Nearly 30 years have passed since the original, but as Netflix put it: “Happy Gilmore isn’t done with golf—not by a long shot.”
Palisadian Adam Sandler is back to star as the titular character in “Happy Gilmore 2,” the long-awaited sequel to the 1996 sports comedy, which will be available to stream on Netflix beginning Friday, July 25.
Happy Gilmore returns as the former hockey player who discovered an unexpected talent for golf. Now retired, he finds himself pulled back into the world of competitive golf where he needs to help pay tuition for his daughter Vienna’s ballet school. Vienna is a young dancer with big aspirations played by Sandler’s real-life daughter Sunny.
The movie was directed Kyle Newacheck, and Sandler co-wrote the script with Tim Herlihy. The project is produced by Happy Madison Productions, owned by Sandler, which is the company behind movies such as “50 First Dates,” “Grown Ups,” “Murder Mystery” and “You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah.”
Several original cast members are returning to their roles: Julie Bowen as Virginia Venit, Christopher McDonald is back as Shooter McGavin and Ben Stiller as Hal L.
The film features new characters as well. Filmmaker Benny Safdie and music star Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, aka Bad Bunny, join the cast, with Bad Bunny playing Happy’s new caddy. In addition, Sandler’s wife Jackie and older daughter Sadie also appear.
“Happy Gilmore 2” also features many celebrity and athlete cameos. Golf figures Rory McIlroy, Jack Nicklaus, Brooks Koepka and Nelly Korda make cameos, alongside artists Eminem and Post Malone, athletes Reggie Bush and Travis Kelce, and sportscaster Dan Patrick.
Former Honorary Mayor of Pacific Palisades Kevin Nealon is also set to appear in the film.
Filming began on September 9, 2024, and wrapped on December 10, 2024. Production took place across New Jersey, with scenes shot at golf courses, schools, restaurants and town centers, bringing new life to Happy’s journey.
Methodist Preschool Continues Programming Following Palisades Fire
By ALEC HARRISON | Contributing Writer
On Tuesday, January 7, Methodist Preschool of Pacific Palisades, affectionately known as MPS, welcomed families back after their three-week winter break. The preschool children, aged 2 to 5 years old, rushed through the school doors at 9 a.m., excited to be reunited with their friends and teachers to share stories of their vacations away from school.
They were also particularly thrilled to begin working in the newly constructed garden-to-table atelier, a beautiful kitchen space that had been designed for the children and was due to be completed that very day. Although a little blustery as the seasonal Santa Ana winds had started, all the children were ready to dive back into work and play.
Methodist Preschool has been a huge part of the Pacific Palisades community, with thousands of families passing through its famous blue doors over the years. The school is attached to the Community United Methodist Church of Pacific Palisades (the founding building in the Palisades), and the preschool was started in 1945. The preschool was due to celebrate its 80th anniversary this year.
Around 10:30 a.m. that day, the school’s administration team began to see smoke coming from the neighboring mountains and soon learned that a wildfire had broken out. It was clear that the fire was spreading fast, and the strong winds exacerbated the situation.
In an abundance of caution, the children’s families were contacted and alerted to come and pick up their children. The school closed, and the children, families and teachers made their way to their cars.
Little did they know that this would be the last time they would set foot on the grounds of their beloved school. Unfortunately, the fire ended up devastating much of Pacific Palisades, and the homes of virtually all of the preschool families. By the following evening, the school building was gone.
“The whole school community was in complete and utter shock,” Methodist Preschool Director Laura Bieber said. “We were all completely devastated about what had happened to our school, to our community and to our families. After the initial shock had passed, our first thought was, ‘How can we get our families back together?’”
Immediately, the administrative team started reaching out to their LA educator network to see if anyone had any space they could utilize. Fortunately, Palisades Preschool of Santa Monica responded to offer a potential space in its facility. By the following Wednesday, Methodist Preschool had set up temporary classrooms, and were ready to be reunited with their families and children.
There were a lot of tears from the parents on that first day, as everyone was seeing each other for the first time since being displaced. The children were so happy to see their friends and teachers after everything that had happened. All the school wanted was to provide stability to their families and children during this turbulent time.
After a couple of months of searching for a new location to house the school while the Palisades rebuilds, MPS has settled in a beautiful location in West LA.
