The Marymount High volleyball squad nearly pulled off an upset of top-seeded Sierra Canyon in the Southen Section Division 1 semifinals November 1 in Chatsworth but ultimately fell 15-9 in the fifth set.

Defensive specialists Karys Campos, Declan Eastman and Gabrielle Bartle (a transfer from Palisades) all lost their homes in the Palisades Fire, as did head coach Cari Klein, but through it all they have endured and with the section playoffs in the rear view mirror they turned their attention to the Southern California Regionals. The Sailors were awarded the No. 5 seed in the eight-team Open Division when brackets were released Sunday. They traveled south to No. 4 Cathedral Catholic, the San Diego Section Open Division finalist) yesterday determined to prevail and advance to the semifinals Saturday and a potential rematch with Sierra Canyon.

Now in her 28th season, Klein passed the 700-win plateau in August and has guided the Sailors to eight regional crowns.

The City Section cross country championships are set for next Thursday in Elysian Park and Palisades High has a chance to sweep the boys and girls Division I races for the second time in three years. Based on results from the Western League Finals last week at Pierce College, the Dolphins will be hard to beat.

Palisades’ girls claimed the first seven spots while the boys took six of the top eight in the varsity competition. Senior Daila Harinck clocked 18:05.9—a career best for three miles. Maya Bhasin was second in 18:55.2, Zoey Morris was third in 18:56.2, Louisa Mammen was fourth in 19:35.2, Maribel-Henderson-Maclennan was fifth in 19:26.2, Eleanor Mammen was sixth in 19:53.8 and Kendal Shaver was seventh in 19:54.3. The  boys were almost as dominant. Jackson Taylor set the pace at 15:29.6, followed by fellow senior Zach Cohen (15:38.6). Theo Mayeda (15:55.8) was fourth, Lajus Collins (16:06.6) was sixth, Andrew Razo (16:13.5) was seventh and Justin Funk (16:19.9) came in eighth. They are vying for their fifth straight City title.

Dolphins’ Girls Tennis, Golf and Volleyball Teams Win City Championships Days Apart 

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

No school in the history of the City Section has more championships to its credit than Palisades and over a nine-day span it added three more as the girls tennis, golf and volleyball squads all raised trophies—proof that not even a devastating wildfire that damaged their campus and destroyed many of their homes could keep the Dolphins from doing what they have always done best: win.

Palisades’ latest surge of “girl power” began October 30 at Balboa Sports Center, where the tennis team clained its 30th City crown with a 25 to 4.5 victory over defending champion Granada Hills in the teams’ annual Open Division finals clash.   

This time, the top-seeded Dolphins swept all seven matches in the first rotation of the round robin format to build a commanding lead. The teams have combined to win the last 24 upper division titles going back to 2002 and have met in 14 of the last 15 finals.

“There’s mutual respect… it’s always us and them,” said head coach Bud Kling, who has piloted the girls to 22 titles since 1985 and has also won 32 with the boys since 1979­ for a mind-boggling total of 54. He has announced he is stepping down after the boys season in the spring.

Anne Kelly and Nicole Nguyen swept their three sets at No. 1 doubles and earned the title-clinching point while fellow seniors Ella Engel and Anais Israels swept 6-0, 6-0, 6-0, at the No. 2 position, duplicating their feat in the semifinals against El Camino Real two days earlier.

“We wanted it and we got it,” said Engel, who shares a special bond with her partner. “It’s my serving and her volleys… we’re yin and yang, peanut butter and jelly. We started clicking at the San Diego tournament and we’ve been on fire ever since.”

Shaya Jovanovic and Maria Kandinova swept their three sets at the No. 1 and No. 2 singles spots before being subbed out.

Seven days later and right across the street, the golf team continued its own dynasty with a 64-stroke triumph over Granada Hills in the City final at Balboa Golf Course. It was the Dolphins’ fifth consecutive title, one short of the section record. Freshman Lauren Song was third individually with a three-over par 75. Sylar Monahan was fourth with a 79, Ella Shuman (84) was seventh and Chloe Suh (85) was eighth. 

Reclaiming its standard-bearer  status as Palisades’ winningest girls program, volleyball collected City crown No. 31 and its first in five years with a 25-23, 25-18, 25-18 sweep of Venice in Friday night’s Open Division finale at LA Southwest College.

It marked the fifth meeting this season between the Western League rivals (Venice had taken three of the prior four) and it came after the second-seeded Dolphins (35-7) had posted four-set victories over No. 7 Granada Hills in the quarterfinals and No. 6 Taft in the semifinals, both at Brentwood.   

