Dolphins Make Strides in Scrimmage

It was merely a practice game, but the way Palisades High football players approached last Friday’s scrimmage against Kilpatrick one would think the Western League title was on the line. The spirited contest was more than a dress rehearsal for Friday’s season opener–it was a measuring stick that head coach Perry Jones and his staff can use to evaluate where the Dolphins are at–and where they need to be come kickoff tomorrow. “Overall, I’m okay with how we did,” Jones said. “I was impressed with our speed on defense. We ran and hit and played physical with those guys, which is what I wanted to see.” Each team got to run four sets of 12 plays each, starting at its own 40-yard line. Once inside the opponents’ 25, the game is played out until the offense either scores or runs out of downs. Kilpatrick got the ball first and proceeded to march 60 yards in 13 plays, scoring on a 2-yard run. Palisades needed just four plays to answer as senior running back Hakeem Jawanza took a pitch around left end for a 42-yard touchdown. Then, Branden Sanett capped a 10-play march with a 6-yard quarterback keeper to put the Dolphins on top. Senior cornerback Lawrence Villasenor intercepted a pass on Kilpatrick’s next series. Wide receiver Kevin Mann caught an over-the-shoulder catch from Nathan Dodson along the sideline, setting up a score by junior running back Willie Anderson, who rolled an ankle in Palisades’ third set of plays and was taken to the hospital by paramedics. “Willie had surgery Saturday and he’s doing okay, but he’s done for the year,” Jones said. “He fractured a bone in his foot and had ligament and muscle tears. It’s unfortunate because he’s such a great kid.” When play resumed, senior running back Malcolm Creer scored on a 6-yard run as Palisades outgained the Mustangs by a significant margin and won the scrimmage, four scores to two. Coach Ray Marsden was pleased with the play of his frosh/soph squad, which outscored the black-clad visitors three touchdowns to one despite playing without top receiver Jack Jordan. Sema’j Harris scored on a 44-yard run, Tyler Hildreth caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Elijah Thomas and Rico Bircher returned an interception 70 yards for another score. “These guys love hitting,” Marsden said. “I’m still concerned about our depth, but this gives us a good indication of where we can improve.”