Pali Football Wins Opener

Dolphins Lack Glitz and Glamour but Still Beat Hollywood 20-13

A win is a win. That was the first thing Palisades High Head Football Coach Leo Castro told his team after last Friday night’s season opener at Stadium by the Sea. Indeed, the Dolphins did not earn many style points for their sloppy 20-13 victory over a game but overmatched Hollywood squad, but they did enough to win–barely. On the bright side, Dajuan Cofield rushed for 73 yards and two touchdowns in 15 carries and Robert Gillett added 64 yards in 13 carries for the Dolphins. Then there was starting quarterback Raymond Elie, who had his first pass attempt of the season intercepted but shook it off to finish 7 of 16 for 136 yards. He also scored on a quarterback sneak that tied the game, 13-13, midway through the second quarter. It was the Dolphins’ first season-opening win since 2003. However, the result was hardly the convincing opening statement the Dolphins were hoping to deliver. Palisades looked sluggish throughout the first half and had to overcome two early deficits before finally taking control in the fourth quarter. “We have to learn to finish–finish drives and finish games,” PaliHi Offensive Coordinator Aaron Castro told his players in the postgame huddle. “We won’t always get away with making this many mistakes.” While the Dolphins were taking the field for the first time, the Sheiks did have the advantage of having played the week before (a 41-20 loss to Washington) and they got on the scoreboard first when Gyasi Jesse Rivers ran 20 yards for a score two plays after Elie was intercepted. Walter Contreras kick the extra point for a 7-0 Hollywood lead. Cofield’s two-yard run pulled the Dolphins to within a point on their next possession, but Joe Berman’s extra-point try hit the upright and bounced back, leaving Palisades one point behind. Rivers scored again on a 40-yard run early in the second quarter (the extra point attempt was wide) and Hollywood increased its lead to 13-6. A 21-yard pass from Elie to receiver Daniel Prothro set up Elie’s one-yard run and Berman’s kick tied the game, 13-13, midway through the second quarter. Palisades was its own worst enemy in the third quarter. An electrifying punt return for a touchdown by Elie was negated by a clipping penalty, then a botched punt return prevented the Dolphins from taking over deep in Hollywood territory. Early in the fourth quarter, Elie hooked up with Gillett for a 26-yard pass play, then found Sudsy Dyke for a 36-yard completion to the Sheiks’ 5-yard line. A sack and a penalty backed Pali up to the 19, but Cofield took a pitch wide left, cut back and outran two safeties to the corner of the end zone for the decisive score. Pali missed a chance to put the game out of reach on its next possession, driving inside the two, but the Dolphins were flagged for illegal procedure and the Sheiks recovered a fumble by Elie two plays later to end the threat. The Dolphins take a step up in competition Friday night when they take on crosstown rival Santa Monica at Santa Monica College. The Vikings were more impressive in their opener, routing host Hueneme, 49-21, behind 220 rushing yards from tailback Louis Adeyemi, who was a thorn in the Dolphins’ side last year in SaMo’s 24-14 victory. Palisades’ frosh/sop squad, which also defeated Hollywood, plays this afternoon at Santa Monica High. The varsity game will be at 7 p.m. Friday night at Santa Monica College. Santa Monica leads the intersectional rivalry 12-6-2.