Tulah Block ended the first set with her second kill and ended the match with her seventh, setting off   a wild celebration.

“I just knew I had to do it for the team,” the senior outside hitter said. “I’m so proud of everyone.”

Anabelle Redaelli pounded a match-high 13 kills to counter Gondoliers top hitter Sam Lortie.

Venice built a 13-7 lead in the third set but Palisades answered with a 14-0 run behind accurate serving by Phoebe Messiha.

“Our slogan all year was ‘no gym, no problem,” senior libero Lucy Neilson said.

Palisades earned the 10th seed in the SoCal Regional Division II playoffs and traveled to No. 7 Carlsbad (the San Diego Section Division I runner-up) in the first round Tuesday night.    

—– Click on any photo below to view slide show —–

Registration is now underway for the 11th Annual Pacific Palisaes Turkey Trot set for Thanksgiving morning Nov. 27.

Powered by XBP Global, the 5/10K event will feature a Kids race and will benefit the Day of Giving and Live Like Braun charities. The new route starts and finishes at the Village Green on Swarthmore Avenue. (10K runners simply do a second lap of the 5K course, with a turnoff on Antioch Street).   

The race starts promptly at 8:15 and participants are urged to pick up pre-race packets in the three days leading up to the event (Nov. 24-26) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Vons on Sunset and Pacific Coast Highway. Costs are $69.90 per runner for the 5K, $80.50 for the 10K and $45.42 for the Kids race through Nov. 14 after which all prices increase. To sign up, log on to paliturkeytrot.com and click “Register.” To volunteer, on race day, call 310-251-3505.

Registered runners receive a swag bag containing an event t-shirt and a chip-timed bib. Medals, bananas and water will be available at the finish line.

Parking is available in and around the Alphabet Streets and dogs are allowed this year.

Paul Revere Middle School will hold its 10th Annual 5K Fun Run on Sunday, December 7 at 8:30 a.m. The event is open to students, parents, teachers, alumni and the community at large.

Registration is $25 per runner. All proceeds will go toward the Paul Revere P.R.I.D.E./Booster Club fund that implements programs to enhance the educational experience at Revere—bringing opportunities that go beyond the standard LAUSD curriculum and reflect the strength and diversity of Revere’s vibrant school family.

All participants receive a t-shirt and there will be a DJ, prizes, raffle and refreshments. This year’s co-chairs are Revere parents Michele Vanger, Natalie Khoury, Alana Katz and Samantha Humphries. PE Teacher and cross country Coach Paul Foxson will MC and run the event. The sponsors are V&A Law Firm Natural Pilates and Juice Crafters.

The circular 3.1-mile route is the same as last year­—roughly two laps around the campus.

More than 150 participated last year when 32-year-old Ripley Sellers won in 19:24. Sign up now at paulreverems.lausd.org.5K.

The Rod Dedeaux Foundation hosted its sixth annual Charity Fundraiser Golf Tournament “Legends on the Links” on November 3 at Riviera Country Club, preceded by a VIP Par-Tee the evening before. These exclusive events brought together current and former professional athletes, celebrities and local business leaders to raise critical funds for youth baseball and softball programs in underserved communities.

In light of the devastating fire that impacted Pacific Palisades in January, this year’s fundraiser focused on supporting the recovery and revitalization of local youth sports facilities, including the Palisades Recreation Center and the Pacific Palisades Baseball Association, as well as  Live like Braun, the foundation established in memory of Loyola High tennis player and Palisadian Braun Levi, who was killed by a suspected drunk driver in May only weeks before his graduation.“The ‘Legends on the Links’ tournament, hosted by NFL Hall of Famer and former USC Trojan baseball pitcher Anthony Muñoz, was a huge success and the VIP Par Tee at a nearby private estate was hosted by ac tor/comedians Anthony Anderson and Cedric the Entertainer.

Winning the Women’s Longest Drive challenge with a distance of 231.9 yards was Sam Stockton and winning the Men’s Longest Drive challenge was Jeff Farley (321.5 yards). Munoz won the Seniors Longest Drive (265 yards) and Chris Young won the Straightest Drive challenge at 1.3 feet. Munoz had the longest and straightest drive (265 plus 9.7 feet) while Pete Cassiano had the Most Offline Drive at 279.7 feet. The Million Dollar CTP winner was Ryan Knapp, Farley was the Longest Putt CTP winner; Ryan Gale won the $10,000 60-Foot Putt Contest and Chuckie Collins (seven feet, four inches) won the Men’s Closest to the Pin Contest. In the shotogun format 18-hole tournament, the two top teams were City National Bank at with a five-man score of 109 (33 under par), consisting of Byron Scott, David Cameron, Michael Speaker, Phil Hosp and John Sulentor; and Johnny Carson Foundation at 112 (30 under par), comnprised of James Lomey. Michael Weintraub, Ari Weintraub, Farley and Tony Behrstock).

