Head Coach Kelly Loftus liked most of what he saw from the Palisades High varsity football team last Friday night. The few things he didn’t like, however, are what ultimately cost the Dolphins a chance to win their first game of the season. Franklin was heavily favored going into the game but was unable to pull away until late in the fourth quarter, settling for a pedestrian 24-7 win. The turning point in the game came in the waning seconds of the first half, when Malcolm Creer intercepted a pass by Panthers’ quarterback Cesar Hernandez at the goal line and raced up the left sideline for an apparent touchdown that would’ve given Palisades a 14-10 lead. A holding penalty negated the score and the Dolphins’ offense sputtered in the second half. “I’m not disappointed with our effort–that was there all night long,” Loftus said. “We just have to stop shooting ourselves in the foot. This game went exactly the way us coaches wanted. It was right there for the taking'” Palisades’ defense was sparked by the return of senior linebacker and captain Casey Jordan, back on the field for the first time since he suffered a concussion in the season opener at Hollywood. That defense stopped Franklin twice on fourth down and intercepted two passes–one by Creer and the other by Hakeem Jawanza in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Preon Morgan completed 4 of 8 passes for 8 yards, including a 7-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Mann on the Dolphins’ first drive. Joe Brandon rushed 7 times for 45 yards, Creer added 35 yards in seven carries and Mann had three catches. Brandon and Lawrence Villasenor each had eight tackles on defense while Jeremy Smith and Juan Climaco added seven apiece for Palisades (0-5). Hernandez threw for 170 yards and two touchdowns and Eugene Gandara had six catches for 75 yards for the host Panthers (3-1). The scoreboard malfunctioned before kick-off so officials kept time on the field. “This was our best game so far and I like that we’re improving,” Loftus said. “We’re starting league and it’s a whole new season now. Four wins should get us into the playoffs and we still have a shot at that.”
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