Palihi Soccer Girls Prevail 2-1, Despite Adversity

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After the Saturday soccer game in El Segundo, the DaVinci players (blue) gave a bouquet of flowers to each of the PaliHi team members and so provided snacks.
Photo SCOTT ROBINSON

As everyone faces the never-ending saga with insurance, city officials  and the hope of rebuilding rapidly, there are a group of high school athletes that are fighting to keep traditions and their teams alive.

These young Palisades High School athletes play on, despite not having a school; despite not having a place to practice; despite uniforms burned or inaccessible and – many students have lost their homes and everything they owned.

This editor was assigned to referee a high school soccer game at DaVinci in El Secundo on Saturday. The team was playing PaliHi. Under coach Christian Chambers, the Dolphins are 10-1 overall.

The season started on December 3, and the Dolphins are second in the Western League 5-0. (Venice is ranked first because that school is 6-0.)

On Saturday, the teams were well matched.

Wiseburn-Da Vinci scored in the first half.  PaliHi came back in the second with two goals. Caroline Quigly put it in the net to tie the game and Leila Jafari headed it to score the winning goal.

Caroline Quigly kicked the ball in the net in the second half to tie the game.
Photo: SCOTT ROBINSON

After the game, in a touching ceremony, each DaVinci player handed a Pali player a bouquet of flowers and provided post games snacks.

Speaking to Pali’s  team mom Tanya Friedman at half time, this editor learned that the team is trying to secure field space for Senior Night, which is annually held at Pali on a Friday night. A banquet is generally held in the gym, but both are inaccessible – because of the fire.

If anyone knows of a space that could hold about 75 people and maybe even offer catering to these kids who are once again denied a rite of passage, please contact Friedman at tanyafriedman@gmail.com. Surely there is someone who can help this team out.

“We would like to have sweatpants made for our seniors to be distributed during Senior Night and some other apparel for all of our players to be distributed during the banquet,” Friedman said.

Please help these seniors have a great last season at PaliHi: Ava Bondar, Leila Jafari, Erin Landis , Cece Tierney , Ava Walker, Ava Friedman and Caroline Quigley.

 

Leila Jafari heads the ball to score the winning goal, as the DaVini keeper (in green) tries to stop it.
Photo: SCOTT ROBINSON

 

 

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