Riley’s Three Touchdowns Propel Pali High Football into City Semifinals
By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor
When his team needed him the most, Palisades High captain Savyour Riley came through last Thursday night at Stadium by the Sea.
The Dolphins’ senior scored three touchdowns—one receiving and two rushing—in the final seven minutes to turn a close game into a rout and lift his team to a 42-14 triumph over Los Angeles Dymally in the City Section Division I football quarterfinals.
“Congratulations, you’ve earned a spot in the semifinals,” head coach Chris Hyduke told his elated players afterwards. “And I have good news… you’ll be playing right here again next week. Enjpoy this, but come back ready to work Monday.”
In the first-ever game between the schools the third-seeded Dolphins got all they could handle from the sixth-seeded Challengers (9-3), who won the Metro League and dispatched No. 11 Gardena 30-14 in the first round to earn their trip to Palisades behind the two-pronged rushing attack of Mitaevionne Reynolds (673 yards, 12 TDs) and Bryant Collins (579 yards, 11 TDs) and the aerial acrobatics of wideouts Anthony White (27 catches for 596 yards, eight TDs), Collins (26 catches for 594 yards, six TDs) and TrasMonte Lowe (24 catches for 475 yards, seven TDs).
Unlike their playoff opener against Huntington Park when they scored 48 points in the first half, the Dolphins had to grind out first downs against a stingy Challengers defense. Their only points of the first quarter came courtesy of a punt return and it was quickly countered by a 55-yard bomb that tied the score 7-7 early in the second quarter.
Palisades (9-3) regained the lead on a short run by quarterback Roman La Scala and the Dolphins held a precarious 14-7 edge at intermission only after stopping the Challengers on fourth down inside Palisades’ 10.
The kicking game was there when needed for the home team as Braydon Sanford uncorked a 39-yard punt to flip the field for the Dolphins and Kellan Ford converted all six of his extra-point tries. In the end, though, as he had in the latter stages against St. Genevieve, Riley took over.
The second half could not have started better for Palisades. After the defense forced a three-and-out, Marcus Brown Jr. returned the ensuing punt 75 yards to the Challengers’ 4-yard line and two plays later Chris Washington scored on a two-yard run to increase the Dolphins’ lead to 21-7.
Dymally answered with a nine-play, 72-yard drive capped by a four-yard keeper by quarterback Curtis Bevans midway through the third quarter.
Palisades punted on its next possession and Dymally drove to its own 41 before defensive end Immanuel Robinson sacked Bevans on fourth down. However, Palisades was unable to capitalize as Washington fumbled on the second play of the Dolphins’ drive and the visitors recovered at their own 22. As time ticked down in the fourth quarter a sack by Cash Allen set the stage for Riley’s first touchdown on a 19-yard swing pass from La Scala that gave Palisades some breathing room at 28-14.
Dymally drove to the Palisades 25 before linebackers Jesse Ettus and Jake Treibatch swarmed in for a sack on fourth down to give Palisades the ball back at its own 32. On the next play, Riley burst up the middle for a 68-yard touchdown to make it a 21-point margin and he added a 48-yard gallop on the Dolphins’ next possession to put the game away.
Riley finished with 145 yards in nine carries and Washington added 176 yards in 21 carries. La Scala completed five of 13 attempts for 84 yards.
The defense had a season-high eight sacks—three by Evan Nehrenberg, two by Eric Daniels, solos by Cash Allen and Robinson and one combined by Treibatch and Ettus. Brown Jr. had eight tackles and three pass deflections, Ettus had a game-high 14 tackles, Allen had 10, Riley and Treibatch each added seven and Jovon Alexander had six.
On Friday, Palisades hosts 10th-seeded Narbonne, which upset No. 2 Carson 34-32 to avenge a 46-7 Marine League loss on Oct. 6. Palisades and Narbonne have met four times, all in the regular season, since 1980.
The Dolphins won the teams’ last encounter 12-10 to open the 2003 season.
The winner advances to the championship game next Friday or Saturday.
Click on any image below to view slide show
This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.