Chatham Baroque Ensemble with guest trumpeter Barry Baugess and guest organist Webb Wiggins will appear on Friday, January 30, at 8 p.m. at St. Matthew’s Church, 1031 Bienveneda Ave. The music on the program comes from a part of the Old World that many Americans casually refer to today as ‘Eastern Europe”a thorny term employed to refer to practically any country that once was part of the former Soviet bloc, including Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and others. Yet well before the days of the Iron Curtain, some of these regions were also closely aligned with European areas such as Austria and parts of Germany, as well as under the control of such imperial powers as the Hapsburg dynasty of the Holy Roman Empire. Each region has a unique identity and a complex history of shifting allegiances to various emperors, princes, kings, electorates, and popes. It is useful and accurate to identify the music as coming from a region such as Bohemia, Moravia, or Austria, or from a specific city such as Kromeř’, Salzburg, or Vienna.’ The program will feature music by well-known exponents of the Central European Baroque such as Froberger, Biber and Schmelzer, along with that by lesser known composers such as Gottfried Finger and Pavel Vejvanovsky. Tickets ($25 for adults, $10 for students) will be available at the door, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Contact: 310-573-7422 or visit the Music Guild’s Web site, www.stmatthews.com/musicguild.
Renowned clarinetist Dimitri Ashkenazy makes a rare West Coast appearance to perform with Chamber Music Palisades on Tuesday, January 27 at St. Matthew’s.
Chamber Music Palisades (CMP) presents a rare West Coast joint appearance by internationally renowned clarinetist Dimitri Ashkenazy, son of legendary pianist/conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy, and celebrated Boston-based violist Scott Woolweaver, on Tuesday, January 27, 8 p.m., at St. Matthew’s, 1031 Bienveneda. CMP co-founders/co-artistic directors Susan Greenberg, long-time flutist with Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and noted pianist Delores Stevens also perform with Ashkenazy and Woolweaver in a program of works by Schumann, Schmitt, Villa-Lobos, Uhi, Bernstein and Bruch. KUSC’s Alan Chapman will host the affair. The program opens with the lighthearted M’rchenerz’hlungen (Fairy Tales), Op. 132, for clarinet, viola and piano, by German Romantic composer Robert Schumann (1810-1856). The Sonatine en Trio for flute, clarinet and piano by Florent Schmitt (1870-1958) reflects the sensibilities of the ‘French School.”Choros No. 2 for flute and clarinet, written in 1921 by Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959), embraces the indigenous music of the composer’s native Brazil, perched on the tip of the New World. The unique and vibrant style of Austrian composer Alfred Uhl’s (1909-1992)’synthesizing neo-classicism, atonality, and serialism with traditional tonal and contrapuntal idioms”is captured in his Kleines Konzert (Little Concerto) for viola, clarinet and piano, which continues the program.’Adding another New World element is Sonata for Clarinet and Piano by multi-Emmy Award-winning conductor/composer Leonard Bernstein, who remains one of America’s most influential composers.’ Concluding the evening is German composer Max Bruch’s (1838-1920) Four Pieces, Op. 83 for clarinet, viola and piano, which, like the concert’s opening work, falls into the German Romantic musical tradition. Tickets are $25; students with ID are free. Contact: 310-459-2070 or visit www.cmpalisades.org.
