Palisades Tennis Center players Blake Anthony, Josh Rosen and Krystal Hansard all took home first-place trophies at last week’s Palisades Junior Tennis Open–a tournament chock full of local talent. Anthony won the Boys 12s division Friday afternoon in a thrilling three-set final over fellow PTC player Jamison West to capture his first individual title of the summer. The 11-year-old Palisadian reached the singles final of the Beverly Hills Junior Open and the doubles final of the Oxnard Junior Open and also played No. 2 singles for his winning Brady Camp elite team in Santa Barbara. On the way to winning his hometown tournament, Anthony rallied to upset top-seeded Corey Karen, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 in the first round. In the final, Anthony and West traded groundstrokes from the baseline in the first two sets, which they split by 6-1 scores, before Anthony broke in the third to win, 6-3. Anthony was named the Area Sportsmanship Award winner for the 2005 junior, an honor given by the SCTA Junior Tennis Council to players exhibiting exemplary conduct both on and off the court. Anthony will be a sixth-grader at Corpus Christi this fall. Also winning matches in the Boys 12s draw were PTC players Robbie Bellamy, Derek Levchenko, Franco Rubio, Mark Cohrs, Alex Ghiannini and 9-year-old Eduardo Nava. Krystal Hansard entered both the Girls 14s and 16s divisions and reached the finals in both. She lost to Nicole Hung, 6-2, 6-4, in the 14s final but won the 16s division by default when her opponent, Kirsten Scott, withdrew. However, Hansard had already defeated Scott, 6-4, 7-5, in the semifinals of the 14s division before falling to eventual champion Nicole Hung. In the 16s, Hansard won her quarterfinal match in straight sets, then beat Palisades High player Kathryn Cullen, 6-2, 6-1, in the semifinals. Also in the Girls 16s, PTC player Rose Schlaff advanced to the round of 16 while Meagan Wilson, daughter of PTC youth program director Scott Wilson, played in both the 12s and 14s divisions. Palisades High’s Audrey Ashraf reached the semifinals of the girls 18s division. In the Boys’ 10s, PTC player Josh Rosen defeated Jackson Leipzig, 6-0, 6-2, in Friday’s final to cap an impressive run that included a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Brett Weisburg in the quarterfinals and a 6-1, 3-6, 6-0 win over Harrison Scott in the semifinals. Other PTC players in the division included 7-year-olds Lucas Bellamy and Diego Nava, each of whom won his first round match . In the Boys 14s, third-seeded Alex Baettig, who trains at the Palisades Tennis Center, advanced to the finals before falling to top-seeded Arthur Karagezian. Local players Sevy Urtiz, Connor Treacy, Oliver Thornton and Matthew Lee all won 14s matches. In the Boys’ 18s, PTC product Anthony Rollins advanced to the round of 16 along with Palisades High players Mason Hays and Michael Light. In the Boys’ 16s, PTC’s Trinity Thornton won his first two matches at love before being eliminated in the quarterfinals. Over 165 players in 10 age divisions entered the USTA-sanctioned event, which began last Monday and was played at the PTC courts and at Santa Monica High.

