Highlights from the playoff game vs. Verdugo Hills. Palisades is in blue caps.
Sophomore hole setter Lucas Silva talks about Palisades’ first-round victory.
It took only a few minutes in the pool for the Palisades High boys water polo squad to settle the issue in Wednesday’s first-round playoff game.
Feeling snubbed after being passed over for the No. 1 seed in the City Section tournament, the reigning champions scored early and often against 15th-seeded Verdugo Hills, building a 9-0 lead by the end of the first quarter on their way to a 16-3 victory at Maggie Gilbert Aquatic Center.
Six different players — Lucas Silva, Eli Ackerman, Zach Senator, Mitchell Kim, Greg Vitous and Matt Affeld — each scored two goals. Four others — Orson Spence, Kian Lotfi, Sammy Speiser and Will Schwerdtfeger — each added a goal and goalies Blake Levine and Ross Aronson made four saves apiece for the second-seeded Dolphins.
Palisades will host the winner of today’s matchup between seventh-seeded El Camino Real and 10th-seeded LACES in the quarterfinals Monday.
Lotfi had three assists and a game-high seven steals, Senator had four assists, Nick Frey had three assists and Silva and Speiser each added two assists for the Dolphins, who led 11-1 at the half and 13-1 after three quarters.
Head coach Adam Blakis shuffled the lineup constantly throughout the second half, resting starters to give JV players called up to varsity a chance to gain playoff experience. He even let Senator, the team’s top scorer, play goalie in the fourth quarter and he made four saves.
Christian West scored twice for the Dons, runners-up to Chavez in the Valley Mission League.
— Steve Galluzzo
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