Patrick McGoohan, the Emmy Award-winning actor who in the late 1960s created, produced and starred in the cult-classic television series ‘The Prisoner,’ died on January 13. The longtime Pacific Palisades resident was 80. At the peak of James Bond’s popularity in 1965, the multi-talented McGoohan appeared as John Drake in the CBS series ‘Secret Agent’ (known in Britain as ‘Danger Man’). ”Secret Agent’ was the first British series ever filmed for American primetime,’ McGoohan’s widow, Joan Drummond McGoohan told the Palisadian-Post. ‘It was a huge hit. It gave him a lot of clout.’ Enter ‘The Prisoner,’ a British-produced program on CBS in 1968 and 1969. McGoohan played the enigmatic erstwhile secret agent, No. 6, who one day wakes up in his prison, an island with a manufactured township called The Village, teeming with surveillance equipment. The show resembled an Orwellian exercise of surreal paranoia. ‘Patrick wrote the first script,’ said Joan, his wife of 58 years. ‘He outlined the stories. Technically, there was a story editor, but it was rubbish. He wrote a lot of them, even under different names: Archibald Schwartz, Paddy Fitz.’ She singled out the penultimate episode, which McGoohan wrote, as having ‘some of the best acting I’ve ever seen on television.’ She remembered how unhappy viewers were with the final installment, which purposely left the show’s running MacGuffin unresolved. ‘People were furious,’ she said. ‘They thought they would find out who No. 1 was. It was too surreal for most people.’ ”The Prisoner’ summed up what he felt,’ Joan McGoohan continued. ‘He thought it was very contemporary. He was an independent thinker. He followed all world happenings, the Middle East. He was a brilliant mind. All sorts of people, when they met him, they listened. Where it came from, I have no idea.’ After only 17 episodes, ‘The Prisoner’ left the air. ‘In his mind, it was finished,’ Joan McGoohan said. ‘But then these fan clubs turned up.’ A cult following has since endured for decades. Later this year, American Movie Classics will air a remake of the series, starring James Caviezel and Sir Ian McKellan. ‘They wanted Patrick to have some part in it,’ McGoohan’s wife said, ‘but he adamantly didn’t want to be involved. He had already done it.’ McGoohan won two Emmys for acting in ‘Columbo’ in 1975 and 1990. He also directed episodes of the original 1970s version of Peter Falk’s program, and was very involved behind the scenes of the ‘Columbo’ TV movies that followed. Born in 1928 to Irish parents in Queens, New York, McGoohan grew up in Ireland until the age of 7, when his family moved to Sheffield, England. In the late 1940s, he became a stage manager at Sheffield Repertory Theatre, where he began acting and met actress Joan Drummond. In 1959, McGoohan received a London Drama Critics Award for his performance in Ibsen’s ‘Brand.’ ‘People who saw it had never forgot his performance, almost like some mythical thing,’ Joan McGoohan said. ‘My only regret is that he didn’t play King Lear. Laurence Olivier had called him to play at the National and he turned it down.’ But the role McGoohan treasured most can be seen in the 1991 PBS production ‘The Best of Friends,’ opposite John Gielgud, in which he portrayed a legendary Irish playwright. ‘He had his spirit,’ his wife said. ‘He was totally George Bernard Shaw, that was just transcendent. He related to Shaw’s irreverence, his humor, his underlying gravitas.’ Thanks to the 1960s’ ‘Danger Man’ series in Britain (the precursor of ‘Secret Agent’), McGoohan was offered the chance to be the original James Bond in feature films. He famously turned down the role, partly because he dreaded the level of fame it might trigger. ‘He never even thought twice about turning it down,’ Joan McGoohan said. ‘He was the obvious choice. But he thought the role was cheap. He wouldn’t carry a gun and he wouldn’t sleep with a different woman every week.’ The McGoohans moved to Pacific Palisades in the mid-1970s, with daughters Catherine, Anne and Frances; more recently, Joan has been an agent in the local Sotheby’s International Realty office. Of ‘The Prisoner”s enduring cult status, Patrick McGoohan, who played the villainous King Edward I in Mel Gibson’s 1995 film ‘Braveheart,’ once said: ‘Mel will always be Mad Max, and me, I will always be a number.’ McGoohan’s wife explained that he had clinched his role in ‘Braveheart’ by intimidating Gibson with a stare over lunch in Malibu. ‘Mel treated him beautifully as a director,’ Joan McGoohan said. Locally, the McGoohans frequented Sam’s at the Beach restaurant in Santa Monica Canyon. In the village, they dined at Modo Mio. Joan McGoohan enjoyed a laugh at the notion that, in a sense, No. 6 never left ‘the village.’ ‘He would get up at the crack of dawn, get the New York Times, and get some coffee at Mort’s or Starbucks,’ she said. ‘He wrote. Always, always.’ Although she usually sleeps in, McGoohan told the Post last Friday, ‘I got up very early today. I thought, ‘I’m doing Patrick’s routine.’ It’s just so precious, the start of the day. I’m going to try to change my routine a bit and try to enjoy those moments. ‘I feel we’ve had such wonderful times together. We were partners for life. I feel very lucky.’ In addition to his wife and daughters, McGoohan is survived by five grandchildren and a great-grandson. Private services were held on Monday.
