Pali High Players Make All-City Squads

After leading their squads to the City Section playoffs and earning All-Western League first team honors in February, Palisades High basketball players Nick Kerkorian and Jane Nwaba are recipients of even higher accolades.

Kerkorian, a junior guard and captain, was named to the City Division I boys team—the only Palisades player chosen—after  netting a season-high 25 points (including seven-three pointers) in the Dolphins’ 70-63 upset over Dorsey in the first round of the playoffs.

Palisades, which lost to No. 1-seeded View Park in the quarterfinals, finished 9-19 overall and fifth in league behind Westchester, Fairfax, University and Venice.

Nwaba, a sophomore, missed Palisades’ last nine games with an injury but still led the team in scoring, averaging 18.2 points,  4.4 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 3.3 steals per game. She was named to the City Division I girls team—the only Palisades player picked—after compiling seven 20-point contests, including a season-best 29 points and 20 rebounds in a St. Mary’s Tipoff Classic victory over King-Drew in November.

Nwaba played in 34 of 35 games as a freshman in 2016-17 when the Dolphins reached their third straight City Open Division championship game.

For the boys, senior Kaelen Allen of Open Division champion Westchester was voted City Player of the Year and Westchester’s Ed Azzam was chosen Coach of the Year. Joining Kerkorian on the Division I team are Western Leaguers David Cheatom and Richard Wilson of University.

For the girls, Fairfax senior Dawnyel Lair was named Player of the Year. Jared Honig of Granada Hills is Coach of he Year. Joining Nwaba on the Division I team  representing the Western League is LACES senior Kayla Jones.