“We were so intent on finding the perfect space, a place that would really uphold our mission, and we truly believe we have found that,” Bieber said.
MPS is now located in a building that was previously a preschool attached to another Methodist Church. After spending some weeks preparing the new facility and creating an outdoor space and garden to uphold the school’s nature-based philosophy, the school was ready to open its doors once again.
“We have only been in the space a few weeks, and although we miss our school in the Palisades desperately, we couldn’t have asked for a better location for our children and families,” Bieber said.
The school is now in the swing of summer, offering its popular summer camp program and ready to welcome its families back in the fall. It has limited available spaces and is able to welcome a few new families in the fall.
“It has certainly been an unforgettable year, but what it has shown us is the importance of community,” Bieber concluded. “When you have a strong and supportive community, like we do at MPS and in the Palisades, you can truly get through anything.”
Anyone interested in touring Methodist Preschool’s new West LA location can reach out to Admissions Director Flynn Aldis at flynn@methodistpreschool.com. Alec Harrison is assistant director of MPS.
Kristine Granz (center) Photos courtesy of Kristine Granz
Palisades Collective Has a Mission to ‘Rebuild, Uplift and Unite’ Through a Line of Hats and Necklaces
BY AUDREY SMITH | Intern
Looking for a way to bring her community together—while raising funds for local fire relief efforts—Marquez Knolls resident Kristine Granz created Palisades Collective, which offers a line of hats and necklaces.
“At Palisades Collective, we believe in the strength of community—especially when it’s tested by fire,” read the brand’s website. “Born from the ashes of the recent blaze that swept through the Palisades in Los Angeles, our mission is simple: to rebuild, uplift and unite through the power of jewelry.”
Palisades Strong necklace
The idea of Palisades Collective took shape one month after the Palisades fire, when Granz gave out custom “Palisades Strong” hats as favors at her daughter Kayla’s bat mitzvah.
“People kept asking me where they could get one,” Granz recalled.
Guests also asked about the matching “Palisades Strong” necklaces worn by Granz and her two daughters, Kayla and Cassidy.
“I thought, ‘Let’s just make some more of them,’” Granz said. “And this time, let’s fundraise and give back to something important to us.”
She produced more hats and necklaces with the help of her friends who work in jewelry and merchandising, and used the proceeds to support the Palisades’ recovery. Palisades Collective officially launched on Valentine’s Day.
“It was born from a desire to rebuild with purpose, to unite the community and to connect people,” Granz said.
In its first month, all proceeds were donated to Marquez Charter Elementary School, where both of her daughters had attended. Since then, Granz and her daughters have chosen a different local cause each month to support.
“The mission is also deeply personal to our daughters,” read the Palisades Collective website. “Having grown up in the Palisades, they want to give back to the schools, parks and places that shaped their childhood. As we grow, our goal is to expand our support to the institutions that have meant the most to them and so many others in our community.”
Granz and her husband bought their first home together in the Palisades in 2008, according to the Palisades Collective website.
“The devastating Palisades fire uprooted us, forcing difficult decisions about where to live and how to move forward,” the website continued. “Through it all, one thing remained clear: the strength of our neighbors, the kindness of friends and the unwavering love we have for this place.”
Limited edition Fourth of July hats
Palisades Collective has also participated in fundraising events: They had a pop-up at the first block party in the community following the fire, hosted by Palisades Garden Cafe, and a pop-up at a Palisades Strong event on the Santa Monica Pier.
Granz has hosted a Mahjong party at her temporary home in Brentwood to raise money for Palisades Charter High School and a succulent-making party, catered by Gracias Señor and La La Land, to raise money for Pali High’s baseball team.
Inspired by community traditions in the Palisades, two limited-edition Fourth of July hats are available on the website.
“This is a way for people to still feel that Palisades spirit, even if things look different right now,” Granz reflected.
In addition to the Palisades-centric items, there are also LA Strong necklaces and hats, as well as hats that read Malibu Strong. There is a necklace with the Palisades’ zip code, 90272, as well as a necklace that says Pali.
“It’s not about the merchandise,” Granz said. “It’s about knowing I’m connected to all of these people, and we’re in this together.”
The collection is available at wearethepalisadescollective.com and Rosewood Miramar in Montecito.