Jeanne Ryan Fonda, a former resident of Pacific Palisades, passed away peacefully in her home in Pebble Beach on January 1, with her beloved husband of 65 years, Bill, at her side. She was 87. Born in Ashville, North Carolina, Fonda graduated from Stephen’s College for Women in Columbia, Missouri, and later was proud of being one of the original American Airlines stewardesses from World War II, during which time the airline ferried only dignitaries and military leaders. She continued her relationship with her airline colleagues in the Kiwi Club, within which she formed a dance troupe, staging performances for charity that included the famous Ebsen sisters, Helga and Vilma, sisters of Buddy Ebsen. Jeanne and Bill were wed shortly after his return from piloting 50 combat missions in the Mediterranean theater during World War II. They had three children: Lynne Fonda of Colorado Springs; Robert Fonda, M.D., of Newport Beach; and Laurie Fonda Gile, who predeceased her mother. After moving to Pacific Palisades in 1954 and raising their children, Jeanne and Bill relocated to Pebble Beach, where they opened a small business. Fonda found joy as an active member of the Jesters Club, the fundraising arm of the Monterey Museum of Art. Her charm, exquisite taste, and joie de vivre were blessings to everyone she met. Fonda loved and enjoyed her grandchildren, Zoe Dombrowski, Beka Chinery, Jeremy Caraway, Jason Caraway, Scott Gile, Jacob Gile, Zak Phillips, Clark Fonda and Emilia Fonda; and 13 great-grandchildren. A service will be held at 1 p.m. on January 24 at the El Carmello Chapel in Pacific Grove. Memorial donations can be made to Hospice of the Central Coast, P.O. Box HH, Monterey, CA 93942.
Max Gerchik, M.D., a physician whose life experiences included a brief stint in the Spanish Civil War, passed away on September 21, 2008 at his home in Pacific Palisades. He was 97.’ Born in Brooklyn, New York, on January 16, 1911, Max was the oldest of three children born to Russian immigrants Sophie and Harry Gerchik. He graduated with honors from New York University and began his medical studies at the University of Bonn, Germany.’With the rise of Nazism, he transferred to the University of Berne, Switzerland.’ In 1936, the Spanish Civil War broke out and Gerchik temporarily dropped out of medical school to join the anti-fascist forces of the Spanish Republic on the Zaragoza Front in their struggle against Franco and fascism. ‘Since I was a third-year medical student,’ Gerchik recalled in an interview with the Palisadian-Post in 2007, ‘I was put in charge of taking care of the wounded out on the front and in a truck, as we rambled back to the hospital in Barcelona. I wore a uniform and also had a rifle.’ ‘ After about five months in Spain, Gerchik sailed home to New York, then returned to Switzerland and received his medical degree in 1939”one month before World War II began,’ he later noted. Upon returning to the United States, he continued his commitment to social justice issues and involvement in liberal political activities until the final days of his life. The Gerchik family moved to Los Angeles soon after the United States joined World War II and Gerchik was assigned to the Pacific Fleet as a ship’s doctor.’A burst appendix forced him to return to shore. Subsequently, he became resident physician for McDonnell-Douglas, which was involved in the war effort. Gerchik later joined a medical practice in Vernon that specialized in industrial medicine and provided medical services to factory employees.’Eventually, he bought that clinic and two others. Gerchik loved his adopted city, especially after his adored Brooklyn Dodgers moved to Los Angeles six months after he arrived. He married his first wife, Marjorie, in 1950 and adopted her daughter, Ann, as his own.’He and Marge later had two children of their own, Dan and Lisa.’ He met and married his second wife, Reca, in 1967, and they moved to Pacific Palisades in 1974, where over the years they hosted numerous Democratic Club events and speakers. They had one child, their daughter Julie.’ Gerchik’s primary focus was always his family; that was what mattered most to him in the world.’After his family, however, Gerchik’s greatest passions were the Dodgers, politics, classical music and fine art. In fact, one of the reasons he chose to leave Brooklyn and attend medical school in Germany was because that was the birthplace of his favorite composers, Beethoven and Bach. Gerchik lost his dearly loved brother and best friend, Los Angeles artist and gallery owner Paul Gerchik, in 1998, and his oldest daughter, Ann, in 2007.’He is survived by his beloved wife of 41 years, Reca, and his three children, Dan, Lisa, and Julie. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made on behalf of Max Gerchik to the American Lung Association, the Simon Wiesenthal Center, the Southern Poverty Law Center, or the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives (www.alba-valb.org), which was established by the veterans of the Bridgade when they returned from fighting Franco in the Spanish Civil War.
