CORRALLING THE COLTS: Pali High Football Shuts Out Carson 41-0 to Win First City Division I Playoff Game Since 1997

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

All season long the Palisades High football team has played with one singular purpose: to earn a 12th game.

That opportunity was so close the Dolphins could taste it Thursday night at Stadium by the Sea and they weren’t about to waste it. By the time the running clock reached triple zeros to signify the end of Palisades’ 41-0 rout over Carson in the first round of the City Section Division I playoffs, the Dolphins were chanting “13!”

The margin of victory was Palisades’ largest in postseason history and the shutout was the Dolphins’ first in the playoffs since they blanked Cleveland, Roosevelt and Gardena in succession en route to their only upper division finals appearance in 1974.

“We just did what Palisades does,” lineman Jimmy Reyes said. “We wanted to smack them in the mouth that first drive and tire them out because we know a lot of their guys go both ways.”

Although their first possession ended with a fumble near midfield, the Dolphins did indeed score first on a three-yard run by speedster Rayne Camden late in the first quarter. It proved to be all the points Palisades would need in a dominating performance against one of the City’s proudest programs with 11 City titles.

“I didn’t even think I’d get in the game,” said Camden, who added touchdown runs of five and 32 yards and finished with 75 yards in 11 carries. “We heard they were big and tall but I just cut off the back of my lineman’s tail and got through the holes.”

Once again, tailback Innocent Okoh was all but unstoppable, rushing for a career-high 254 yards in 27 carries, including a 50-yard touchdown run to ice the victory with 4:44 left in the third quarter. Okoh has run for over 100 yards in 10 straight games and is the City Division I leader with 1,833 yards and 18 touchdowns. Marrio Lofton added 105 yards in 18 carries as Palisades piled up 460 yards on the ground.       

“They have big kids and a huge O-line, but we ran the no-huddle to get them winded and it worked,” offensive tackle Brandon Castro said. “The real difference this year is team chemistry. We have fans that love us and support us and we weren’t going to let them down.”

Tight end Quinn Perry caught a 14-yard touchdown pass from Jonah Manheim early in the second quarter and added a 22-yard scoring catch from Tommy Beattie shortly before halftime. Perry also had eight tackles, including a sack, and a fumble recovery, Noah Karp had nine tackles and an interception and Dakotah Hamilton had two sacks. Cornerback Pierre Kaku held the Colts’ top receiver Brian Keskeys to zero catches.

“I’m a South Bay guy, it’s where I went to high school and I know Carson,” said Pali High Coach Tim Hyde, who scribbled “Win a damn playoff game” on the greaseboard in the team meeting room at the start of the week. “Playing them is like playing Notre Dame in college. It’s a dynasty team, the kind we want to become.”

The Dolphins’ desire to play hard for the full 48 minutes was evident on the sideline late in the fourth quarter when offensive guard Cole Aragon screamed to his defense: “Zero-zero. It’s not over!”

The win marked Palisades’ first Division I playoff victory since beating Dorsey, 33-26, in 1997 when current Athletic Director John Achen played for the Dolphins.