Rod Dedeux Foundation Director of PR Kimberly Cosby reported that more than $100,000 was raised.

Pali High Football Beats Fairfax on Senior Night to Wrap Up Perfect Regular Season and Earn Open Division Berth

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

Every high school football player longs to play in an NFL arena someday and that became a reality for Palisades’ varsity team  October 30 when it hosted Fairfax on Senior Night at SoFi Stadium.

The primary concern for head coach Dylen Smith was keeping his players focused on the task at hand, not getting caught up in the moment. Two and a half hours later, the Dolphins left Inglewood with memories they’ll cherish forever and, as an added bonus, the Western League championship.

It was a struggle all the way against the team that entered the night in last place in the standings, but as it had done in nine previous games Palisades came out on top, 40-33, to finish the regular season undefeated for the first time since 2021, its first year under previous coach Chris Hyduke.    

“It’s amazing for this to happen my last year of high school,” senior defensive end Augie Evans said. “Talk about going out with a bang.. My phone’s been blowing up… I’ve taken all kinds of pictures. Practicing here a couple weeks ago helped us get used to the atmosphere and the field. We were going to do whatever it took  tonight. Every kid in LA dreams of playing at SoFi and look at us.”

Before kickoff Chargers President of Business Operations A.G. Spanos was presented with a football signed by all of the Dolphins prior to kickoff—their way of saying thank you for the franchise’s support of a program that has been unable to play or practice at Stadium by the Sea since the Palisades Fire. The Chargers who share the state-of-the-art venue with the LA Rams, donated $50,000 to help with equipment and operational costs, then in February the team was invited to the Chargers’ training facility in El Segundo for a workout.

Ex-actor and Pali QB Club’s own Stewart Wilson-Turner sang “God Bless America” after which fans in the lower level heard the familar voice of longtime Palisades announcer Steve Klima say: “Good evening Dolphins fans!”    

Once the action started, Pali High quarterback Jack Thomas picked up where he had left off six days earlier when he tossed a career-high seven touchdown passes in a 46-30 win at Hamilton.

This time, he had to wait a while to take his first snap because the  Lions marched 76 yards in 12 plays and took nearly eight minutes off the clock before scoring on their opening drive. It took Palisades six plays to answer as Thomas found Malachi Ross over the middle from 32 yards out to tie it 7-7. Fairfax regained the lead on its next possession but Thomas connected with Ross again on a three-yard slant to pull Palisades even and the teams headed to their locker rooms deadlocked 13-13.

The Dolphins came out on fire in the third quarter as Thomas and Demare Dezeurn hooked up on a 64-yard touchdown pass play. Thomas scampered 13 yards to complete a 97-yard drive on Palisades’ next possession. Two more touchdown passes to Dezeurn in the fourth quarter were enough to survive two late Lions scores as Thomas finished 14-0f-24 for 386 yards, upping his season totals to 3,147 yards, 42 touchdowns and only three interceptions. Dezeurn has 61 catches for 1,290 yards and 20 touchdowns and has two interception returns for touchdowns.   

Having won the league title the Dolphins now covet a bigger prize, their City Section title. They are seeded fourth in the Open Division and host No. 5 Garfield (8-2) in the quarterfinals Friday at 7 p.m. at Southwest College.

—– Click on any photo below to view slide show —–

The annual Palisadian-Post Football Contest, giving readers a chance to predict upcoming game winners, is back in season.

“Every week, the Palisadian-Post will have a selection of NFL and college football games,” according to the contest rules. “Check the team you think will win each game. The person with the most correct picks wins. In the event there is a tie, the tie-breaker will be used to determine the winner.”

There is an online submission process, making it easier than ever to participate. Contestants can simply download or copy their entry form, fill in their picks, take a photo and email it back to footballcontest@palipost.com by the 5 p.m. Friday deadline. The contest runs through the end of the NFL regular season.

The deadline to enter for Week 11 is November 14 at 5 p.m. The entry form will be posted no later than Thursday each week on the Post website, Facebook and Instagram.

Only one entry per person per contest will be accepted. Winners will receive a $10 gift card by email from our new contest sponsor, The Yogurt Shoppe (located at 11726 Barrington Ct. in Brentwood Village). The Post thanks The Yogurt Shoppe for allowing us to continue this 30-year-old tradition.