PALISADES HIGH FOOTBALL PREVIEW

The sound of whistles blowing and pads popping that reverberates through the tunnel at the north end of the Stadium by the Sea and sweeps across the quad of Palisades High’s campus every weekday afternoon is music to the ears of Head Coach Leo Castro. Practices are conducted with a purpose and intensity that the Dolphins’ pilot hopes will serve his team well when it kicks off the season just over two weeks from now. When he took over the football program in 2004, Castro was also the school’s athletic director and he admits that trying to do both jobs well was difficult at times. “I’m hoping my third season is a charm,” Castro said after Monday’s practice. “Now that they’ve hired a new athletic director [David Keyes], I can devote more time to this football team and this is the year I expect us to show real improvement.” One reason Castro is so optimistic has to do with the number of players on his roster. Pali’s varsity fielded just 35 players in Castro’s first season and all of 29 last year, leaving the Dolphins wafer thin at virtually every position. That will not be a problem this fall, with 54 players currently on the squad, including 17 returning lettermen. “We have four of our five offensive linemen back and three of our four defensive linemen back,” Castro said. “We have 26 seniors, three sophomores and the rest are juniors. With Mitchell [Schwartz] and Marsden [Burton] lined up next to each other that’s 600 pounds of weight to run behind. We intend to play in-your-face, smash-mouth football.” Schwartz (6-7, 305) will play offensive and defensive tackle while Burton (6-3, 335) will play offensive guard and defensive tackle. Fellow seniors Cesar Amaya (guard) and Shane Brando (tackle) will play on the strong side of the offensive line. Starting center Joshua Brookhim (6-1, 190) broke his nose in practice three weeks ago, so seniors Ruben Daniel (6-1, 230) and Ryan Lebowitz (5-10, 190) will platoon there along with junior Alejandro Medrano (the starting center on Pali’s frosh/soph team last year) until Brookhim’s return. “Our offensive line is much more experienced than last year and we’re coming off the ball much better and faster,” Schwartz said. “Last year, we had a lot of guys shifting around, but this group has been together through the spring and we know all the plays.” Recognizing the improvement Pali’s offensive line has made is the player it is assigned to protect: returning quarterback Raymond Elie. “Last year, our line couldn’t pick up a blitz,” Elie said. “I’ve already noticed a difference in practice. The game has really slowed down and it’s because our line has gotten much stronger and we all have a better understanding of what we’re supposed to do on each play.” His ability to escape from the pocket earned Elie the nickname “Lil Vick” last season in reference to Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick. In fact, Elie even has the monniker stenciled on his cleats. Despite his scrambling prowess, however, Elie will be using mostly three-step drops when he does pass, which won’t be often. “We have three tailbacks–and Raymond–who can all run the 40 in 4.6 seconds,” Castro said. “So if we pass three or four times a game, that’s a lot. Hopefully, when we do pass we can catch the other team off guard.” Elie said he will be happy to the ball off 40 times a game if that is what it takes to win. “I don’t mind not throwing the ball as much. I’ll still have opportunities to make some things happen because we have some roll outs and quarterback options in the playbook. I’ll do whatever the coaches ask. I just want to win.” While last year’s team was predicated more on size and strength, Elie thinks this year’s team is faster. “We can use our speed and quickness to our advantage,” he said. “Especially on defense. We have a lot of guys who can fly to the ball.” Despite the deeper roster, Elie is one of a dozen players who will play on both sides of the ball. During Monday”s practice, in fact, Elie spent more time covering receivers than he did throwing spirals. “I didn’t start playing quarterback until I was 9 whereas I’ve been playing defensive back since I was 7, so that’s really where I’m most comfortable,” Elie said. “So I like playing defense–as long as I get to play quarterback, too.” Like last season, Palisades’ best athletes will play both ways, only this time it will be more by design than necessity. “Obviously, we want to have as many of our best athletes on the field as we can at all times,” Castro said. “But we do have a longer bench, which is a luxury we haven’t had in the past, and hopefully we won’t be as tired in the fourth quarter.” Lining up behind Elie will be a bevy of talented senior running backs led by Robert Gillett, Deonte Baker, Dajuan Cofield, Geraldson Evangelista and Louis