Richard Leshin, a resident of Pacific Palisades since 1969 and a prominent violinist, died on January 6, after a valiant struggle to survive these past few years. He was 77. Leshin began his violin studies in his native Los Angeles, where his mother played piano and his sister was a cellist. As a young man he won the Coleman Chamber Music Award and the UCLA Young Artists competition, He also played in the Tanglewood Music program under Leonard Bernstein. After graduating from Los Angeles High, Leshin attended Julliard School of Music on a full scholarship and, upon graduation, he won a Fulbright grant to study in Paris and subsequently toured Europe to perform. He was the leader of the Amati String Quartet which had a successful debut in New York City. After military service, Leshin joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra as one of the youngest members ever to be accepted. He also was an instructor of music at Duke University and concertmaster of the New Orleans Symphony Orchestra. In 1964, Leshin rejoined the L.A. Philharmonic with Zubin Mehta as conductor and remained with the orchestra in the first violin section until 1996, when he retired. He continued playing for numerous movie scores and in chamber music groups, and gave several concerts at the Pierson Playhouse with renowned Palisades pianist Delores Stevens. A true Renaissance man, Leshin was passionate about sailing, skin-diving, reading, gardening and nature. He introduced his children, Dyane and Marty, to the wonders of the wilderness and national parks. Leshin is survived by his wife, Phyllis, daughter Dyane Harwood (husband Craig) and son Marty (wife Tiffany), and cherished granddaughters Avonlea and Marilla Harwood. He is also survived by daughter Tammy O’Conner (husband John), granddaughters Kendall and Paige, and his sister Dorothy Buxbaum. Private services were held on Sunday at Hillside Memorial Park, with four of Leshin’s former colleagues in the L.A. Philharmoic playing beautiful chamber music in his memory. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Harmony Project, 817 Vine Street, Los Angeles, CA 90038 and/or the American Cancer Society.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 22 Pacific Palisades Community Council meeting, 7 p.m. in the Palisades Branch Library community room, 861 Alma Real. Public is invited. FRIDAY, JANUARY 23 Theatre Palisades presents Neil Simon’s ‘Lost in Yonkers,’ through February 15 at Pierson Playhouse, 941 Temescal Canyon Rd. Directed by Sherman Wayne and produced by Martha Hunter and Pat Perkins, the play runs Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets: call (310) 454-1970 or visit www.theatrepalisades.org. MONDAY, JANUARY 26 Local historian Randy Young will host a program of historical films and interviews involving longtime residents, compiled by the Pacific Palisades Historical Society, 7 p.m., at Pierson Playhouse, 961 Haverford. The public is invited. (See story, page 14.) Pacific Palisades Civic League board meeting, 7:30 p.m. in Gabrielson Hall at the Methodist Church, 801 Via de la Paz. (See agenda, page 5.)’ TUESDAY, JANUARY 27 Storytime for children ages 3 and up, 4 p.m. in the Palisades Branch Library community room, 861 Alma Real. Palisades artist Carol Kleinman will be guest speaker at the Pacific Palisades Art Association meeting, 7 p.m., at the Woman’s Club, 901 Haverford. The public is invited. THURSDAY, JANUARY 29 Palisades resident Ishaq Shahryar will speak about two topics’Afghanistan and solar energy’at the Palisades Rotary Club breakfast meeting, 7:15 a.m. at Gladstone’s restaurant, PCH at Sunset. Shahryar is the former Afghan Ambassador to the United States and founder of a local solar heating company. Information: www.palisadesrotary.com. ‘ Palisades resident Nancy Spiller discusses and signs her funny, satirical novel ‘Entertaining Disasters: A Novel (With Recipes),’ 7:30 p.m. at Village Books on Swarthmore. (See story, page 12.)