Running the second “Unofficial Palisades 5K” on July 4 through the streets of the Huntington were (pictured clockwise from top left): Camila Cordara, James Kanoff, Chase Klein, Chad Kanoff, Beau Barnett, Spencer Sawai, Chris Groel, Mike Hart, Ty Gilhuly and Dylan Coleman Photo: Jillian Apel
Patriotic Palisadians Return to Huntington Neighborhood to Run Familiar Will Rogers 5K Course on Fourth of July
By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor
Honoring a proud tradition is what a group of Palisadians sought out to do the morning of July 4. They did not just go the extra mile, they went three extra miles to show the spirit of their hometown is alive and well.
As a tribute to the Palisades Will Rogers 5 & 10K Run, which has been the way countless residents have begun the town’s Independence Day festivities for nearly half a century, 10 individuals met at the intersection of Toyopa and Alma Real Drive to participate in the second “Unofficial” Pali 5K,” despite the “official” race being relocated to Venice Beach in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire in January.
The original “Unofficial Pali 5K” took place four years ago during the coronavirus pandemic, which forced the cancellation of the Palisades Will Rogers Run for two years in a row. Dylan Coleman came up withthe idea of a substitute race and it was his social media influence thatmotivated 16 people to run the 5K course that starts and ends at the Palisades Recreation Center.
Coleman was happy to share with the Palisadian-Post the genesis of the “Unofficial Pali 5K.”
“Back in 2021 when COVID-19 canceled our beloved race we decided to throw our own,” the 2013 Palisades High School alum said. “It wasn’taffiliated with Will Rogers in any way. I created an Instagram account (@unofficialpali5k) to announce the make-up race and spread the word to the community. Everyone was welcome as the goal was to keep the tradition alive. My job as commissioner was simple: I chalked the route, catered post-race snacks and even designed a medal for the first place finisher, Spencer Sawai. My job was done. The 2021 ‘Unofficial Pali 5K’ was run and we were tracking to go back to the normal race in 2022.”
Palisadians (ll-r) Dylan Coleman, Spencer Sawai and Chris Groel at the Venice 5K on the Fourth of July. Photo: Jillian Apel
After a two-year hiatus, the Palisades Will Rogers Run did resume as normal in 2022—until another disaster jeopardized the annual race.
“Fast-forward to January 7th, 2025,” Coleman recalled. “That Tuesday night will live with us forever. Getting confirmation that our house was gone was devastating. The Palisades responded by showing its true colors. We’re a hardworking community that came together and helped our neighbors with any needs necessary. To this day, all the love and support is still here.”
Coleman, who was born and raised in the Palisades, felt compelled to act once more on behalf of his community.
“With July only months away, we suspected that the official Will Rogers Run was not likely to happen this year in the Palisades,” he said. “Once we got confirmation that Venice was hosting it was a no-brainer to login to the Instagram account and send out a blast to notify our followers we were coming back for 2025.”
“Chris Groel and I met the Thursday before to chalk the race route and prepare for the following day,” he continued. “This race wouldn’t have been possible without his help. Chalking the route is no easy job and there was a lot of hard work behind the scenes. We measured the race by memory and via smart watches: We didn’t want to run on Sunset so we tweaked the route just a little for an extra loop on Pampas Ricas.”
Early the next morning, Coleman met Groel, Spencer Sawai and Chad Kanoff in Venice to participate in the official 5K (which started at 7 a.m.) and upon completing that race they promptly drove to Alma Real Drive in the Huntington to get their own race going. Joining them were some of their lifelong friends from local schools, camps and youth sports teams.
Coleman, Groel and Sawai all graduated from Pali High in 2013 while Kanoff, Ty Gilhuly, Mike Hart and Chase Klein all graduated the same year from Harvard-Westlake High in Studio City. Rounding out the field were Beau Barnett, a 2012 graduate of Le Lycée in West LA), Kanoff’s younger brother James (a 2017 Harvard-Westlake alum) and Chad’s girlfriend Camila Cordara from Argentina.
Rustic Canyon’s own Ty Gilhuly won the second “Unofficial Palisades 5K” on the Fourth of July in 23:14. Photo: Dylan Coleman
“I couldn’t convince Camila to come to the 7 a.m. official race, but Ithankfully got her and some others to come for the unofficial,” said Chad, who was selected Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year after a record-breaking senior season at Princeton in which he broke the school record for career passing yards (7,510) and set league records for single-season passing yardage (3,474) and completion percentage (73.2%). “We love the race!