Asanda. “It’s up to us seniors to set the tone for the season,” said Gillett, whose versatility allows him to play wideout, slot receiver and linebacker in addition to tailback. “Last season was rough but we’re better because of it.” Palisades opens the season against Hollywood September 8 at Stadium by the Sea and Gillett claimed the Dolphins are focused solely on the Sheiks. “We’re thinking about Hollywood right now,” Gillett said. “We’re not looking past them. We’ll worry about the next opponent when that game is over.” Gillett will back up Elie at quarterback along with junior Michael Latt, who has impressed Castro so far with his accuracy during throwing drills. Joining Gillett at outside linebacker is senior Anthony Yarbourough. Several players are competing for the starting middle linebacker position. Wide receivers include Milton Strausberg, Michael Mendoza and Herbert Smith. Baker will line up at tight end in certain formations, along with Spencer Sacks, Sudsy Dyke and Rusty Miller. Roger Ramirez, a senior transfer from Belmont, will split time at fullback with junior Miles Nelson. “I can’t wait for the season to start,” said Ramirez, who will also play outside linebacker. “I definitely think we can win as many games as our coaches think we can.” The Dolphins posted a combined 4-16 mark in Castro’s first two seasons and failed to make the playoffs both times. This year, Castro said, eight wins is an attainable goal. “Realistically, we should go 8-2 and I don’t see any reason why we can’t get to the L.A. Coliseum (site of the City Section Championship game),” Castro said. “We took 27 of our linemen up to Stockton for a camp and they really improved. We have a lot of strength up the middle. Our league is one of the toughest in the City.” Castro’s biggest concern over the summer was finding a replacement for kicker/punter Esteban Moreno, who graduated in June. Into the fold stepped Joe Berman, a junior transfer from Windward High, where he was the placekicker on varsity last fall. Castro said Berman has punted well in practice and consistently makes 30-yard field goals. “Special teams is an aspect of the game that is often overlooked, but not by us,” Castro said. “We work on our punt and kickoff coverage every day in practice. Getting a kid like Joe [Berman] was a welcome surprise.” Castro’s son, Aaronn, returns as offensive coordinator but the rest of Pali’s staff is new. Donnell Williams, a 1992 PaliHi grad who went on to play at Santa Monica College and the University of Hawaii, is the Dolphins’ defensive coordinator, former UCLA defensive tackle Ron Evans is the defensive line coach and Bill Jacobson is handling the offensive line and special teams. “I love the new coaching staff. I have a lot of respect for them,” said Cofield, who was a member of Pali’s undefeated frosh/soph team three years ago. “They’ve done a great job getting us prepared and now it’s our job to get it done on the field.” Cofield, a flashy, slashing-style ball carrier, described Pali’s rushing attack as “Thunder and Lightning,” a term made popular last season by USC’s tailback tandem of Reggie Bush and LenDale White. “Deonte [Baker] is the thunder and I’m the lightning,” he said. “We’re going to wear a lot of teams down.” Cofield will also start at cornerback, the position he wants to play in college, and he said he already knows the playbook backwards and forwards. “I like to play defense because I like hitting people,” he said. Like Gillett, Cofield believes the seven losses Pali suffered last year will only serve to harden the team’s resolve. “What happened last year will only make us work harder,” he said. “We know we’re going to have to play really well to win. There’s no such thing as an easy game.” Asked who he thinks will be Pali’s toughest test in league, Cofield named perennial powers Venice and Westchester. “Venice always has a lot of talent and Westchester is our big rival. We play them [Westchester] on their homecoming, too, so that will be a challenge.” Frosh/Soph Despite losing all but 10 of his players to varsity, third-year coach Calvin Parker is confident his team can win “at least five games.” “We don’t have a lot of talent coming back but we have plenty of new talent,” Parker said. “Many of our kids have never played a down of tackle football in their life and even though there’s been improvement since July, it’s definitely still a learning experience.” Although Palisades had success throwing the ball last year, the Dolphins’ gameplan will primarily be to run the ball. “We’re a young team so we feel more comfortable moving the ball on the ground rather than through the air.” Parker said. “We’ll probably run about 70 percent of the time.” Sophomore Jake Rivera is the frontrunner to start at quarterback but fellow 10th-grader Robert Williams and freshman Josh Williams (no relation) are also in the running. Running backs will include sophomore Justin Sawai and freshman Tyquion Ballard while the receiving corp will be led by sophomores Brad Larson and Utopia Kates. Assisting Parker this season will be offensive and defensive line coach Mark Fearon, quarterbacks coach Chris Hawkes and running backs/receivers coach Mike Freeman. 