The annual Palisadian-Post Football Contest, giving readers a chance to predict upcoming game winners, is back in season.

“Every week, the Palisadian-Post will have a selection of NFL and college football games,” according to the contest rules. “Check the team you think will win each game. The person with the most correct picks wins. In the event there is a tie, the tie-breaker will be used to determine the winner.”

There is an online submission process, making it easier than ever to participate. Contestants can simply download or copy their entry form, fill in their picks, take a photo and email it back to footballcontest@palipost.com by the 5 p.m. Friday deadline. The contest runs through the end of the NFL regular season.

The deadline to enter for Week 13 is November 28 at 5 p.m. The entry form will be posted no later than Thursday each week on the Post website, Facebook and Instagram.

Only one entry per person per contest will be accepted. Winners will receive a $10 gift card by email from our new contest sponsor, The Yogurt Shoppe (located at 11726 Barrington Ct. in Brentwood Village). The Post thanks The Yogurt Shoppe for allowing us to continue this 30-year-old tradition.

Good luck to all participants and happy prognosticating!

Pali High Cross Country Squads Sweep City Championships; Cohen Wins Boys Race  

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

As Zach Cohen rounded the final turn and headed down the hill to the finish chute he could hear spectators lining the course screaming for him to turn it on. He did just that, sprinting the last 50 yards to take first place in the Division I race of the City Section cross country championships  November 20 at Elysian Park­—the first time the meet has ever been held on the hilly 5K route near Dodger Stadium.

Cohen, who was runner-up in the 3200 meters at the City Track and Field Championships in the spring, would not settle for second this time, surging to the lead in the second mile and warding off challenger Joaquin Ortega-Tomasel from Granada Hills and Hunter Bennett from Taft to win by more than three seconds in 16:24.4.

“This is the toughest course I’ve ever been on but this was my race to win,” an out-of-breath Cohen gasped upon being helped to his feet by teammate Ethan Funk, who was fourth in 16:38.3. “It’s exactly how I wanted to play it… stay easy at first and when it starts winding down, just go!”

Cohen was fourth as a freshman when Max Fields won in 2022­ (the last Dolphin male to claim the individual title) and his gutsy effort helped the boys capture their fifth team crown in a row while completing Palisades’ sweep of the Division I races (the eighth title for both programs). In the previous race that afternoon, the girls dethroned Granada Hills.

Theo Mayeda was eighth in 17:00.7 while Jackson Taylor was 12th in 17:26.4, thus giving the Dolphins four runners in the top 15. Justin Funk (17:40.1) and Lajus Collins (17:41.5)  were 19th and 20th and Andrew Razo (18:45.0) rounded out the Dolphins’ lineup. In the end, Palisades won with a score of 44 points, 14 fewer than second-place Taft.

Cohen clocked the fastest City time this season, but when the preliminaries were canceled due to weather, seedings were based off of league finals results and Cohen was second to Taylor at the Western League Finals on Nov. 5 at Pierce Colleg.                      

While the air horn was blown to begin the boys race, Palisades’  girls were almost done wrapping up the girls title using the formula that served them well all season: consistency. Unlike the boys, the girls did not have the City’s fastest runner but they had the best team, as six Dolphins placed in the top 20, paced by senior Daila Harinck, who was seventh in 20:49.0. Senior Louisa Mammen (21:16.7), freshman Maribel Henderson-Maclennan (21:21.0) and junior Zoey Morris (21:22.3) placed 10th, 11th and 12th while ninth-grader Maya Bhasin (21:45.3) and  10th-grader Eleanor Mammen (21:52.8) came in 17th and 18th, respectively. The Dolphins’ seventh runner, junior Kendal Shaver, had a hand in the victory as well by outkicking Granada Hills’ sixth runner Isobelle Zambranoin the final strides.

When the scores were tallied Palisades (56) held a comfortable 16-point margin over runner-up Taft and was 25 points clear of defending champion Granada Hills.

North Hollywood’s Ananya Balaraman repeated as champion in 19:28.6, nine seconds ahead of Granada Hills’ Samantha Pacheco    who was second to Balaraman last fall and second to Morris two years ago at Pierce.

Having swept Division I for the second time in three years, Palisades heads to Saturday’s state meet at Woodward Park in Fresno.

—– Click on any photo below to view slide show —–

Seniors Nicole Nguyen and Anne Kelly could not have dreamed of a better way to cap off their Palisades High tennis careers than teaming up to win the City Section Individual doubles title November 20 at Balboa Sports Center in Encino. The Dolphins duo rallied to defeat Marshall’s Sascha Carmichael and Sophie Welch, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, in the finals two weeks after sweeping all three sets at the No. 1 spot to help Palisades claim its 30th team championship and sixth in the Open Division. Fellow seniors Ella Engel and Anais Israels took third place in doubles with a 6-2, 7-5 victory over Chatsworth sisters Megan and Riley Park and Maria Kandinova won the third-place singles match with a 6-2, 7-5 victory over Juniper Chao of GALA.    

Despite a disappointing 42-21 loss to Garfield in a downpour in the City Section Open Division quarterfinals November 14 it was a successful season for the Palisades High football team.

