The early stages of the Western League football showdown between Palisades and Venice was “Friday Night Lights” at its best.
The teams traded big play for big play and it looked as though the game would be won by whichever side had the ball last. However, the visiting Gondos seized control late in the first quarter and never relinquished it, scoring 35 unanswered points on their way to a 42-13 victory at Stadium by the Sea.
Venice defeated Palisades for the 15th straight year and took its first step towards regaining the league title.
“For us, it’s not about beating Palisades it’s about winning league,” said Gondos running back Dejean Parramore, who rushed for two touchdowns. “We practiced hard all week and I have to give it up to our o-line — they opened the holes for us.”
Christopher Dormer, the other half of Venice’s two-back set, also ran for two touchdowns — including a three-yard plunge to cap the Gondos’ first possession.
Palisades answered with a nine-play, 69-yard march ending on Marrio Lofton’s 20-yard scoring catch from P.J. Hurst on fourth down. Lofton caught the pass in the flat and left several defenders grasping at air on his way to paydirt.
Parramore’s four-yard touchdown run ended Venice’s next drive and four plays after an interception by linebacker Michael Almanza at the Dolphins’ 42-yard line, Dormer ran five yards for another score.
After Venice’s defense forced a three-and-out, Skye Germaine fielded a punt at the 10-yard line, found a seam and raced 90 yards for a touchdown to make it 27-7 with 5:44 left in the second quarter.
“The loss hurts, but we’re not giving up,” Palisades’ All-City linebacker Alec Simpson said. “We’re going to keep fighting.”
Trying to narrow its deficit before halftime, Palisades gambled by going for it on fourth-and-five at the Venice 46 with 1:18 left in the first half, but Hurst was stopped well short of the marker.
Venice took five plays to pad its lead, with Parramore powering over the goal line from three yards out to make it 34-7.
“The last two minutes of the first half killed us but the story of the game is that we didn’t compete for 48 minutes,” Hyde said. “They played harder than us and they were more physical than us.”
Palisades received the second-half kickoff but was unable to get a first down. After a scoreless third quarter, the Gondos put the game away on a 20-yard pass from Alex De La Cruz to Pierce McLurkin and after Parramore’s two-point run it was 42-7.
“We came in here with a chip on our shoulder,” Parramore said. “We lost a couple [league] games last year and that didn’t sit well with us.”
Palisades closed out the scoring with 2:24 left on Hurst’s 11-yard pass to tight end Gersan Osorio, who shed three tacklers on his way to the end zone. Hurst was stopped inches short of the goal line on the two-point try.
Hurst completed 10 of 13 passes for 106 yards, Osorio had four receptions for 50 yards and Stone Maderer teamed with Lofton for almost 100 yards rushing.
“Where was the chip on our shoulder?” Hyde asked. “I was hoping we’d want to end this streak. I’m embarrassed for the whole program.”
Called up from JV for their first varsity starts were sophomore lineman Cole Aragon and linebacker Dakota Hamilton.
Palisades last beat Venice in 2000 in its final season under coach Ron Price, when state passing leader David Koral was the Dolphins’ quarterback.
— Steve Galluzzo
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