Finishing the Job

Pali High Football Clinches Share of Western League Title with 41-0 Shutout of Hamilton

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

After watching his team play 48 minutes of smash mouth football last Friday afternoon at Hamilton High, Palisades head coach Tim Hyde was overflowing with pride and congratulated his players on winning 41-0 to clinch a share of the  Western League title for the third time in four seasons—a feat not even he imagined back in August.     

“Getting six wins is a goal every year, but I’m just so proud of this team,” said Hyde, who tied former Dolphins pilot Ron Price (1996-2000) with his 44th victory and trails only co-coaches Dick North and Merritt Stanfield (who coached a combined 24 seasons) on the school’s all-time list. “It’s a special group that I’ll remember for a long time.”   

Playing without sophomore quarterback Forrest Brock, who fractured his collar bone the week before against University, the Dolphins relied on their running game to eat up yards and the clock. B the time it was over, Palisades had gained 413 yards on the ground.  Senior quarterback Daniel Hayes attempted only two passes.

“We were prepared to throw the ball but it was clear we had the advantage up front and we’re confident in our running game, so we stuck with it,” Hyde said.       

Junior Max Palees led the attack with a career-best 230 yards in 23 carries, including a two-yard run that capped the scoring late in the third quarter.

“I knew I was probably going to get a lot of carries so I was ready,” said Palees, who averaged a whopping 10 yards per carry. Tayari Gloster added 101 yards and two touchdowns in 14 carries and Brandon Forrest and Adam Cravens each had 30 yards in six carries for the Dolphins (8-2), who finished in a three-way tie for first place with Venice and Westchester in 2015 and shared the league title with Venice in 2016.

Tommy Meek kicked two field goals, Cravens scored on a five-yard run and Hayes scored on a one-yard sneak as Palisades built a 27-0 halftime lead.

“We had three coaches who’d been with me for five years move on and this staff worked so hard each day together to install new philosophies,” Hyde said.

“I knew we were capable of being a really good team from the start,” linebacker Syr Riley said.   “We gave it our all for four quarters in every game and when you do that, you’ll have success.”    

Palisades has given up only 88 points—the fewest in program history since the season was expanded to 10 games in 1993—and the Dolphins’ four shutouts are the most since 1969 when they posted four in an eight-game regular season and five total with a playoff shutout of Franklin.