The Dolphins finished 10-0 in regular season play (5-0 in Western League action), retained the Charter Bowl trophy and earned the No. 4 seed in the top playoff division.

Jack Thomas put up numbers most quarterbacks can only dream about, completing 183 of 299 attempts for 3,284 yards passing with 43 touchdowns and three interceptions. Demare Dezeurn was an impact player on both sides of the ball, catching 64 passes for 1,372 yards and 21 touchdowns and intercepting five passes for 257 yards and three touchdowns. Linebacker Enzo Allen paced the defense with 121 tackles (31 solo), two sacks and six pass deflections and kicker Cooper Schwartz converted 36 of 41 extra point tries.      

Coach Dylen Smith has a 28-7 record in three seasons while leading the Dolphins to two league titles and two Open berths.

Paul Revere Middle School will hold its 10th Annual 5K Fun Run on Sunday, December 7 at 8:30 a.m. The event is open to students, parents, teachers, alumni and the community at large.

Registration is $25 per runner. All proceeds will go toward the Paul Revere P.R.I.D.E./Booster Club fund that implements programs to enhance the educational experience at Revere—bringing opportunities that go beyond the standard LAUSD curriculum and reflect the strength and diversity of Revere’s vibrant school family.

All participants receive a t-shirt and there will be a DJ, prizes, raffle and refreshments. This year’s co-chairs are Revere parents Michele Vanger, Natalie Khoury, Alana Katz and Samantha Humphries. PE Teacher and cross country Coach Paul Foxson will MC and run the event. The sponsors are V&A Law Firm Natural Pilates and Juice Crafters.

The circular 3.1-mile route is the same as last year­—roughly two laps around the campus.

More than 150 participated last year when 32-year-old Ripley Sellers won in 19:24. Sign up now at paulreverems.lausd.org.5K.

Pali High Water Polo Team Defeats Granada Hills at Valley College to Capture Its 18th City Crown

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

Teammates were calling Aidan Moriarty the “brick wall” after his performance in the City Section Division I boys water polo finals  November 12 at Valley College.

The Palisades High goalie used cat-like reflexes to stop 12 shots—including four on one possession in the fourth quarter—and saved the day for the Dolphins, who held off top-seeded Granada Hills 8-7 to claim their 18th City crown—by far the most of any school.      

“Being a goalie is all about confidence… if you tell yourself you are going to block every shot, you will,” said Moriarty, who plays the same position in soccer. “I was just trying to give us a chance to win. It’s the best feeling in the world when you make those saves and your team cheers for you!”

Hudson Mirzadeh got the Dolphins on the board first with a skip shot 21 seconds into the contest. Granada Hills anwered with two quick goals but Mirzadeh and Reed Winters put Palisades up 3-2 and after the Highlanders tied it Winters ripped the back of the net on a five-meter shot to make it 4-3.

Palisades increased its lead to 6-3 by half-

time on long range shots by Mirzadeh and Sean Ellis and Mirzadeh’s fourth goal made it 703 early in the third quarter. When Moriarty got his arm out to deflect a five-meter attempt it appeared the third-seeded Dolphins (19-13) were home free but Granada Hills scored twice in the third quarter and again early in the fourth before Moriarty worked his magic, thwarting four shots from point-blank range in a span of 10 seconds to keep his team ahead.

Mirzadeh fought off a double-team to tally his fifth goal with 1:24 left but the Highlanders crept back within one 10 seconds later and nearly netted the equalizer in the final seconds but a shot clanged off the crossbar.

“After my first shot I saw an open pocket under the goalie’s arm and tried going there,” Mirzadeh said. “One million percent not putting us in the Open Division is a disrespect and we’re not gonna take that!”   

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

Basketball season has tipped off and Palisades High’s boys and girls teams are expected to contend for the City Section Open Division championship in late February.

After losing to Chatsworth in the  Open Division semifinals last winter, the boys are poised to win the program’s third section title and first since winning Division I five years ago. Highlighting second-year head coach Jeff Bryant’s talented group are junior captains, guard Jack Levey and forward/center Julian Cunningham, guard WIll Petoyan and 6-foot-6 twin guards OJ and EJ Popoola, who transferred from out of state over the summer. The boys dropped their opener to Village Christian 96-68 Saturday and lost to Loyola 69-58 Monday in a Section Crossover game at North Hollywood.

First-year girls coach LeBre Merritt has a group of returners who are motivated after falling to league rival Hamilton in the Open semifinals last season.

The Dolphins lost Saturday’s season opener to Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 65-50 and fell to Bakersfield Liberty 52-48 Monday in pool play of the Battle at the Beach at Redondo Union. Senior guard Elly Tierney had 26 points.

Leah Philias, Ayla Teegardin and Miley Kinney are the other seniors and will be complemented by juniors Olivia Lewis, Riley Oku, Rhe’yanna Zeigler and Braelyn Manumaleuna.

“I’m excited,” Tierney said. “We have fun on and off the court. Our goal is to go all the way.”

Both teams are hoping to be able to practice and host games in the Pali High gym by the start of Western League play.