zaret, a senior co-captain who would …
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
The Dolphins' senior guard signs to play basketball for Northridge next season.
His final high school basketball season has yet to begin and while only time will tell how that plays out, Palisades senior Donovan Johnson already knows where he will be playing next season. The Dolphins' senior made it official with the support of his family, teammates, coaches and classmates in the jam-packed classroom of varsity boys basketball coach James Paleno, signing a national letter of intent with Cal State University, Northridge at noon Wednesday. His announcement came shortly after his friend Brandon Perry from Woodland Hills Taft also signed with Northridge. A 6-foot-2, 185-lb. guard, Johnson made the 2011 Cali-Hi Sports Boys Basketball All-State Underclass Team last season, the only player from the L.A. City Section to make …
Friday, November 4, 2011
The Dolphins fall to champion Cleveland 14-3 in the City quarterfinals.
In a season full of progress, the Palisades High boys water polo team found out how far it still needs to go to reach the championship level Wednesday afternoon. The eighth-seeded Dolphins entered their City Section quarterfinal game against top-seeded Cleveland riding a tidal wave of confidence after Monday's 17-8 rout over Verdugo Hills in the first round and arrived at the Cavaliers' indoor pool determined to upset the reigning City champions. For one period anyway, an upset seemed entirely possible. Neither team scored on its first three possessions, but the Cavaliers struck first when junior hole setter Evin Lilly fired a low shot past Palisades goalie Jake Venckus at the 4:14 mark. Patrick Huggins almost tied it on a breakaway …
Saturday, October 29, 2011
The Dolphins are handed their first Western League loss, 34-6.
Long before the season began, one of the games Fairfax High Coach Shane Cox had circled on his calendar was the one against Palisades. That's because his team lost to the Dolphins 44-34 in a shootout last year after what he called "taking them lightly." The Lions certainly didn't make that mistake Thursday night, scoring on their first two possessions and holding Palisades scoreless until midway through the fourth quarter of a dominating 34-6 victory at Belmont High. Fairfax fell victim to the Dolphins' trap last season, so all week in practice Cox drummed three words into his players' heads: fullback, power, pitch. Players seemed to get the message, as the Lions' defense forced punts on four of the Dolphins' five first-half drives. "We …
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Vista Murrieta has its Week 5 victory erased for using an ineligible player.
On the field it was a 37-0 loss, but as of Monday the Palisades High School varsity football team's Oct. 7 nonleague game at Vista Murrieta will now go down in the record book as a 2-0 win. That's because the Broncos used an ineligible player and must forfeit their five nonleague victories, according to a news release issued Monday by the Murrieta Valley Unified School District. Vista Murrieta, ranked No. 2 in this week's CIF Southern Section Inland Division poll, had been undefeated but drops to 2-5 overall and 2-0 in the Southwestern League after the forfeitures. In addition to the Week 5 game with Palisades, the Broncos have to surrender their victories over Etiwanda, Corona Santiago, Los Osos and Crespi. The student-athlete in question…
Monday, October 24, 2011
The Dolphins wrap up league against Fairfax and University.
If their last two Western League matches are any indication, Palisades High's girls tennis team is primed for the postseason. After winning 6-1 Thursday at winless Fairfax, the Dolphins registered their fifth shutout in league play, beating host University 7-0 Friday at Stoner Park in West Los Angeles. Now, at long last, they can concentrate on their ultimate goal: the City Section championship. "Going undefeated in league is certainly a great accomplishment, but this season we have higher expectations," Coach Sean Passan said. "This is a good first step, but we still haven't done what we set out to do." Palisades took the bite out of the Lions early, as senior Jessie Corneli and junior Caitlin Roshani posted quick singles victories while …
Reza Gostar
11:57 am on Sunday, November 27, 2011
Thanks, Scott. We took care of it. more ›