Former Palisades High quarterback Rick Myers reminisces about his 1974 City finals team.
Stepping onto the field at Stadium by the Sea on Friday afternoon, Rick Myers couldn’t help feeling a little nostalgic.
The former Palisades High quarterback got invited to watch the Dolphins practice and was impressed by what he saw – especially the talent and skill of senior signal caller P.J. Hurst, who earned All-City honors after throwing for 2,220 yards and 23 touchdowns last fall – numbers Myers could only dream about back when he played.
“These kids are throwing more passes in a game than I threw all season,” said Myers, who grew up in Mandeville Canyon. “It’s fascinating to see how dramatically the game has changed, yet there’s a lot that’s familiar too.”
Myers led Palisades to the City Section finals in 1974 under head coach Dick North and the Dolphins lost 12-10 at the LA Coliseum to a San Fernando team considered one of Southern California’s best ever. It featured state 100-meter champion Kevin Williams and future USC Heisman Trophy-winning tailback Charles White, and yet the Dolphins had a chance to win when Myers, also the punter and placekicker, missed a 43-yard field goal as time ran out.
Last year marked the 40-year anniversary of Palisades’ only City finalist football team and Myers and 15 other players were honored before the homecoming game against University in October.
“It was so great to see those guys and to see Pali win,” said Myers, who was also an All-City third baseman at Palisades. “Our 40-year [high school] reunion was a couple months ago and I played golf with some of my football buddies. It’s nice seeing how they’ve succeeded in life through lessons we learned here.”
No one was more thrilled to see Myers than the Dolphins’ third-year head coach Tim Hyde, who is anxious to get the Dolphins back to the finals.
“Rick reached out to me as an alum when I got hired and has been a great supporter and friend ever since I’ve been here,” Hyde said. “He called to tell me he was in town to visit his dad so I said drop by practice and here he is.”
Myers ran the scout team and backed up starting quarterback Vince Evans at USC in 1975 – the Trojans’ last season under Coach John McKay.
“I was technically a walk-on but they gave me a shot and I made the team,” Myers recalled. “We were 7-0 when he told us he’d taken the Tampa Bay Buccaneers job and we lost the next four games.”
Palisades wasn’t expected to contend for the City title in 1974 but lost only once in the regular season and shut out its first three playoff opponents. Bryant Gumbel, who would go on to become a famous sportscaster at NBC Sports, was the TV commentator for the championship game.
“Missing that kick still haunts me – we almost got it done,” said Myers, who lives in Las Vegas. “To this day, we believe we were the better team. It just wasn’t our best night. Coming so close against a team rated one of the best ever makes me proud, but I’m most proud of how we’ve stuck together.”
As for this year’s team? The sky’s the limit and after exchanging a few spirals with Hurst on the sideline, Myers offered the Dolphins’ present starter sage advice.
“He told me to keep everyone calm and focused on getting ready for the season,” Hurst said. “It was great meeting him.”
Myers believes his alma mater is in good hands with Hyde.
“I love how Tim challenges his players and motivates them,” he said. “He’s got a great staff and I applaud what they’re doing. This is big league football. They put the responsibility in the quarterback’s hands. I wish they would’ve done more of that when I played.”
— Steve Galluzzo
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