If Friday afternoon’s game against Venice is any indication, the Palisades High junior varsity football team is starting to get over not having Innocent Okoh.
The Dolphins’ star tailback was moved up to varsity for last week’s Western League opener at Westchester and the team looked sluggish without him in its 12-8 loss. Also missing was head coach Ray Marsden, who was at a friend’s wedding in New Orleans, but he was back on the sideline against the Gondos — and his players responded with a 14-6 triumph.
“They looked much different than when I watched them — they had more size and they used a different quarterback,” Marsden said of Venice. “They used the read option but our [defensive] ends played awesome. We forced six turnovers — three picks and three fumbles — and when you do that you stand a good chance of winning. They got us 23-6 last year and anytime you can beat Venice is nice.”
A long touchdown run gave the host Gondos a 6-0 lead in the second quarter and that was the score at halftime.
“We went for it on fourth down four times in the first half and got stuffed on all four,” Marsden said. “It could’ve cost us, but our defense kept holding them. Innocent was a huge part of our offense so of course you’re going to miss him. I mean, he scored 14 touchdowns in five games, but we have a lot of other guys capable of making big plays and we showed it today.”
Midway through the third quarter, wide receiver Jason Frazier ran a post pattern and caught a bullet from quarterback Jonah Manheim in the end zone from 35 yards out. The subsequent two-point play gave the Dolphins an 8-6 lead and they held it until deep into the fourth quarter.
One play after the Dolphins stopped Venice on fourth down, Stone Maderer ran 38 yards for a touchdown to extend the lead to 14-6 with 2:20 left, but the two-point conversion failed. On the Gondos’ ensuing possession sophomore defensive back Kaelynn Lamothe intercepted a pass at Palisades’ 41-yard line and the Dolphins proceeded to run out the clock.
“I was doubting that I’d get it — I thought I’d fall, but I made it happen,” Maderer said. “The first game [without Innocent] was rough but this is big. We needed this win and we made it happen.”
Next up for the Dolphins is their homecoming game Friday afternoon against University, which beat Palisades 35-16 last season.
— Steve Galluzzo
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