Former Coach Reflects on Palisades’ 1969 City Basketball Championship
Jerry Marvin thumbs through the official program of the ’69 L.A. City Basketball Championships. In his right hand is a blue commemorative patch. Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
Yes, it is safe to say Jerry Marvin is still very much addicted to basketball. So much so, in fact, that he celebrated his 79th birthday last Wednesday by taking his son to the Palisades High boys’ varsity game against University. Sitting in the stands he was subtly reminded that his legacy lives on every time he happened to glance at the City Championship banner hanging on the near wall of the Palisades gym. Embroidered into its fabric are the numbers 1-9-6-9, representing the magical year when Marvin led the Dolphins to their first and only section hoops crown. “Has it really been that long?” he joked upon being told that this Sunday marks the 40th anniversary of that team’s historic victory–by far the most cherished memory in his 37 years as a high school coach. “I remember that game it was yesterday,” said Marvin, who lives at the top of Las Lomas, just a couple half-court heaves above campus. “It was very special because they were all local kids. This was before busing, before transfers. The entire community was behind us. We had a huge crowd. It seemed like the whole town was there.” Marvin was the head coach at Bell for seven years before taking over at Palisades when the school opened in 1961, partly to compete in the same league as his dad, Jerry, Sr., whom he played for at University. Little did he know it then, but Marvin would stay at Palisades until he retired in 1991, piloting the Dolphins to 29 straight playoff appearances. Even a short conversation with Marvin produces countless fascinating stories and he is happy to share a few “blasts from the past” if his favorite subject comes up. And when he talks, you listen… and learn. “Jerry is my mentor. He’s a great man and a great friend,” said current Palisades coach James Paleno, who took over for Marvin and has continued his predecessor’s winning tradition despite coaching in the City’s toughest league–one that includes perennial state powers Westchester and Fairfax. “We’re still trying to put another banner up there for him. He set such a high standard.” Palisades’ opponent on that rainy night 40 years ago was Reseda, which had dealt the Dolphins their only defeat that season. “Coach [Marvin] Lee had an excellent team led by his son Greg, who went on to play at UCLA,” Marvin recalled. “It was our last nonleague game and three of my starters had the flu. We had one or two few close calls after that but we never lost again.” The championship game proved anticlimactic. Palisades took charge from the opening tip and built a sizeable lead by halftime. “I could hear one of their players telling his coach that we were playing zone [defense], then the next timeout another player told him we were in man-to-man,” Marvin recalled. “I knew then that we had them completely confused.” Marvin made sure his team did not lose its focus in the second half and the Dolphins wound up winning 85-57–then the most lopsided margin in finals history–in front of 6,040 fans at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion. “I had my subs in as early as the second quarter,” Marvin said. “I wasn’t a proponent of laying it on. Afterwards I said something like ‘You’ll remember this for the rest of your life.’ Then they took me into the shower and drenched me.” Kenny Baker poured in 30 points and Chris Marlowe added 29, completing a “dream season” in which the Dolphins finished undefeated in the Western League, then vanquished Taft, Fremont and Jefferson in the playoffs, setting up a rematch with the West Valley League champion Regents. “That was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing,” Marvin admitted. “We were the epitome of slow white guys. We weren’t particularly fast. [Kenny] Baker was our tallest player and he was only about 6′ 4″ or so. That group really defied the odds. But actually I saw it coming two years ahead of time. I knew we’d be good if we stayed healthy but we turned out to be even better than I thought.” The game has changed immeasurably since Marvin paced the sidelines–and not necessarily for the better: “When I coached there was no ninth grade, no three-point line and no shot clock. We ran a version of the triangle offense called the ‘double post’ and we used a matching zone defense call the ‘Jitterbug.'” Marvin’s mind is still sharp as a knife and he not only has vivid memories of January 25, 1969, he can also remember every player and the role each of them had on the team. Reminiscing about the good old days before watching the Lakers-Cavaliers game on Monday night, Marvin revealed what made that championship squad so special. “Unity was the real strength of that team,” he said. “It was the best team I ever had but not the most talented. The next year we were physically better and we may have been the year before as well. But that year we put it all together. It was a special group. Every one of those kids went to college.” When it comes to the 1968-69 season, Marvin is a walking encyclopedia. Following are his recollections of all 13 players, many of whom attended the “Silver Anniversary” celebration in 1994, when the court in the main gym was officially dubbed “Marvin’s Garden”: #35 Chris Marlowe, forward: “He was the best competitor I ever had. He wanted the ball in the clutch and you always knew he?d make it. He made All-City in basketball and of course captained the 1984 Olympic volleyball team. I guess you could say he became a pretty successful broadcaster, too.” #34 Don Shaw, forward: “I nicknamed him ‘Stubby’ because he had the smallest hands in the world. But he was a deadly corner shooter. You just couldn?t sag on him and he could single-handedly break down a zone defense. He went on to coach the