Pali High Boys Water Polo Eighth at South Bay Invite

Palisades High boys water polo coach Adam Blakis had encouraging words for his team in a post-tournament meeting steps outside the indoor pool at Santa Monica High last Saturday afternoon: “We’ve leveled up and we’re about to break out and become really good.”     

Back from his honeymoon, the newlywed liked what he saw from his young and talented squad, which went 3-2 to take eighth place—tied for its highest finish ever—at the South Bay Invitational.      

On Friday, the City champion Dolphins lost to Arroyo Grande 12-8 despite six saves by goalie Michail Melnik and two goals apiece by Theo Trask and Zach Wunder. Palisades rebounded later that day with a 15-2 rout of La Habra. Zeke Ramirez scored five goals and freshman goalie Dmitry Gorozhankin made 11 saves.

On Saturday morning, the Dolphins doubled up Hoover 14-7 behind Gorozhankin’s eight saves and five goals by Oliver Grant, including four in a row in the second quarter. Later, Grant tallied the winning goal with three minutes left in a 6-5 triumph over Santa Monica, Ramirez had eight steals and Melnik made 11 saves, including a 5-meter stop.

In the seventh-place game, Palisades fell to Costa Mesa 11-9 despite four goals by Grant, two each by Ramirez and Sammy Speiser, one by Max Speiser, 10 saves by Melnik and seven steals by Trask.