Coleman, who ran the official 5K race in Venice in 26:08 (good enough for 16th place out of 36 runners in age division), made sure the national anthem was sung and the runners were given some course tips.
The clock struck 9:30 a.m. and the race was on.
“Truthfully, it felt a little bit heavy navigating through the Huntington streets, a beautiful neighborhood that was very deeply affected by the fire,” Coleman said. “Some homeowners were out on their lawns giving us support and that made it all worth it. We just wanted some normalcy after this horrible year.”
Gilhuly and Sawai (the 2021 “unofficial” champion) battled it out for first place before Gilhuly shifted to a higher gear at the very end to win in 23 minutes and 14 seconds. He was subsequently awarded the first-place medal courtesy of Shakespeare Engravings in Santa Monica.
Coleman grew up in the El Medio Bluffs; Groel in the Highlands; Sawai in upper El Medio; Klein in the Via Bluffs; the Kanoffs above the Bel-Air Bay Club; Gilhuly in Rustic Canyon; Barnett in the Riviera; and Hart on Bristol Avenue. It was heartbreaking to Coleman, Klein and the Kanoffs to see their childhood homes lost. Groel, Barnett, Hart and Gilhuly were more fortunate as their houses were saved.
Coleman played soccer and lacrosse at Palisades and his goalkeeping propelled the Dolphins to the City Division I soccer finals his senior in 2013 when he posted seven shutouts in 17 games.
Sawai played football and lacrosse at Pali High; Klein played football and volleyball at Harvard-Westlake and went on to play outside hitter for the men’s volleyball team at NYU. He is now a Senior Producer at Fox Sports. Gilhuly was the leading scorer for the Harvard-Westlake boys soccer team his senior year and later played on the University of Michigan club team.
Groel, who played football and lacrosse at Pali High and won the Post Cup Award as the school’s outstanding senior athlete, went on to be a four-year starter on the lacrosse team at Rutgers.
“This tradition technically started during COVID 19 but the spirit of the race goes back much further,” Groel sad. “I’ve personally participated in the Palisades 5K every year since 2007 aside from a fluke in 2018 when I may have spent a little too much time on the BABC dance floor the night before and completely missed the start time. Every year it’s the same beloved routine: wake up far too early with zero interest in running, throw on the most absurd red, white and blue outfit we can find, meet up with whoever makes up “the team” that year and head to the start line. During the race we’d yell out to [photographer] Rich Schmitt in hopes of making the Pali Post cover (I think we actually did once in high school), hoot and holler through the run, catch upwitholdfaces, finishwithno real impressive time, take the required group photo at the finish, grab Noah’s bagels and talk about plans for the rest of the day. It’s been a tradition for well over a decade—and one that, to me, represents the absolute best way to start the Fourth of July. It’s silly, wholesome, challenging and deeply rooted in the community. We see our old teachers, former PPBA coaches, campers we once counseled, everyone in one place. It embodies what makes the Palisades special.”
Groel has been on board since the inception of the “Unofficial Pali 5K.”
“When COVID canceled the race for the first time, Dylan stepped up to create the unofficial 5K to make sure that even without an official race, we could still carry out our tradition—early wakeup, run through the Palisades, bagels, and celebration,” continued Groel, who now lives in Santa Monica with his girlfriend and fellow Pali High graduate Camille Castaneda, whose dad is one of the owners of Cafe Vida. Now, post-fire, we knew we had to “run” it back again. The homes and buildings may have changed but the spirit of the Palisades hasn’t. We want to show and preserve that.”
Chad Kanoff played in the Pacific Palisades Baseball Association from Pinto through Pony, attended St. Matthew’s School and starred as thequarterback at Harvard-Westlake, where he threw for 3,400 yards as a senior. He ended his career with 85 touchdowns (running and passing).
He just started a new internship, has been at Stanford Business School and is working at Angeleno Group, a Los Angeles-based clean energy investor. James, has a start-up company called Terradot that does soilcarbon removal, so both brothers are in the energy transition world.
“James and I have been running the Will Rogers race for as long as I can remember,” Chad said. “I used to do the 10K and tried to win it up until about eighth grade but now I feel much too old and just do the 5K. When you’ve done something for so long it’s a habit and a tradition and I really lament the few years I’ve been somewhere else on July 4 since the Palisades is my favorite place to be for it and the morning race is a big part of that. Growing up, we spent so many days playing baseball, basketball and every sport imaginable at the park.”
