For the second year in a row the Palisades High girls basketball team has been awarded the No. 1 seed in the City playoffs. Except this time the Dolphins are playing for the section’s top prize, as they return to the eight-team Open Division after a two-year absence.
The Dolphins (19-9) were rewarded for playing the toughest schedule in the City and for going unbeaten in Western League play. They just missed making the Open last winter and settled for the Division I title. They host No. 8-seeded Taft in the quarterfinals tonight at 7.
“My biggest concern is complacency,” Coach Adam Levine said. “Thinking we’re No. 1 and it’s going to be an easy road will hurt us. With a week off between games we have to stay energized and hungry. Taft is a threat right away. Their coach [Mark Drucker] is a legend.”
If seeds hold Palisades would need to beat three West Valley League teams to win the championship—Taft, reigning champion and fourth-seeded Granada Hills and No. 2 El Camino Real.
This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
