Pali High Players Earn All-City Football Honors

After leading the Palisades High football team all the way to the City Division I championship game five Dolphins have been named to the All-City Division I First Team  (four on offense, one on defense) and two more have made the Second  Team (both on defense).

Making the offensive first team were junior quarterback Roman La Scala, who passed for 1,946 yards and 24 touchdowns in 14 games; senior tailback Chris Washington, who rushed for 1,296 yards and 12 touchdowns; senior offensive lineman Nathan Spoonamore, who was the Western League Lineman of the Year and Team MVP; and senior wide receiver Amari Yolas, who had 17 catches for 368 yards and six touchdowns and added four scores on kickoff and punt returns.

Making the defensive first team was senior cornerback/safety Savyour Riley, who paced the team with 91 tackles (46 solo), a pair of interceptions and a fumble recovery.

Representing Palisades on the second team are senior defensive back Marcus Brown Jr., who totaled 43 tackles, two interceptions, four pass deflections and three caused fumbles; and sophomore linebacker Jesse Ettus, who was second on his team with 87 tackles (eight for loss).

Running back Dijon Stanley of Division I champion Granada Hills was named Player of the Year after rushing for 2,756 yards and scoring 33 touchdowns while leading the Highlanders to their first section title since 1987. The Utah commit   ran 25 times for a season-high 378 yards and five touchdowns (an average of 15.1 yards per carry) in the final against Palisades. Granada Hills’ Bucky Brooks was Coach of the Year. Canoga Park running back  Corey Ruell, who accumulated 1,721 yards and 20 touchdowns, was named Offensive MVP while Fairfax linebacker Cameron Moran  (83 tackles) was selected Defensive MVP. Lincoln’s Vincent Godinez was voted Offensive Lineman of the Year and Granada Hills’ Oliver Taylor was voted Defensive Lineman of the Year in Division I.

Stanley shared City Player of the Year honors with Peyton Waters of Open Division champion Birmingham. Waters, a junior, rushed for 491 yards with 11 touchdowns and caught 60 passes for 1,077 yards and 11 more touchdowns.

Wide receiver Rashawn Jackson and quarterback Paul Kessler from Western League champion Venice made the Open Division First Team. Kessler threw for 331 yards and four touchdowns in a 60-14 win at Palisades in the regular season finale.

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