2006 Palisades High Football Schedule Date Team Opponent Time Sept. 8 F/S Hollywood 4 p.m. Sept. 8 Varsity Hollywood 7 p.m. Sept. 14 F/S @ Santa Monica 3 p.m. Sept. 15 Varsity @ Santa Monica* 7 p.m. Sept. 21 F/S South Gate 4:15 p.m. Sept. 21 Varsity South Gate 7 p.m. Sept. 29 F/S @ Granada Hills 4 p.m. Sept. 29 Varsity @ Granada Hills 7 p.m. Oct. 6 F/S St. Monica 4:15 p.m. Oct. 6 Varsity St. Monica 7 p.m. Oct. 13 F/S University** 4 p.m. Oct. 13 Varsity University** 7 p.m. Oct. 19 F/S @ Hamilton** 3 p.m. Oct. 20 Varsity @ Hamilton** 3 p.m. Oct. 27 F/S Fairfax** 4 p.m. Oct. 27 Varsity Fairfax** 7 p.m. Nov. 3 F/S @ Westchester** 4 p.m. Nov. 3 Varsity @ Westchester** 7 p.m. Nov. 9 F/S @ Venice** 4 p.m. Nov. 9 Varsity @ Venice** 7 p.m. * at Santa Monica College ** Western League game

Palisadians Jackie Bowman and Jamie Marvil took second place twice last week in their first two beach volleyball tournaments ever. The California Beach Volleyball Association staged 12-and-under tournaments last Tuesday in Santa Barbara and Saturday in Hermosa Beach. The pair of 11-year-olds played three matches in Santa Barbara and five in Hermosa. Both Jackie, a 6th-grader at Calvary Christian, and Jamie, a 6th-grader at St. Martin of Tours in Brentwood, played indoors for Sunshine Volleyball Club’s Orange team, coached by Margie Young. They will try to make Sunshine’s 12-1s (Crimson) team this year. Playing off the success they enjoyed two weeks ago at the USA Beach Volleyball Junior Olympic Beach Championships, where they took second place in the U-12 division, Palisadian Hagen Smith and his partner, Kyle Baily of Huntington Beach, took second in Santa Barbara and third in Hermosa Beach. Son of pro beach volleyball legend Sinjin Smith, Hagen is only 11 but is growing accustomed to competing against older players. He will start sixth-grade at Corpus Christi in the fall.

Palisadian Chase Pekar won the Boys Open 16s Singles Division last week at the Oxnard Junior Open. In the quarterfinals, Pekar defeated fifth-seeded Zachary Scott of Santa Barbara. In the semifinals, he beat third-seeded Schuyler Siemens of Templeton. In the finals, Pekar upset top-seeded Alexander Gryaznov of Santa Barbara. Two weeks ago, Pekar was a finalist in the 16s at the 15th annual Southern California Junior Tennis event in Lakewood. After beating Henri Chomrou of Newport Beach in the quarterfinals and fourth-seeded Gary Paricher of Beverly Hills in the semifinals, Pekar lost to top-seeded Daniel Weingarten of San Marino. A sophomore at Palisades High, Pekar has decided not to play for the Dolphins in the spring in order to focus on his school work, private lessons with his coach and USTA tournaments. Pekar played singles as a freshman last season for PaliHi, which won the City Section championship.

Junior Lifeguards from Will Rogers State Beach showed off their prowess in a multitude of skills at the National Junior Lifeguard competition in Huntington Beach last Thursday. Los Angeles County had a 130 youths competing this year, as opposed to only 30 competing at last year’s Nationals in Virginia Beach, Virginia. According to Junior Lifeguard director Charlotte Graham, unlike the adult County guards, total scores are not kept for juniors, although medals are given to the top five finishers. Overall, LA County junior guards were as successful in their efforts as the adults, who won Nationals. Local guards from Will Rogers included Lacey Beattie in the AA group (16 & 17) who was the sixth girl to finish and the 11th overall for both males and females. Each beach competition has specific rules and the distance swim specifies that all competitors start on the beach with a line-up start and end on the beach with a funnel finish. Each swim distance is different for the AA and A Division the distance is 360 meters. Ben Lewenstein (14 & 15) was the fifth boy and seventh overall for both males and females in the A Division. He took a fourth place medal in the distance paddle. The board is 10-6 or smaller and the race starts at the water’s edge and ends as the paddler goes through a funnel finish with his board. Taking first place in the nation in the swim relay in the B’s (12 & 13) was a team from the County that included Will Roger guard Isabel Casso. Each entrant had to swim 200 meters. After swimming their individual leg of the relay, the exchange is a hand tag behind the Start/Finish line. Casso also took third in the distance