Pali’s offensive line provided Quarterback Jack Thomas (hidden behind Granada’s 84), time to pass.
“Redemption,” said Palisades High School Football Coach Dylen Smith. “We have one redemption. Now we go for another next week.”
PaliHi beat Granada Hills 42 to 28, claiming the Charter Bowl Trophy. The 2024 game was supposed to be held in the San Fernando Valley, but with the heat, the game was moved to the Palisades and the Stadium by the Sea on September 6.
Last year the Dolphins lost to Granada 26-10. The upcoming game Smith referenced is the Sunset Showdown between Brentwood and Pali. Last year, Brentwood won 43-24. One down, one to go for final redemption.
Despite the final score, the Charter Bowl was close through the last quarter. Granada Hills scored at the beginning of the fourth bringing it to a touchdown difference, with Pali up 35 to 28. Penalties against Pali and then a fumble gave the Highlanders the ball on their own 48 with four minutes left in the game and a chance to tie it.
The Pali defense stepped up and held them. Connor Petoyan made a key tackle, preventing the Highlanders from a first down and the Dolphins took over on the 43-yard line.
Pali tried to run it down the field, but penalties and a personal foul against the Dolphins pulled the ball back to the Highlanders 36. (During the game, the Dolphins lost 125 penalty yards compared to Granada’s 20.)
Quarterback Jack Thomas, who was credited with 309 passing and 61 rushing yards, is a threat. He has a bullet for an arm, can read the field and is good at scrambling. He ran the ball to the Highlanders 18. A personal foul against the Dolphins, left them at third and fifteen. A 20-yard pass to King Demethrius, resulted in Pali’s final touchdown.
Although Pali led during the game, it was back and forth with both teams scoring.
In the first two minutes of the game, a quick TD with a 67-yard touchdown pass from Thomas to Demethrius put Pali on the scoreboard. The two-point conversion was good.
The Highlanders exclusively used a running game. With three minutes left in the quarter, they scored their first T.D.: the 2-point conversion failed.
At the end of the first quarter, Pali after setback with penalties found itself on the Highlanders 32-yard line in a first- and 20-yard situation. Thomas with two quick passes, first to Max Hejazi and then to Demethris put the Dolphins on the one-yard line. The second quarter started with a TD, when Deveron Kearney ran it in.
Both teams found the endzone before halftime, Thomas passing to Lehenry Solomon and then to Hejazi who caught the TD.
After a kick-off, Granada started on its own four-yard-line. Two plays later they were on the 43 and then a long run by the Highlanders took it to Pali’s one-yard line and then a touchdown. The two-point conversion was good, making the score 22-14.
The Highlanders scored their next touchdown after a 73-yard run with two minutes left in the half. The conversion failed.
Pali’s final TD before half came on a 56-yard touchdown pass to LeHenry Solomon. He would also score a rushing TD in the third quarter.
Leading with tackles for the Dolphins were defensive players Jake Treibtch (16), Rowan Flynn (14) and Nico Townsley (13).
PaliHi and Granada Hills have a long history and first met in 1977, when the Highlanders edged the Palisades 28-27, under quarterbacks John Elway and Jay Schroeder, two future Super Bowl Champs.
PaliHi and Granada achieved charter status in 2003, the first two high schools in Los Angeles Unified School District to do so. The Charter Bowl football game was started in 2006, with Granada Hills winning the first one 10-3.
Last year, under former NFL player and scout Bucky Brooks, Granada took the trophy with a 26-10 win. Over 19 years (the game was not played in 2020 because of Covid and in 2022, the game, which was supposed to be held at Granada Hills was cancelled because of the heat), Palisades leads the series 11-5.
“I’m proud of them,” Smith said. “Everyone stepped up when they had to.”
Pali plays Brentwood on September 13, at the Stadium by the Sea. The game starts at 7 p.m.