Dolphins Find Strength in Numbers

PALISADES HIGH FOOTBALL PREVIEW

The sound of whistles blowing and pads popping that reverberates through the tunnel at the north end of the Stadium by the Sea and sweeps across the quad of Palisades High’s campus every weekday afternoon is music to the ears of Head Coach Leo Castro. Practices are conducted with a purpose and intensity that the Dolphins’ pilot hopes will serve his team well when it kicks off the season just over two weeks from now. When he took over the football program in 2004, Castro was also the school’s athletic director and he admits that trying to do both jobs well was difficult at times. “I’m hoping my third season is a charm,” Castro said after Monday’s practice. “Now that they’ve hired a new athletic director [David Keyes], I can devote more time to this football team and this is the year I expect us to show real improvement.” One reason Castro is so optimistic has to do with the number of players on his roster. Pali’s varsity fielded just 35 players in Castro’s first season and all of 29 last year, leaving the Dolphins wafer thin at virtually every position. That will not be a problem this fall, with 54 players currently on the squad, including 17 returning lettermen. “We have four of our five offensive linemen back and three of our four defensive linemen back,” Castro said. “We have 26 seniors, three sophomores and the rest are juniors. With Mitchell [Schwartz] and Marsden [Burton] lined up next to each other that’s 600 pounds of weight to run behind. We intend to play in-your-face, smash-mouth football.” Schwartz (6-7, 305) will play offensive and defensive tackle while Burton (6-3, 335) will play offensive guard and defensive tackle. Fellow seniors Cesar Amaya (guard) and Shane Brando (tackle) will play on the strong side of the offensive line. Starting center Joshua Brookhim (6-1, 190) broke his nose in practice three weeks ago, so seniors Ruben Daniel (6-1, 230) and Ryan Lebowitz (5-10, 190) will platoon there along with junior Alejandro Medrano (the starting center on Pali’s frosh/soph team last year) until Brookhim’s return. “Our offensive line is much more experienced than last year and we’re coming off the ball much better and faster,” Schwartz said. “Last year, we had a lot of guys shifting around, but this group has been together through the spring and we know all the plays.” Recognizing the improvement Pali’s offensive line has made is the player it is assigned to protect: returning quarterback Raymond Elie. “Last year, our line couldn’t pick up a blitz,” Elie said. “I’ve already noticed a difference in practice. The game has really slowed down and it’s because our line has gotten much stronger and we all have a better understanding of what we’re supposed to do on each play.” His ability to escape from the pocket earned Elie the nickname “Lil Vick” last season in reference to Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick. In fact, Elie even has the monniker stenciled on his cleats. Despite his scrambling prowess, however, Elie will be using mostly three-step drops when he does pass, which won’t be often. “We have three tailbacks–and Raymond–who can all run the 40 in 4.6 seconds,” Castro said. “So if we pass three or four times a game, that’s a lot. Hopefully, when we do pass we can catch the other team off guard.” Elie said he will be happy to the ball off 40 times a game if that is what it takes to win. “I don’t mind not throwing the ball as much. I’ll still have opportunities to make some things happen because we have some roll outs and quarterback options in the playbook. I’ll do whatever the coaches ask. I just want to win.” While last year’s team was predicated more on size and strength, Elie thinks this year’s team is faster. “We can use our speed and quickness to our advantage,” he said. “Especially on defense. We have a lot of guys who can fly to the ball.” Despite the deeper roster, Elie is one of a dozen players who will play on both sides of the ball. During Monday”s practice, in fact, Elie spent more time covering receivers than he did throwing spirals. “I didn’t start playing quarterback until I was 9 whereas I’ve been playing defensive back since I was 7, so that’s really where I’m most comfortable,” Elie said. “So I like playing defense–as long as I get to play quarterback, too.” Like last season, Palisades’ best athletes will play both ways, only this time it will be more by design than necessity. “Obviously, we want to have as many of our best athletes on the field as we can at all times,” Castro said. “But we do have a longer bench, which is a luxury we haven’t had in the past, and hopefully we won’t be as tired in the fourth quarter.” Lining up behind Elie will be a bevy of talented senior running backs led by Robert Gillett, Deonte Baker, Dajuan Cofield, Geraldson Evangelista and Louis Asanda. “It’s up to us seniors to set the tone for the season,” said Gillett, whose versatility allows him to play wideout, slot receiver and linebacker in addition to tailback. “Last season was rough but we’re better because of it.” Palisades opens the season against Hollywood September 8 at Stadium by the Sea and Gillett claimed the Dolphins are focused solely on the Sheiks. “We’re thinking about Hollywood right now,” Gillett said. “We’re not looking past them. We’ll worry about the next opponent when that game is over.” Gillett will back up Elie at quarterback