Spencer Sawai with his medal and bottles of Martinelli’s after winning the first “Unofficial Palisades 5K” in 2021.. Photo: Dylan Coleman
Kanoff was only 25 when he scored the first touchdown in Los Angeles Wildcats history on a quarterback keeper in the franchise’s XFL opener versus the Houston Roughnecks in 2020.
“Chris [Groel] has been picking us up and taking us to the Will Rogers race for probably the last 10 years as our parents’ house was on the way from the Highlands,” Chad added. “Then normally we’d meet up with our sisters and parents and now sadly deceased dog afterwards. It’s a highlight every year so even with no town this year we wanted to keep the tradition alive.”
James Kanoff played football and soccer for the Wolverines and went on to attend Stanford University.
Now 30, Coleman works in fashion and merchandising. In retrospect, he felt duty-bound doing what he did but admits he hopes this year’s “Unofficial Pali 5K” is the last.
“Listen, I don’t like organizing these unofficial races, but when nature calls we come back swinging,” he said. “Our houses may have burned, but our streets did not. I hope I never throw an Unofficial Pali 5k again. The Palisades means everything to us and we just wanted to show our support back.”
Groel added: “Without Dylan, the Unofficial Pali 5K would never have happened. Like he said, we hope we never have to do it again, but if we do we’ll be ready.”
Mike Voelkel coached the Dolphins to more than 300 victories and 11 Western League crowns in his 18 seasons. Photo: Steve Galluzzo
By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor
All good things must come to an end and for Mike Voelkel that day was July 7 when he submitted his resignation as the head baseball coach atPalisades High.
In his 18 seasons at the helm Voelkel built the Dolphins into one of the LA City Section’s most consistent programs, posting an impressive 316-196-3 overall record, 11 Western League titles and an Open Division championship appearance at Dodger Stadium in 2019. Even more than the on-field success, however, was the way he conducted himself and represented the school, culminating in his being selected a CIF State Model Coach of the Year for 2024-25.
“I understand you’re judged by won-loss record but the Model Coach Award means more to me than winning 300 games or making the Hall fo Fame,” he said. “It justifies I tried to meet those high standards, pursuing victory with honor and playing by the rules. I didn’t recruit. Our players always had high GPAs. I developed the talent we had and that’s what I’m most proud of.”
Although he is stepping away from baseball, Voelkel continues his job in the athletic departmentand will teach six P.E. classes for another two years until he retires. In the aftermath of the Palisades Fire in January the baseball field has been cemented over to create space for portable classrooms as part of campus rebuilding efforts.
“I do understand the situation created by the fire, I just wish they could’ve had another plan for the bungalows,” said Voelkel, who despite having to move his practices to Cheviot Hills Rec Center and rescheduling for all road games in the spring, guided the Dolphins to an 18-11 record and into the Division I quarterfinals.“Given the forecast of running a program under the circumstancesI just don’t have the energy to see this team through years of renovation. It’s time for someone new.”
He leaves big shoes to fill. On his watch the Dolphins made the upper division playoffs 14 times, won 20 or more games six times and reeled off 72 consecutive league wins from 2017 to 2024.
The 63-year-old has coached every level starting in 1983 and cherishes relationships he has built in his 40+-year career: “Coaching and teaching are tough jobs and those are your priceless rewards. The only thing I regret is not winning an Open Division title. We got close, but it’s the one box I wasn’t able to check.”
Race car driver and Palisades High alum Jaxon Bell had double poles in Virginia. Courtesy of Jaxon Bell Racing
Rounds seven and eight of the 2025 Toyota GR Cup Championship took place at Virginia International Raceway last weekend near Danville, Virginia and Palisadian Jaxon Bell qualified first to earn the pole position for both races, showing again that he is a rising star in the sport of auto racing.
Bell finished fourth in the first race and third in the second, although a post-race 30-second penalty for contact dropped him to 15th.
“That was a difficult weekend in Virginia,” Bell said. “Our BraunAbility #7 was fast and I had high expectations after starting on pole for both races. However, a few crucial mistakes I made put us in a bad spot. I learned a lot, will take those lessons going forward and can’t wait to bounce back at Road America.”
