Riding a three-game winning streak, the Palisades High varsity football team was eager to close out the season strong with a road victory last Friday. However, Westchester shut down the Dolphins’ wishbone attack and made enough big plays of its own to win, 21-7, creating a three-way tie for second place in the Western League. The Comets (6-4 overall, 3-2 in league) have now held five opponents to seven points or less this season. Malcolm Creer scored the Dolphins’ only touchdown in the first quarter. He had 69 yards in nine carries, quarterback Ke’monte Reed had 90 yards in 10 carries and Hakeem Jawanza rushed 11 times for 31 yards. Quarterback Nick King’s one-yard touchdown gave Westchester a 14-7 lead at halftime. Neither team generated much offense in the third quarter. Westchester still clung to a 14-7 lead with four minutes left when Reed was hit hard by defensive back Jermaine Marshall and fumbled. Defensive lineman Bobby Bolden picked up the loose ball and returned it 14 yards to the Dolphins’ 13. Four plays later, Kalin Scott-Wright scored on a five-yard run to put the game out of reach. Despite the loss, Palisades (5-5, 3-2) is seeded seventh in the City Division II playoffs and hosts No. 10 Lincoln in the first round Friday night at 7. Before the season, coaches had to choose which playoff bracket their teams would compete in. In the Western League, Venice and Westchester opted for Division I while Palisades, Fairfax, Hamilton and University all chose Division II. Venice is seeded third and Westchester 11th in Division I and, because the Dolphins beat Fairfax head to head, they got the higher playoff seed in Division II. Fairfax is seeded ninth and Hamilton claimed the final spot at No. 16. Lincoln (9-1) finished second in the Northern League but did not play a strong schedule. Like Westchester, the Tigers play stingy defense, having held six opponents to eight points or fewer, including shutouts of Monroe, Belmont and South Gate. Lincoln’s only loss was 28-21 to Los Angeles Marshall. The Tigers are led by quarterback Brandon Lopez (1,553 yards, 17 touchdowns) and running back Carlos Duran (1,315 yards, 16 touchdowns). Friday will mark Palisades’ first home playoff game since a 42-14 City Invitational loss to Marshall in 2006. Frosh/Soph Palisades ended the season with a 21-12 victory over host Westchester to finish 7-3 overall and 4-1 in league. For the third time in four games, the Dolphins’ defense did not allow a touchdown, as both Comets scores came on special teams. Ja’uan Tate’s first pass went for a 60-yard touchdown to Will Ingram and Tate later threw a five-yard strike on fourth-and-goal to Jack Jordan, who scored his league-leading 13th touchdown. Justin Sinclair also rushed for a score.
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