along with junior Michael Latt, who has impressed Castro so far with his accuracy during throwing drills. Joining Gillett at outside linebacker is senior Anthony Yarbourough. Several players are competing for the starting middle linebacker position. Wide receivers include Milton Strausberg, Michael Mendoza and Herbert Smith. Baker will line up at tight end in certain formations, along with Spencer Sacks, Sudsy Dyke and Rusty Miller. Roger Ramirez, a senior transfer from Belmont, will split time at fullback with junior Miles Nelson. “I can’t wait for the season to start,” said Ramirez, who will also play outside linebacker. “I definitely think we can win as many games as our coaches think we can.” The Dolphins posted a combined 4-16 mark in Castro’s first two seasons and failed to make the playoffs both times. This year, Castro said, eight wins is an attainable goal. “Realistically, we should go 8-2 and I don’t see any reason why we can’t get to the L.A. Coliseum (site of the City Section Championship game),” Castro said. “We took 27 of our linemen up to Stockton for a camp and they really improved. We have a lot of strength up the middle. Our league is one of the toughest in the City.” Castro’s biggest concern over the summer was finding a replacement for kicker/punter Esteban Moreno, who graduated in June. Into the fold stepped Joe Berman, a junior transfer from Windward High, where he was the placekicker on varsity last fall. Castro said Berman has punted well in practice and consistently makes 30-yard field goals. “Special teams is an aspect of the game that is often overlooked, but not by us,” Castro said. “We work on our punt and kickoff coverage every day in practice. Getting a kid like Joe [Berman] was a welcome surprise.” Castro’s son, Aaronn, returns as offensive coordinator but the rest of Pali’s staff is new. Donnell Williams, a 1992 PaliHi grad who went on to play at Santa Monica College and the University of Hawaii, is the Dolphins’ defensive coordinator, former UCLA defensive tackle Ron Evans is the defensive line coach and Bill Jacobson is handling the offensive line and special teams. “I love the new coaching staff. I have a lot of respect for them,” said Cofield, who was a member of Pali’s undefeated frosh/soph team three years ago. “They’ve done a great job getting us prepared and now it’s our job to get it done on the field.” Cofield, a flashy, slashing-style ball carrier, described Pali’s rushing attack as “Thunder and Lightning,” a term made popular last season by USC’s tailback tandem of Reggie Bush and LenDale White. “Deonte [Baker] is the thunder and I’m the lightning,” he said. “We’re going to wear a lot of teams down.” Cofield will also start at cornerback, the position he wants to play in college, and he said he already knows the playbook backwards and forwards. “I like to play defense because I like hitting people,” he said. Like Gillett, Cofield believes the seven losses Pali suffered last year will only serve to harden the team’s resolve. “What happened last year will only make us work harder,” he said. “We know we’re going to have to play really well to win. There’s no such thing as an easy game.” Asked who he thinks will be Pali’s toughest test in league, Cofield named perennial powers Venice and Westchester. “Venice always has a lot of talent and Westchester is our big rival. We play them [Westchester] on their homecoming, too, so that will be a challenge.” Frosh/Soph Despite losing all but 10 of his players to varsity, third-year coach Calvin Parker is confident his team can win “at least five games.” “We don’t have a lot of talent coming back but we have plenty of new talent,” Parker said. “Many of our kids have never played a down of tackle football in their life and even though there’s been improvement since July, it’s definitely still a learning experience.” Although Palisades had success throwing the ball last year, the Dolphins’ gameplan will primarily be to run the ball. “We’re a young team so we feel more comfortable moving the ball on the ground rather than through the air.” Parker said. “We’ll probably run about 70 percent of the time.” Sophomore Jake Rivera is the frontrunner to start at quarterback but fellow 10th-grader Robert Williams and freshman Josh Williams (no relation) are also in the running. Running backs will include sophomore Justin Sawai and freshman Tyquion Ballard while the receiving corp will be led by sophomores Brad Larson and Utopia Kates. Assisting Parker this season will be offensive and defensive line coach Mark Fearon, quarterbacks coach Chris Hawkes and running backs/receivers coach Mike Freeman. 2006 Palisades High Football Schedule Date Team Opponent Time Sept. 8 F/S Hollywood 4 p.m. Sept. 8 Varsity Hollywood 7 p.m. Sept. 14 F/S @ Santa Monica 3 p.m. Sept. 15 Varsity @ Santa Monica* 7 p.m. Sept. 21 F/S South Gate 4:15 p.m. Sept. 21 Varsity South Gate 7 p.m. Sept. 29 F/S @ Granada Hills 4 p.m. Sept. 29 Varsity @ Granada Hills 7 p.m. Oct. 6 F/S St. Monica 4:15 p.m. Oct. 6 Varsity St. Monica 7 p.m. Oct. 13 F/S University** 4 p.m. Oct. 13 Varsity University** 7 p.m. Oct. 19 F/S @ Hamilton** 3 p.m. Oct. 20 Varsity @ Hamilton** 3 p.m. Oct. 27 F/S Fairfax** 4 p.m. Oct. 27 Varsity Fairfax** 7 p.m. Nov. 3 F/S @ Westchester** 4 p.m. Nov. 3 Varsity @ Westchester** 7 p.m. Nov. 9 F/S @ Venice** 4 p.m. Nov. 9 Varsity @ Venice** 7 p.m. * at Santa Monica College ** Western League game