Soccer Kicks into Playoff Form

It is often said that a season is like a marathon, not a sprint. But coming down the homestretch, the Palisades High boys’ varsity soccer team can see the finish line and rounds the final turn in contention for the Western league title. Going into this week’s play, the Dolphins ((3-1-4 overall, 3-1-2) were locked in a three-way tie for first place with Hamilton and Venice with four games remaining. Palisades lost to Hamilton, 2-1, earlier in the season but played the Yankees again yesterday (result unavailable at press time). The Dolphins host University Friday afternoon and travel to Venice next Wednesday. The Gondos tied Pali in their first meeting, making next week’s game all the more important for the Dolphins. Palisades beat Fairfax, 3-1, last Wednesday and tied Westchester, 3-3, in a wild game last Friday. Against the Lions, Osbaldo Garcia scored in the 13th minute off of an assist by Fabio Gonzalez, who added an unassisted goal in the 26th minute. Francesco Coco gave Pali a 3-0 lead in the 45th minute off of an assist from team captain Michael Larin. At Westchester, Fabio Gonzalez scored an unassisted goal moments before the final whistle to pull the Dolphins even, 4-4, and keep their hopes of a league championship alive. Gonzalez scored in the seventh minute (assisted by Patrick McCormick) to give the Dolphins a 1-0 halftime lead. The defensive game suddenly opened up in the second half. Larin struck first in the 47th minute off of a pass from Francesco Coco but the Comets answered three minutes later to pull within 2-1. Pali needed only one minute to regain the lead on a goal by Henry Argueta off of assists by Ki Karou and Larin. But Westchester scored three goals in a 10-minute span to take a 4-3 lead. Girls Soccer Several Palisades players, including forwards Tia Lebherz and Lucy Miller and midfielder Alex Michael, sustained injuries in a physical game last Wednesday at Fairfax. The Dolphins lost, 2-1, with Michael netting Pali’s only goal in the seventh minute. Fairfax scored the game-winner in the 44th minute. The loss dropped Pali into third place in the Western League. Boys Basketball Despite 30 points and 18 rebounds from senior forward D’Andre Bell, the Dolphins (7-11, 3-3) lost to top-ranked Westchester, 73-58, in front of a fired-up crowd Friday at the Pali gym. Bell, who has signed with Georgia Tech, had 23 points in a 75-56 loss to Fairfax.