Pali High Players Make All-City Football Team

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

For the second year in a row eight Palisades High football players have made the All-City Open Division team—four on offense, three on defense and one on special teams.

After earning Punter of the Year honors last season, senior Tommy Meek is Kicker of the Year after booming 36 touchbacks in 56 kickoffs, converting 39 of 41 extra-point attempts and making eight of nine field goal tries, including a 42-yarder against Hamilton.

Making the first team on defense are linebacker Syaire Riley (who made the second team last year) and defensive end Immanuel Newell, who led the Dolphins with eight sacks and 19 tackles for losses.

Max Palees became the first Palisades player ever to earn All-City honors three times at three different positions. As a sophomore, he was  a Division I second team pick at linebacker, last year he made the Open Division first team at running back after rushing 175 times for 1,176 yards and nine touchdowns, and this year he has made the offensive second team as a wide receiver after a team-best 50 catches for 533 yards and three TDs and leading the team with 1,084 all-purpose yards.

Fellow receiver Teddy Suisman has also made the second team on offense after hauling in 33 catches for a team-high 580 yards and 10 touchdowns. Junior lineman Nick Calcaterra (44 pancake blocks) made the second team on offense for the second straight year and junior Forrest Brock, who threw for 1,737 yards and 20 touchdowns, earned second team honors at quarterback along with Dyan Kordic of San Pedro.

Senior linebacker Noah Ghodooshim has made the second team on defense for the second straight season after recording 78 tackles (seven for losses), one sack, three pass deflections and two interception returns for touchdowns.

Jim Rose of Open Division champion Birmingham has been voted Coach of the Year; Birmingham receiver/defensive back Mason White is the Player of the Year; Birmingham quarterbak Jackson Dadich is the Offensive Most Valuable Player; linebacker Joshua Ward from San Pedro is the Defensive Most Valuable Player; Matt Rodriguez, also of  San Pedro, is the Offensive Lineman of the Year; Hedrix Lopez from  Birmingham is the Defensive Lineman of the Year; and Garfield’s Fabian Rodriguez has been selected Punter of the Year.

After suffering a season-opening defeat at Reseda, Palisades reeled off nine straight victories and earned its first outright league title in 32 years. The Dolphins made the Open Division playoffs for the second time, falling in the quarterfinals to eventual-finalist Banning, 35-21.