swim, which is 300 meters, and third in the run-swim-run. The run-swim-run involves running on the sand 200 meters, swimming 200 meters and then running an additional 200 meters. In the C group, Liliana Casso had a tremendous meet by finishing second in the nation in the girls distance swim (250 meters) and second overall for both males and females. She placed third in the run 200 swim, 150 meter run and 200 meters and fourth in the swim relay. Also in that group was Will Rogers’ Lila Lewenstein, who was the 12th girl in distance swim and 18th overall. She finished fifth in the distance paddle, using a nine-foot soft board. C guard Tristan Marsh was part of the open water relay team with swimmers from Redondo Beach that finished fourth in the open water relay. He also was fourth in the boy’s distance swim and 10th overall. Riley Moore tied for 11th in the beach flags. Parents were enthusiastic about the event and the opportunity for their guards to compete with guards from areas as far away as Florida and New Jersey. “We got there at 7:30 and left at 4:30,” Casso’s mom, Cheryl Marino, said. “LA County did outstanding.” Paho Marsh, Tristan’s dad agreed that the competition was a positive experience and already knows next year’s Nationals are going to be held in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. “We’re already thinking about going next year,” Marsh said. “We’ve never been to Myrtle Beach.”

Nick Sherman and Will Danielson Are Reaping The Benefits of Their Fellow Palisadian’s Vision

Charlie Meister has an intense love of lacrosse. His infectious enthusiasm for the sport inspired him to organize the Los Angeles Lacrosse League six years ago and has watched it grow ever since. “Lacrosse still inspires me to be something better than I am today and I hope the boys and girls we introduce the game of lacrosse to through the LALL will be inspired to be one day better than they are.” If any two local players have benefited from the LALL, it is recent high school graduates Nick Sherman and Will Danielson. “If you took the best part of all the sports and put them into one, it would be lacrosse,” Sherman says. Sherman and Danielson were both part of a team that started in sixth grade when Meister took a chance and introduced the sport to the Palisades in 2000. Since then, its popularity has sky-rocketed both locally and throughout the Southland. “Lacrosse still inspires me to be something better than I am today,” Meister says. “I hope the boys and girls we introduce the game of lacrosse to through the LALL will be inspired to one day be better than they are.” Not only do they share the distinction of being teammates in the Palisades, but both Sherman and Danielson have another thing in common: both are going to college on lacrosse scholarships. Although the sport has a rich history on the East Coast, it is just catching on in California. Danielson describes his sport simply. “There are three attackers that can only go half field, three midfielders that can go the whole field, three defenders that must stay on half the field and a goalie,” he says. Meister’s vision came to him at Vons one day when a boy he knew told him “I’m 13 and can’t play baseball anymore.” When Meister asked why, he found out that the eight Bronco teams turn into one PPBA Pony team, meaning the number of kids who can continue to play baseball is limited. “Have you heard of lacrosse?” Meister asked the boy. “I’m going to start a league.” In 1999, he did just that. Like Sherman and Danielson, Meister was exposed to the sport at a young age, but it was much easier for him growing up on Long Island. Like his two brothers, he was wooed by several colleges like Harvard, Cornell and the University of Virginia. And, like them, he eventually chose Brown where he played goalie and was chosen the goalie of the decade for the 1980s. After graduating, Meister continued his education by pursuing a graduate degree at USC in 1990 in entrepreneurial studies and marketing. Meister and Tim Rider, who also grew up and Long Island and attended Brown, gave demonstrations at local elementary schools. “If we showed kids the game, I knew they’d want to play,” Meister says. “To build a great lacrosse league, you have to start a youth program.” Meister’s dad was a union construction worker in New York and wanted his sons to play sports and go to college. One day, the oldest brother came home and told his dad that boys his age weren’t playing baseball anymore, they had switched to lacrosse. Charlie’s dad had a fit but finally compromised by agreeing to let his boys play both sports. By the end of the year, both father and sons were hooked. When Charlie was In second grade, he received a wooden stick from Santa Claus. His older brothers played in the backyard with a homemade goal and a tennis ball. “When I