Palisades Quarterback Jack Thomas #10 goes back for a pass against the Eagle Rock defense.
Pacific Palisades Football team is one win away from a Division I Championship after its decisive victory, 63-45 over the Eagle Rock Eagles on November 22. The Dolphins, seeded fifth, defeated the top-seeded Eagles. PaliHi will now face the sixth seed King/Drew, who defeated the second-seeded Kennedy, 35-23.
Pali’s offensive team stepped up its attack, scoring the most points they’ve scored all season.
Palisades kicked off to the Eagles, who scored first early in the quarter. A few minutes later the Dolphins responded with a TD, a30-yard pass from Quarterback Jack Thomas to King Demethris. Kicker Jack Malloy would make the first of his nine PATS.
Late in the first quarter, Eagle Rock scored again but failed to add the PAT. Thomas responded with a 20-yard pass to Lehenry A. Solomon, and Pali went ahead 14 to 13.
Thomas made a 40-yard pass to Solomon for a TD in the second quarter.
He added a 19-yard rushing touchdown. With two minutes left in the quarter, Thomas found Harrison on a 63-yard pass. Eagle Rock responded with a TD, and at half it was 35-31.
The third quarter started with a kickoff to Pali, and the Dolphins were able to capitalize with Harrison Carter taking it 21 yards to the endzone.
Palisades was relentless and at the end of the third, Palisades was up 56 to 31. The Dolphins final score would come with a two-yard rushing touchdown by Shilo Beavers.
Leading in tackles was senior Jake Treibatch with 13 (five solo and eight assists) and senior Jayden Joch, with 10 solo tackles and one assist.
When the dust settled, Carter would have 329 yards and three touchdowns. Thomas would be credited with 263 passing yards.
Although it did not matter in this game, Palisades was also charged with 15 penalties losing 133 yards, compared to five penalties for Eagle Rock and 45 penalty yards. The Dolphins have struggled in the past with penalties, and one hopes it won’t be a factor in the King/Drew game.
In defeating Kennedy, King/Drew’s quarterback Keenan Jackson threw for 184 yards and three touchdowns while completing 85.7% of his passes. He also rushed for 87 yards and a touchdown on nine carries. Defensive player Chinedu Onyeagoro sacked Kennedy’s quarterback twice. Fellow defender Anthony Torrence, picked up a sack and made eight tackles.
It should be a good game. Palisades’ record is 11-2 and King Drew is 10-3 record. The game will be November 30 at 6 p.m. at Birmingham High School. If you can’t make the trip to the Valley, “Facebook James” (James Riley) does a live broadcast on Facebook for Palisades High School.