A 2021 graduate of Palisades High, Bell had six wins and 11 podiums in 16 races as a rookie in the Skip Barber Formula Race Series in 2023 and placed fourth overall in the Toyota GR Cup standings last year with seven podium spots, including a win in Austin and a pole position in Virginia. Jaxon is the oldest son of Townsend Bell, a three-time Top-10 finisher at the Indianapolis 500 and a Verizon IndyCar Series pro.
Growing up near the top of Chautauqua, Jaxon attended Palisades Elementary, went to middle school at Calvary Christian and played flag football and PPBA at the Palisades Recreartion Center. After graduating from Pali High ee decided to move to Charlotte, North Carolina because it is the home of motorsports in North America. Every NASCAR team is based in one town in the USA, Mooresville. For 18 months he worked for Hattori Racing, sweeping floors, cleaning the bathrooms, delivering parts, servicing and cleaning race car parts—whatever they needed him to do. It was humbling but instilled a strong work ethic, all-around racing technical knowledge and valuable insight into how a professional racing team works. In March 2023 he moved to Miami to work as the simulator racing instructor at The Concours Club and a few weeks later he debuted in the Skip Barber Formula Race Series with two checkered flags at Michelin Raceway in Atlanta after placing second in both practice sessions. His career has continued to produce positive results ever since.
The next event of the 2025 Toyota GR Cup Championship will be on August 15-17 at Road America, in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
Demare Dezeurn caught 20 passes for 451 yards and five touchdowns in seven games at Alemany High last season. Photo: Steve Galluzzo
Speedy Transfer Demare Dezeurn will Try to Propel Palisades to Its First City Football Championship This Fall
By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor
In the spring, Demare Dezeurn established himself as one of the fastest high school track athletes in the country. In the fall he hopes to establish himself as one of the nation’s best wide receivers—and in the process helpthe Palisades High football team win its first-ever City Section title.
Coach Dylen Smith knows he is lucky to have a player as talentedand skilled as Dezeurn, who transferred to Palisades from Bishop Alemany in Mission Hills, where he turned heads by placing third in the 100-meter dash at the CIF state championships in Clovis on May 31, clocking 10.39 seconds. He blazed to a personal-best 10.35 to win the event one week before at the Masters Meet in Moorpark, where he also ran a personal-best 21.04 to take second in the 200 meters.
Now, as he enters his junior year, he has pass-catching on his mind and he figures to be targeted a lot by quarterback Jack Thomas, who won the Joe Spector Award as Team MVP after throwing for 46 touchdowns and running for 12 more last season.
“It’s a hard transition after only two or three weeks off from the end of track season, but I wanted to be here just to show my face… it’s all about football right now,” Dezeurn said after the first day of practice at Santa Monica College. “It’s not an easy decision switching schools but I believe this is the best opportunity for me and my future. It’s been nothing but love since I got here. We’ve all got the same goal—to win City. I love the team aspect of football and I’m studying all of the plays. I go to sleep with the playbook.”
Demare Dezeurn wins his heat in the 100 meters at the state prelims in May. He took third in the finals the next day. Photo: Steve Galluzzo
Dezeurn is happy to be joined at Palisades by his uncle Donte, who will be the Dolphins’ defensive backs coach and has been training his nephew since he was 8.
“We were thinking he was going to be an offensive lineman,” Donte said. “Then we saw how fast he was.”
Dezeurn already has more than 20 Division I offers and revealed his top five choices are USC, UCLA, Texas, Miami and Ohio State. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.3 seconds on a recent recruiting trip to Texas Tech.
“What impresses me most about Demare is his desire to fit in from Day One,” said Smith, who enters his third season determined to pilot his team to a second straight championship game—only this time in the Open Division. “He’ll be a matchup nightmare for anyone we play.”
Dezeurn was on his way to a record-breaking sophomore season, amassing nearly 500 yards through the Warriors’ first five games, until an ankle injury sidelined him for most of the last six. He still ended up with 20 receptions for 451 yards and five touchdowns and added three special teams touchdowns (two punt returns and a kickoff return). He played in nine varsity games as a freshman, making 42 grabs for 567 yards and five touchdowns and returning a kickoff 92 yards for a score.
A talented squad of local players representing Santa Monica Beach Club won the AAU boys volleyball national championshipearlier this month in Orlando, FL.