Stanford women’s volleyball team to the 1992 NCAA title.” #42 Kenny Baker, forward: “He was our captain and our high-post center but he could really play anywhere on the floor. He was good in the key and he was a great passer. He captained the San Diego State volleyball team to a championship in 1973.” #24 Doug King, point guard: “He was the quarterback of the offense and I believe the only kid I ever had who played three years on varsity. He was only a junior but he was like a coach out there. He never cared too much about scoring.” #23 Kris Jamtaas, forward: “He rounded out our starting lineup and he was all hustle. He was left-handed so he played on the right side and he was a defensive stopper. He was good at volleyball too and won a club title at Washington State.” #22 John LeLevier, guard: “Our second-string point guard, a very capable guy to have out there if Doug [King] needed a rest or got in foul trouble.” #21 Bruce Feingold, guard: “Highest GPA in his class. He could run the offense also. In fact, he and John [LeLevier] had been the starting guards for Coach Bud Ware?s Bee team, which was undefeated in league. They would?ve started on most of my teams.” #43 Mark Weiss, forward: “Another junior who played like a senior. Went on to play basketball at Cal Lutheran University. He married his high school sweetheart [Susie Honig]. He died of brain cancer about 10 years ago.” #31 Jay Hanseth, forward: “Best athlete on the team. Played basketball and volleyball at UC Santa Barbara. Very steady and dependable.” #40 John Berlin, center: “I remember he lived near Riviera Country Club. He was our second-string center. Moved to Pebble Beach where he worked in public relations. Big force on the boards.” #41 Jeff Jacobs, center: “He was another of the three pivot men I had coming off the bench. He was basically our third-string center behind Don [Shaw] and John [Berlin]. Great rebounder. Was an All-American volleyball player at UCLA.” #33 Kelly Broom, forward: “Fourth junior on the team. He played behind Don [Shaw] in the corner. Also played on the Santa Monica College championship team in 1971. As I recall he was a beach volleyball player too.” #30 Ron Cox, center: “Ronnie’s biggest claim to fame was he was a great surfer. Honestly, that’s what I remember most about him. But he came back from Australia to attend my retirement party which I appreciated.”
Stanford junior and local resident Ali Riley has signed to play with her hometown Pali Blues for the upcoming season. Photo: Stanford Athletics
The Pali Blues have yet to play a game, but the local women’s soccer club team took a major step towards defending its W-League championship last week by signing local resident Ali Riley, a junior at Stanford who started every game for New Zealand at last summer’s Beijing Olympics. Playing for her hometown team seems a perfect fit for Riley and it’s hard to tell who is more thrilled–her or Blues head coach Charlie Naimo. “We are so excited to get the ball rolling with the signing process and I can’t think of anyone better than Ali,” Naimo said. “Not only is she a great player with a world of experience, but she is a Palisadian. We had hoped to have her with us last year, however she was competing in the Olympics.” Riley has over 20 caps with the New Zealand national team and she was a member of the Football Ferns’ first World Cup side in 2007. She scored the team’s first international goal in a tune-up contest against China in July, then assisted on the first goal of the Ferns’ opening Olympic game. She showed her versatility in the fall after moving from forward to defender in her junior season at Stanford. Having already garnered many Pac-10 Conference honors, the Pacific Palisades native has high expectations for her upcoming senior year. A multiple Palisadian-Post Athlete of the Year honoree, Riley has done it all on the soccer field. She was an All-CIF player at Harvard-Westlake High and excelled for her Westside Breakers and So Cal United club teams. “I am so excited to play here in the Palisades, for my family and all of our friends who have supported me throughout the years,” Riley remarked. “Playing with such talented players will be inspirational and I’m excited to learn from them. I want to improve everyday and see what it takes to make it at the highest level. It will prepare me for my final year at Stanford and hopefully a professional career!” Riley’s signing comes on the heels of Blues General Manager Jason Lemire announcing that more players were drafted into Women’s Pro Soccer, a new league that will include a Los Angeles-based franchise called the Sol. WPS held its second draft last Friday and five more Blues players were selected for the inaugural season, upping the total to 15. “These are exciting times for us,” Lemire said. “We’ve watched half of our team get drafted after a championship, now it’s time to top it in ’09. Our staff has confidence that we will succeed in doing that. Our fans have a lot to be excited about.” Goalkeeper Val Henderson will remain in the area. The UCLA product was taken by the Sol with the 33rd overall pick. She compiled a 7-0-0 record with six shutouts and a 0.14 goals against average for the Blues last season. Defender Carrie Dew will also stay in California after being selected 12th overall by the Bay Area’s FC Gold Pride. Midfielder Brittany Klein (picked 14th overall by Chicago), goalkeeper Karen Bardsley (FC Sky Blue, 18th overall) and forward Mele French (FC Sky Blue, 60th overall) round out the players selected from the Blues. “The prevalence of Blues players in the WPS Draft reflects the quality of players our organization attracts and produces,” Lemire added. “It speaks to Charlie [Naimo] as a coach and a tradition of excellence we plan to continue here year after year.” The Blues begin their sophomore campaign in the W-League in May and will once again play their home games at Palisades High’s Stadium by the Sea.
