Unstoppable!

Daniel Anoh Sets Palisades’ Single-Game Rushing Record in Sunset Showdown

Bragging rights were on the line Saturday night in the third “Sunset Showdown” and senior tailback Daniel Anoh had the game of his life, rushing for a school-record 292 yards and four touchdowns to lead Palisades High to a 42-24 triumph over Brentwood.

Demonstrating once again why he is among the most dynamic players in the entire City,  Anoh was like a runaway freight train and the gutsy but undermanned Eagles could do little to slow him down. Anoh’s number was called  22 times and he averaged a whopping 13.3 yards per carry on his way to breaking the Dolphins’ single-game mark of 287 yards set by Damian Bryant against Cleveland on September 13, 2002.  

Anoh has amassed 682 yards in just five games and is on pace to break Palisades’ single-season rushing record of 1,965 yards, set by Innocent Okoh in 12 games in 2016. With 13 touchdowns so far, Anoh is also on track to break the school record for most rushing touchdowns in a season that is currently held by Terence O’Neal, who had 24 in 1998.

As impressive as Anoh’s performance was, he was hardly a one-man show. Plenty of his teammates joined in the act, not the least of whom was fellow tailback Josh Russell, who scampered for 93 yards and two scores.  

In all, the Dolphins gashed Brentwood for 402 yards on the ground, taking the pressure off sophomore Sammy Silvia, who completed seven of 18 throws for 108 yards in his first varsity start at quarterback. Moses Ross caught two passes for 59 yards, Xavier Smith had two catches and Anoh, Russell and Kwazi Estes each added one.

The Dolphins’ ferocious pass rush never allowed Eagles quarterback Boone Lourd to get comfortable in the pocket, forcing him to release the ball before his receivers could get open. Lourd was picked off three times—twice by Marcus Brown and once by Johnny Babala. Sayvour Riley led Palisades’ defense with nine tackles, eight of them solo, while Trinity Camden and Chris Washington each had a sack.

Palisades became the first team to win on the road in the crosstown rivalry that started in 2018 when Brentwood rallied for a 14-13 victory. The Dolphins prevailed 21-13 at Stadium by the Sea in 2019 and last year’s meeting was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.    

The Dolphins (5-0) are off to their best start since winning their first five games in 1997 under then coach Chuck Price.