Past Is Present for Football Coaches

If any two people can explain to Palisades High football players what “Pali Pride” is all about, it’s Christian Clark and Raymond Elie.

That’s because they once suited up in the blue and white themselves and they understand the sacrifices individuals must make to produce a winning effort.

Clark and Elie were once teammates at Pali High and since returning to their alma mater as assistant coaches they have imparted their  wisdom and personal experiences on the present school of Dolphins, who are determined to make their predecessors proud.

“When I look back at my years here what stands out the most is that we underachieved,” said Clark, Pali High’s defensive line coach. “Our record was 1-9 my junior year and 3-7 my senior year, but the amount of talent we had didn’t reflect that. We simply didn’t buy in.”

Clark was a stout 6-foot-2, 240-pound offensive and defensive lineman in 2004 and 2005 under then head coach Leo Castro. The Dolphins’ quarterback during Clark’s senior year was none other than Elie.

“I wish I had this offense when I was playing,” said Elie, the backs and receivers coach. “These guys really want to learn and that’s a blessing for a coach.”

Both Clark and Elie went on to play college and pro football, so they know what it takes to succeed at the high school level and beyond.

“Even the difference between high school and college is huge,” said Clark, who played defensive tackle at Sacramento State before switching to defensive end for one season with the San Jose SaberCats of the Arena Football League. “Here, you might have one or two All-City guys but in college, everyone on the team was  All-City. Everyone was the best at his high school, so you had to grow up really fast.”

Clark earned All-Western League and All-City honors his senior year at Pali High, when he was the team captain and MVP.

“When [head coach] Tim Hyde got hired last year he asked me to be an assistant,” said Clark, who has a degree in sociology. “The higher you go, the more you realize how important good coaching is. This program has had periods of success but we want to take it to another level.”

As a 5-foot-9 150-pound senior in 2006, Elie passed for 857 yards and five touchdowns and ran for 480 yards and seven touchdowns while leading the Dolphins to the City Invitational playoffs and earning All-League and All-City honors. He got a scholarship to New Mexico State, where he ran the Aggies’ Wildcat offense, before playing one season at cornerback in the National Football League with the San Diego Chargers and a year at slot receiver for the Toronto Argonauts in the Canadian Football League. He trains at the Palisades-Malibu YMCA and started a conditioning class for sixth through 12th graders.

“I’m really impressed with the offense,” Elie said. “[Quarterback] P.J. Hurst is a different quarterback than I was but he takes everything in. I’ve taught him to look the corners off because defenders are watching your eyes. They want to anticipate where you’re going to throw it. We also have a great group of receivers who understand what I expect.”

Elie desperately wants to see his alma mater beat Venice, which he managed to do as a sophomore on JV, but not in his two tries on varsity.

“That would be like winning the Super Bowl for us,” he said. “I’d love to be a part of that.”

Elie is glad to have reunited with Clark and the two share a common bond.

“We have the same work ethic and we’re both like ‘Let’s get this done,’” Elie said. “We played on pure talent and if these guys work hard and listen to us there’s no telling how far they’ll go. Yes, I’m their coach but I’m also a big brother.”