Gridiron Redemption

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

No, Palisades High junior varsity football coach Ray Marsden didn’t have to buy donuts for his team on Monday, but he was satisfied nonethless with last Friday’s resounding 30-7 victory at Granada Hills in the schools’ annual grudge game.

Sophomore wide receiver Alec Barron celebrated his 16th birthday and the Dolphins out him in a happy mood by turning the tables on a squad that had beaten them decisively two years in a row.

“I had a sour taste in my mouth, but now it’s gone,” Marsden said, harkening back to the Dolphins’ 35-8 home loss to Granada Hills last season. “We had another short week of practice because of the holiday, but our punt and kick coverage was excellent. Last week we were almost flawless, but this time we had too many penalties and too many turnovers. We accomplished our goal, but it was ugly. We can enjoy this win, but we can also learn from it.”         

After the teams traded punts on their first drives, sophomore linebacker Will Clifford returned a fumble 30 yards for a touchdown and Kaalan Day scored on a 50-yard run to give the Dolphins a 14-0 lead in the first quarter.

A muffed punt set up a 34-yard touchdown pass that pulled the host Highlanders within 14-7­­—the first points Palisades had allowed this season­—but the Dolphins extended their lead midway through the second quarter when  Adam Cravens and Reid Pelsue combined to tackle a Granada Hills runner in the end zone for a safety.

In the third quarter, Nick Ghysels pitched the ball to fellow quarterback Forrest Brock, who faked like he would run, stopped and fired a perfect strike to a wide open Eli Manheim for a 40-yard touchdown that put the game away.

“I was hoping the cornerback would bite on the run and I got really excited when I saw him break,” said Manheim, whose older brother Jonah was the varsity quarterback last fall. “This is a rivalry game so it meant a lot to us. [Quarterbacks] Nick and Forrest bring different things to the table. They’re both my friends and this will give both of them confidence.”

Day rushed for over 100 yards, Ghysels completed four passes for 31 yards and Brock completed two passes for 73 yards.      

Tayari Gloster’s interception set up a five-play drive that Gloster capped with a three-yard run to close out the scoring.