Pali High Athletes Earn All-City Honors

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

The CIF-LA City Section released its All-City basketball and soccer teams last week and Palisades High was well represented on each list. After being named Most Outstanding Player in the Western League, sophomore point guard Jack Levey made the Open Division boys basketball squad along with Dolphins teammate Tommy Pickens, a senior shooting guard. The two were instrumental in Palisades’ runs to the City semifinals and SoCal Regional Division III semifinals under first-year coach Jeff Bryant. The Dolphins took second place in league with a 9-3 record and finished 21-12 overall.

Junior Tajh Ariza of Open Division champion Westchester shared Player of the Year honors with senior Alijah Arenas of runner-up Chatsworth while Westchester’s Dewitt Cotton was named Coach of the Year.

In girls basketball, Palisades junior point guard and leading scorer Elly Tierney made All-City Open Division squad along with sophomore forward Riley Oku. Both were also first team All-League selections after leading the Dolphins to the City semifinals and SoCal Regional Division III semifinals under coach Adam Levine. The Dolphins finished third in league behind Hamilton and Westchester and wound up posting an overall mark of 17-16.

Hamilton seniors Jade Forte and Kinidi Curl were named Co-Players of the year after leading the Yankees to the Open Division title while Hamilton pilot Sherland Chensam was named Coach of the Year.

In girls soccer, Palisades’ two leading point producers both made the City’s inaugural Open Division squad: junior forward Mechal Green  (22 goals, 17 assists) and senior forward Leila Jafari (17 goals, 10 assists). The pair powered the Dolphins to the Western League title and the City semifinals, where they fell to defending champion Cleveland, 3-1. Coach Christian Chambers piloted Palisades to a 16-2-1 record and the No. 4 seed in the eight-team Open bracket.

Green and Jafari earlier made the All-League first team along with  teammates Caroline Quigley, Ava Loos and Alina Evans. Five Dolphins were selected for the second team: Erin Landis, Sibley Norris, Maya Hively, Ava Friedman and Maria Kneirim.      

Senior midfielder Ana De Los Santos of champion Granada Hills was chosen Player of the Year and Highlanders pilot Guilherme Mitrovitch was named Coach of the Year. Third-seeded Granada Hills defeated Cleveland 3-1 in the finals after upsetting No. 2 San Pedro in a shootout in the semifinals.       

Palisades’ boys soccer team also qualified for the eight-team Open Division despite finishing second in the Western League behind Venice.  The Dolphins were seeded No. 6 and lost on penalty kicks to third-seeded South East in the quarterfinals after the teams battled to a 0-0 draw through regulation and overtime. Palisades went 17-4-2 under first-year head coach Josh Figueroa. 

Senior midfielder Jack Spirito was the Dolphins’ lone selection for the All-City Open team, which consisted of the best 16 players from the highest playoff division.

El Camino Real edged West Valley League rival Birmingham 2-1 in  the championship game Feb. 28 at Valley College. Royals senior striker Bladimir Coto was named Player of the Year and El Camino Real’s Ian Kogan earned Coach of the Year accolades.