asked to play with them, they had one condition, he recalls. “If you want to play, you have to be goalie.” Perhaps no one has benefited more from Meister’s vision than Sherman. “I was at St. Matthew’s and Charlie came over and did a demonstration for P.E.,” says Sherman, who lives in Mandeville Canyon and experiments with other sports like football, baseball, volleyball and even water polo. “I’m experimental with my sports. Lacrosse is, without a doubt, the most encompassing game and the only sport I’ve ever stuck with.” Sherman has clearly found his niche. He is an attacker who says the most important qualities needed to succeed in his sport are agility, good footwork and good field vision. A lacrosse player also needs good stick skills and, among other things, an ability to swing the stick ever so slightly to keep the ball in the net while running. In order to score, which is what attackers do, Sherman describes the throwing process: “It’s very much like a baseball pitcher, you have shoot and score with good momentum and technique, using your whole body.” Sherman likes lacrosse because anyone can play. “You can be any size or weight and still be a good player,” he says. In terms of the mental side of the game, Sherman says: “Sometimes I’ll be friendly with the defenders. Other times, “I totally get on their nerves and they overcommit and I can get around them.” Sherman, who graduated from St. Monica in the spring, started on Palisades’ club lacrosse team and played with that group until Palisades High became a CIF program last year, meaning he could no longer play with them. So he subsequently joined the Malibu club lacrosse team. Sherman was recruited by Oberlin College, a Division III school in Ohio considered to have one of the best liberal arts programs in the country. In July, he was selected to play on Team USA California in a seven-day tournament in Ontario, Canada. Out of seven games, his team won five, losing to Tokyo and Ontario while beating squads from as far away as Ireland and Finland. This summer, Sherman has lifted weights and worked on his agility training, combining shorter distance sprints with footwork. He runs four to six miles two days a week and also plays in pickup lacrosse games in Mar Vista and Westchester. When asked about the recent scandal involving the Duke University men’s programl, he admits that he’s been asked a lot of questions. “It’s annoying,” he says. “Finally there’s some press about lacrosse, but it’s not the press I’d want. It’s sad the way that school is tarnished.” Sherman credits Meister with helping him get into Oberlin by offering him lacrosse. “He’s the man who started it all. He’s the godfather.” Danielson agrees: “I lived in the Palisades until I was six and then we moved to Charlottesville, Virginia. In the fourth grade, I started playing lacrosse, then we moved back to the Palisades when I was 12 and the one thing I was worried I was going to miss was lacrosse.” Luckily, that was the same year that Meister started his league and Danielson, who enrolled at Calvary Christian, was able to keep playing. “I was so excited when I heard there was a league,” he says. Danielson had been playing midfield, using a long stick. When Meister saw Danielson play he told him: “A guy who knows what he’s doing should be using a short stick.” So Danielson switched. Danielson graduated from Oaks Christian in the spring. As a freshman and sophomore he played on a club team, where his freshman team went undefeated and took third in the state. When Danielson was a junior, lacrosse became a CIF sport. Last year, the team finished second in the Condor league. In high school, Danielson also played football but he insists lacrosse is his first love. “Lacrosse is my sport,” he says. “I’ve known since I was in seventh and eighth grade that I was going to college in lacrosse.” This past year, Danielson was recruited by Yale and several other universities, but ultimately decided on Syracuse University, a Division I school, where he received a scholarship. In the last 24 years, the Syracuse lacrosse team has reached the NCAA Final Four 23 times. In preparation for his freshman season, Danielson works out for an hour and half six days a week. This summer he went to a senior showcase in St. Louis, where the 96 best players in the country are invited to play. “It was a great honor,” he says. Now, the sport all three Palisadians play and love is one of the fastest growing sports in Southern California. Recently, L.A. Lacrosse received a grant from the Amateur Athletic Foundation to expand. The current program was cited as exemplary because of its inclusivity. “We patterned it after AYSO,” Meister says. “Field space is difficult to get but the Field of Dreams has been great. If only we had more field space, we could get more kids playing.”