Hoops Seeded Ninth in City

Coach James Paleno could not have handpicked a tougher playoff draw than the one his Dolphins got. Palisades was seeded ninth in the City’s 16-team Division I boys’ basketball tournament and must travel to No. 8 Fremont in the first round tonight at 7 p.m. The Pathfinders (17-8) and Dolphins (17-12) have no common opponents, but each played a difficult schedule. Fremont finished runner-up to Crenshaw in the Coliseum League while Palisades tied for third in the Western League–the high school equivalent of the Big East Conference in NCAA men’s basketball. Fremont is one of the toughest venues in the City and even if the Dolphins survive there, they would, barring a huge upset, meet No. 1 Westchester in the quarterfinals next Tuesday night–on the same floor where the Comets routed Palisades by 38 points last week. Fremont’s only loss on its home court all season was by two points to Crenshaw on February 6. Palisades is 4-3 on the road and nearly won at No. 2 Fairfax Jan. 28. All four Division I semifinalists earn a spot in the state playoffs. The City finals are Friday, March 6, at Galen Center on the USC campus. Girls Basketball The girls found themselves in a similar scenario as the boys, seeded ninth in Division I and having to travel to a Coliseum League school in the first round of the playoffs. The Dolphins (17-10) play No. 8 Dorsey (19-5) Friday at 7 p.m. If victorious, Palisades will either travel to top-seeded Chatsworth or host No. 16 Locke next Wednesday night. The Dons were second in the Coliseum (behind View Park Prep) and the Dolphins finished fourth in the Western League. Both defeated Venice and lost to Westchester, but while Palisades lost to Crenshaw, Dorsey beat Crenshaw twice in league games. Chatsworth (19-8) and Palisades did not play in the regular season but share two common opponents. The Dolphins lost twice to Westchester and split with LACES while the Chancellors blew out both teams in tournaments. The City finals are Saturday, March 7, also at Galen Center. Boys Soccer Palisades is back in the playoffs after missing out last year but advancing to the second round won’t be easy. The Dolphins, seeded 23rd out of 32 teams in the single-elimination draw, travel to No. 10 Bell today (kick-off at 2:30 p.m.). The Eagles (17-5), are one of the hottest teams in the tournament, having won eight of their last nine games (the only setback a 1-0 loss to undefeated and top-seeded South East). Palisades (9-4-1) clinched second place in the Western League with a 4-1 victory over LACES last Thursday. The common opponent factor favors Bell. It beat San Pedro 2-0 while the Dolphins lost 1-0 to the Pirates in their season opener. If the Dolphins win today they will either travel to No. 7 El Camino Real or host No. 26 Santee in the second round next Monday at 3 p.m. Quarterfinal games are next Thursday at the higher seeds. The City finals are March 7 at Contreras High. Girls Soccer After winning the Western League for the fourth time in Coach Kim Smith’s six seasons, Palisades now sets its sights on the ultimate prize: the City Section championship. Seeded fourth, the Dolphins appear to have all the pieces needed to reach their first final since 2005. The Dolphins (14-2-4) took their first step Wednesday night against 29th-seeded Marshall (result unavailable at press time) and, if victorious, advanced to the winner’s bracket to host either No. 13 Eagle Rock or No. 20 Reseda in the second round Friday at Stadium by the Sea. A loss Wednesday means Palisades would host the Eagle Rock-Reseda loser in the Invitational bracket tomorrow. The quarterfinals are next Wednesday and, provided neither team is upset along the way, the Dolphins would host No. 5 Granada Hills, which finished third in the tough West Valley League behind reigning eight-time City champion El Camino Real and third-seeded Chatsworth. Palisades entered the playoffs on a nine-game winning streak, having outscored its opposition 92-10 in the regular season. For complete playoff brackets in each sport, visit the L.A. City Section Web site at www.cif-la.org.