Pali High Soccer Shoots Down Comets

It was on this date six years ago that the Palisades High varsity boys soccer squad traveled to Westchester and dribbled through the Comets 4-0 to stay undefeated in Western League play. Senior midfielder Victor Morales scored twice while forwards Chad Johnson and Joob Sanchez each added a goal for the Dolphins, who went on to defend their league crown with a record of 10-0-2, one victory ahead of second-place Fairfax. They carried a 12-game unbeaten streak into the City Division I playoffs, where they were seeded ninth and traveled to No. 8 Birmingham in the first round. The Patriots tallied one goal in each half to prevail 2-0 on their way to the finals. Joob Sanchez was Palisades’ leading scorer in 2014-15 with 11 goals and four assists for 26 points and co-captain Kavian Kashani was next, tallying seven goals and seven assists for 21 points. Three players, Dash Dennerline, Barron Chavez and Chad Johnson, each had five goals. The following season, Coach Dave Suarez pressed all the right buttons in guiding the Dolphins to the City championship for the first and only time in the program’s history. Palisades avenged an earlier defeat to upset No. 1-seeded Granada Hills 2-1 in overtime in the final at LA Valley College and finished the 2015-16 campaign with 19 victories. In its 24 games the team allowed a mere 15 goals and shut out 11 opponents. The Dolphins’ best season ever ended in a 3-1 loss at Santa Barbara in the first roundof the SoCal Regional playoffs.