Quarterback Jack Thomas looks for a receiver for the pass.
There was incredible talent, enthusiasm and hard work on display by the Palisades High School Football team as they beat the Roosevelt Rough Riders 24-17.
How good are the Dolphins? The potential is there. There are rough edges and occasional lapses, but each week more maturity is starting to show and if they continue on this path, they will be one tough team to beat by playoff time.
Even though the game was at the Stadium by the Sea, Roosevelt was the home team. The Rough Riders field is still under construction. The team was being followed a film crew in anticipation of the game between Roosevelt and long-time rival Garfield in October.
Going into the game, both teams had come away with a prior victory: Roosevelt over Venice 28-15 and Pali over Dymally 58-6.
The first 10 minutes of the first quarter was largely a defensive effort. Roosevelt scored first after Pali punted and the Rough Riders picked it up on their own 35 and took it to the 42. Five carries later, Roosevelt was on the one-yard line to end the quarter.
At the beginning of the second, Roosevelt scored and added a two-point conversion.
Then, Pali “amped it up.”
Quarterback Jack Thomas has a bullet-like throw. After the kickoff return, which found Pali on its 26, a handoff to Harrison Carter and a pass to Lehenry Solomon, took the ball to the Roosevelt 5, and then the endzone, but a penalty on Pali, brought the ball back to the 18.
Carter ran it in for the Dolphins first TD. The first of three PATs by Jack Malloy was good.
Roosevelt, deep in its own territory, was unable to make a first down, punted and the Dolphins started on the Rough Riders 31. After an incomplete pass, Thomas ran the ball in from the 19 for a TD.
But the Dolphins were just getting started, Roosevelt fumbled on the kickoff and it was picked up by Pali’s Jackson Kaufman. Starting on the 14-yard-line Thomas completed a pass to Augie Evans and the Dolphins had a comfortable margin of 21 to 8 going into the half.
Roosevelt used a running game, throwing only one pass and that was intercepted late in the second half by Jayden Joch.
The Dolphins final score came in the third quarter when Thomas completed a pass to King Demethris.
Thomas would complete 10 of 18 attempted passes for 140 yards.
Near the end of the third quarter, a brouhaha broke out and security came onto the field. The officials decided that there were three fouls because of the interaction. Both teams were given unsportsmanlike conduct.
Roosevelt then received the ball on its own 45. They marched down the field and about 15 plays later were at the Pali 1, and then a touchdown. They tried for two but were unsuccessful. The final score was 27 to 14.
“They played great,” said Palisades Head Coach Dylan Smith about his defense.
Leading in tackles were seniors Kenneth Sanchez (two solo and 11 assists) and Cash Allen (one solo and 11 assists).
“They [Roosevelt] were a tough team offensively and a tough team overall,” Smith said after the game.
He praised his players for their preparation during practice, “They grinded it out all week.”
Palisades High School’s next game is at Granada Hills Charter on September 6. The next home game is against Brentwood at 7 p.m. on September 13.