Palisades sophomore Nicole Flyer maneuvers for a shot against LACES in Friday’s Western League contest. The Dolphins lost in overtime. Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
Fifteen minutes after the game was over Palisades High girls basketball coach Torino Johnson was still struggling to put into words what had happened. His Dolphins were seemingly in control with possession of the ball and a 10-point lead with four minutes to go in last Wednesday’s Western League game against LACES. Then it all went horribly wrong. The Unicorns closed the fourth quarter on a 10-0 run to force overtime, then outscored Palisades 8-1 on its home court to win, 53-46, dropping the Dolphins to 1-2 in league and 11-6 overall. “Tonight was an indication of where we can go and where we should be,” Johnson said, scratching his head in bewilderment. “This is sort of uncharted territory for us.” LACES entered the game 0-2 in league but Torino claimed its record is deceiving. “In my opinion they are the best team in our league,” he said. “They execute at a high level and we needed to prove that’s where we are.” The Unicorns employed a collapsing defense to keep Palisades’ leading scorer Dominique Scott (16.3 points, 11.5 rebounds per game) in check. When Johnson called a timeout after LACES pulled to within a basket late in the fourth quarter, Dolphins players trudged off the court with heads down, hands on hips. “The body language was no good,” Johnson said. “We looked like a defeated team out there even though we were still winning.” Eight league games remained heading into Wednesday’s contest at Westchester (result undetermined at press time) so the Dolphins’ season is far from over, but Johnson hopes he can right the ship before it’s too late. “Last year we might’ve had better talent but I think we have a better team this year,” he said. “We just aren’t playing to our potential right now. The girls just have to believe in themselves and what they can do collectively.” Boys Basketball Poor shooting was the main reason for Palisades’ 71-66 home loss to University last Wednesday. The Dolphins were just 20 of 65 from the field and missed their first eight attempts of the fourth quarter, enabling the Wildcats to surge back ahead after Palisades went on a 23-9 run in the third quarter to take its first lead. Aaron Fitts scored 25 points and grabbed 13 rebounds and Garrett Nevels added 16 points for the Dolphins (13-7, 2-1), who rebounded from their second loss to the Wildcats (the first was by three points at the San Fernando Valley Invitational) by routing host LACES 78-51 on Friday’a momentum builder heading into Wednesday’s showdown against first-place Westchester, one of the top-ranked teams in the state. Nevels led the charge with 17 points, Fitts had 12 while Rico Matheney and Adam Griffin each added 10 points and Sam Stapleton had seven assists. Girls Soccer So far the Dolphins are wreaking havoc on the Western League, having outscored their first four opponents 27-2. LACES was the latest victim, falling 6-0 last Wednesday on two goals by Natasha Burks and one apiece from Samantha Elander, Kate Rosenbaum, Meredith Kornfeind and Yasmine Tabatabai. Boys Soccer A 2-0 victory over LACES last Wednesday at Stadium by the Sea kept Palisades (4-2-1, 4-0-1) atop the Western League standings going into Tuesday afternoon’s game at Westchester, which the Dolphins won 3-1.
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