Pali High Squads Ready for Playoffs

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

The winter sports season is winding down, and Palisades Charter High School teams are wrapping up Western League play in anticipation of earning high seeds in the upcoming City Section playoffs.

The boys basketball team entered the Wednesday, January 31, game at Fairfax in second place, one game in front of Venice. Westchester clinched first place with January 29’s victory over Venice coupled with Palisades’ 70-52 loss at LACES. The Dolphins wrap up the regular season at 6 p.m. on Friday, February 2, when they host Hamilton.

Meanwhile, the Pali High girls squad sits in third place in the league standings heading into a rematch with Hamilton on Friday, February 2, in Los Angeles. The Yankees won the first matchup, 66-52, on January 17.

Playoff seedings will be announced by 5 p.m. Saturday, February 3. Depending on results of games Friday, the Pali High boys could either be in the Open Division as one of the City’s eight best teams or in Division I, consisting of the next 12 highest rated teams. Pali High’s girls team has been ranked in the top eight all season and will likely secure an Open berth.

Having gone undefeated in league play, Pali High’s girls water polo team is expected to receive one of the four Open Division spots, in which case the Dolphins would not have to play until the semifinal round February 13. Should they be seeded No. 1 or No. 2, they would host the game. The Open and Division I finals are Thursday, February 15, at Valley College.

The Pali High girls soccer team won the Western League and awaits its seeding in the Division I playoffs (brackets will be released by 3 p.m. Monday, February 5). The Dolphins could be seeded as high as No. 1 and thus could earn a first-round bye.

The boys squad also won league and could earn a first-round bye. The single-elimination boys playoffs start Wednesday, February 7, and the girls playoffs (also single-elimination) start Thursday, February 8.

The Pali High wrestling team, which lost its opening match at City Duals last week, will compete this Saturday (February 3) in the Region 2 Tournament air Canoga Park High. Registration is at 7 a.m. and the weigh-in is at 8 a.m.

Joining Palisades in Region 2 are San Fernando, Banning, Franklin, Canoga Park, Granada Hills, Chatsworth, Carson, Maywood CES, Fremont, Panorama, Mendez and Van Nuys.

The Region 1 Tournament, also consisting of 13 schools, will be held at the same time at San Pedro High. The top eight wrestlers in each region qualify for the City Championships on Saturday, February 10, at Roybal Learning Center.