PaliHi’s offensive line, gives quarterback Daniel Hayes time to make the play.
PaliHi Football Beats Granada Hills, 28-13
The Palisades High football team is now 3-0, after defeating Granada Hills, 28-13, to win the Charter Bowl for the seventh straight year on August 30 at home.
Pali Head Coach Tim Hyde told reporters after the game, “We love this game, it’s a trophy game.”
The game started out like a season highlight film. Grenada Hills kicked off and senior Darion Robinson caught it at the Dolphins five-yard-line. He received some great blocks as he weaved his way through the Highlanders, running it back 95 yards for a touchdown. Junior Thomas Meek kicked the extra point.
Syaire Riley intercepted a pass to make a touchdown.
Meek’s kickoff went into the endzone and Granada Hills took possession on the 20. Senior defensive end Jack Stansell made the first of many key tackles, and then Pali linebacker Syaire Riley intercepted a pass at the Highlanders’ 35 and returned it for a touchdown. The PAT was good and the Dolphins led 14-0 less than four minutes into the game.
After the kickoff, Pali forced Granada Hills to punt from its one-yard line and took over on the Highlanders’ 46. But the Dolphins had two false-start penalties before losing a fumble.
Early in the second quarter, the Highlanders moved the ball downfield and Andrew Pena kicked a 30-yard field goal.
The Dolphins rebounded behind quarterback Daniel Hayes, who has some speed and moves well behind the line. He completed a 16-yard pass to Jack Nadley and handed off twice to junior Max Palees, who advanced the ball to the Granada Hills 24.
After a bad snap that caused lost yardage, Hayes connected with Nadley, who ran the ball down to the 11. Hayes then scored on a short run and Meek’s PAT was good, making the score 21-3.
Granada threatened late in the half, but with less than 10 seconds left, Will Janney intercepted a pass in the end zone for a touchback.
At the start of the second half, Granada put together a long drive (aided by a penalty against the Dolphins) down to the 14, where Pena kicked another field goal.
After Pali was forced to punt, Granada took over on its 7 and had to punt, following key tackles by Stansell and junior defensive end Immanuel Newell.
Robinson returned the punt 23 yards out to Pali’s 30, and the Dolphins made a first down, but were then stymied by a holding penalty, a bad snap and an incomplete pass.
A subsequent pass interception by Granada’s Jalen Thompson resulted in a 55-yard touchdown, and the PAT made the score 21-13 with about nine minutes left to play.
More penalties plagued the Dolphins as they tried to move the ball, only to end up punting. The ball ended up on the Granada 6, and the Highlanders were unable to move the ball. Their punt went to Robinson, who signaled a fair catch on the Granada 38.
Quarterback Daniel Hayes (left) and Max Palees each scored a touchdown during the Granada Hills game.
Hayes handed the ball to Palees twice, who took it nine yards, and then another 15. Janney carried it for five and then Palees took it in for the touchdown. Meek’s PAT was good, securing the victory.
After the game, Tim Hyde told his players, “You must earn your wins. You got lucky tonight.” He signaled out Palees, Stansell and Riley for their hard work.
About his touchdown, Riley, a 225-pound, 6’ junior linebacker and captain, said: “It felt great. This was my first interception in three years. They don’t like to throw the ball my way.”
Hayes said, “I’m happy we won, but we could have won by a lot more. We have to stop shooting ourselves in the foot with the penalties. No more mistakes.”
Coach Tim Hyde holds the Charter Bowl Trophy after his team defeated Granada Hills at home.
PaliHi will now how host South Gate this Friday night at 7 p.m. Hyde said, “South Gate at home–we’ll know about ourselves real quick. Our first four games are all Division 1 teams, which could impact our playoff [rankings].”