SMBC’s Shack 16 Molten team finishes the tournament 11-0 (winning 22 of 26 sets) and edged #951 Elite Boys 16-1 of Murrieta, CA in an epic final, 26-24, 26-28, 29-27 on July 3 at the Orange County Convention Center.
Coached by Ethan Marshall and assistants Bruno Gamboa and Margaret Wall, the roster consisted of Husam Arab, Alexander Bloom, Tristan Carpenter-Rihs, Johan Cortez, Hal Craig, Andrew Hom, Jackson Hubbard, Henry Levin, Parker Murphy, Zachary Patawaran, Sean Saunders, Sam Schwartz, Payton Song, Gunnar Strain and Parker Tooley.
Hom, a libero, was named thetournament’s Most Valuable Player while outside hitters Levin and Saunderswere named to the All-American team.
Several players represent Palisades High and saw their school as well as their homes lost or damaged in the Palisades Fire.
“It brought everyone together,” Hom said. “We were able to bond and we all grew together as a team because of these fires despite all of the damage.Through this I’ve learned to trust my teammates, trust everyone around me. It was an awesome opportunity.”
On its way to the title match, Shack beat Torrimar 16-2 in three sets; Academy 16E Black in two sets; MVP Academy BOS 16 Black in two sets; Mamba 16-Purple in three sets; #951 Elite Boys 16-1in two sets; Atlanta Extreme 16 Gerald in two sets; Bay-to-Bay 16-National in two sets; Orlando Gold16 in two sets; MOD B16 White in three sets; and RVA Boys 16B Navy in two sets.
“The third set’s only supposed to go to 15 and we went almost 30 points over [in the finals], which is insane,” said Schwartz, who is still displaced after his neighborhood burned down on January 7. “We just told each other we want it more. We can do it!”
Three teams representing the Pacific Palisades Baseball Association advanced to the Super Regionals of the PONY All-Star playoffs this summer, proving once again that the local youth program can compete with the best in Soutthern California.
Palisades’ Mustang 9U and 10U teams each came within one win of reaching the West Zone Tournament. The 9Us went 3-2 in the 16-team bracket in Camarillo, falling to Seal Beach in the semifinals while the 10Us also finished 3-2 and lost to Garden Grove in the semifinals of the 16-team field in Corona. Palisades’ 9Us reached the Zonal round last year and in 2022, the farthest any PPBA teams have gone in the PONY playoffs.
Palisades’ Bronco 12U squad also earned a spot as one of 16 teams in the Super Region round. After routing Murrieta 11-1 in its opener, Palisades dropped its next two in the double-elimination format.
In the Bronco 11U division, Palisades was one of 10 teams to reach the Region Tournament in Camarillo. After going 3-1 in pool play (losing only to Newbury Park), Palisades lost to Wilshire 7-6 in the consolationfinal, falling one win short of advancing to Super Regionals.
In the Pinto 8U division, Palisades avenged a pool play loss to Wilshire with a 15-13 semifinal triumph to make the Section 4 final in Camarillo, but lost to Camarillo Red 10-9in the championship game.
Palisades Pitstop reopened its car wash and detail service space at 15233 ½ La Cruz Drive on July 3, following an almost six-month closure after the Palisades fire.
“The reception from the community has been amazing,” Palisades Pitstop Owner Kevin Miller told the Palisadian-Post. “We’ve had a steady flow of visitors and so many have expressed how thrilled they are that we are back open.”
Located behind Palisades Garden Cafe, Palisades Pitstop offers a range of services that can be booked online, including a Luxury Wash, Luxury Wash Club membership, Luxury Mini Detail and Luxury Full Detail.
The luxury wash was described on the website as a “high-end hand wash with a meticulous interior surface cleaning”—which includes seats, carpets, mats, doors, dashboard and console. This also includes door jambs, trunk, windows, polished wheels, dressed tires and a conditioned rim.
“This community has meant so much to us, and that’s why we’re committed to being at the forefront of the rebuild,” Miller said. “We’re here, ready to help lead the way forward together.”
An additional service offered out of the La Cruz Drive space is Wash Bins—a trash can cleaning service that can be booked online.
“Due to high demand,” according to Miller, Palisades Pitstop expanded its hours since reopening and is currently open Tuesday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“People can book online at palisadespitstop.com or call 310-573-9274, or drive in anytime,” Miller said.
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