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Sports

Football Season Kicks Off Sept. 9

Palisades High's opponents include Crespi and Vista Murrieta.

The City Section's annual Football Coaches' Meeting was held Saturday morning in Heritage Hall at USC and  Coach Perry Jones left with a renewed vigor, anxious to get back on campus and continue to build on what he started last fall.

Palisades' 2011 varsity schedule is official and calling it "difficult" would be an understatement, though Jones wouldn't want it any other way. The Dolphins are coming off their first winning season in a decade and the second-year coach wants to make that the norm.

"Last year I thought we turned the corner as a program, but the real proof will be how well we dothis season," Jones said. "It's a whole new culture, we have higher expectations and once we get that 'psyche' thing down we'll be a team no one wants to play. It's a new offensive line--we don't have a Tommy Brown or Marquice Shakur, but our execution's come up a notch and [quarterback] Nate Dodson's reads have gotten better."

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Replacing captain Hakeem Jawanza (9.1 yards per carry), dual-threat quarterback Ke'monte Reed and Colorado-bound Malcolm Creer (10.5 yards per carry) won't be easy, but Jones said the teams' triple option works well against disciplined defenses like those Palisades will be playing this season.

"The beauty of our offense is that it'll force the other teams' defensive coordinators to be students of what we're running," Jones said. "The wishbone actually works better when the defensive guys are where they should be. When they're not, our guys don't always know where to block."

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The biggest change, besides the ones on the roster due to graduation of several key starters, is that based on last season's record Palisades was moved up to Division I, meaning if the Dolphins make the playoffs they will face the likes of Crenshaw, Dorsey, Taft, Narbonne, San Pedro and Carson.

Making the postseason is no guarantee given that the Western League has emerged as one of the deepest in the City over the last few years. With the exception of University, which went winless last season, every team in the league is now competing in Division I. Add to that a nonleague slate that includes Southern Section schools Santa Monica, Crespi and Vista Murrieta and the Dolphins have their work cut out for them.

"Record aside, if we can get into the playoffs in Division I, that's a good season for us," Jones said. "Our league is going to forge us and make us better so if we do make [the playoffs] we'll be prepared for whoever we're matched against."

Palisades opens the season in Woodland Hills against El Camino Real, which nipped the Dolphins 36-35 last fall behind 126 yards and four touchdowns from junior tailback Kawan Rally.

"That game sets the tone and we won't need added motivation, trust me," Jones said. "That [loss] didn't sit well with us and the kids have had a whole year to stew over it."

If Jones were to write a "wish list" for the upcoming season, at the top would be winning the rivalry games against Santa Monica, Granada Hills and Venice. The Dolphins emerged victorious in only one of the three last fall, blanking Granada Hills 10-0 to reclaim the coveted Charter Bowl trophy.

"Santa Monica and Granada are staples, so those games are pretty much locked in," Jones said. "We play both on the road, though, so neither of those will be easy. Samo's had our number for years and that's something I want to change."

Vista Murrieta beat Palisades 45-16 last season on its way to reaching the Southern Section Inland Division championship game, where it lost to Corona Centennial, which represented Southern California in the Division I state bowl game at Home Depot Center.

For the home opener, Jones wanted a "more challenging" opponent to replace Lynwood (which Palisades routed 41-0 last fall) and he found one of the best around in Crespi, which defeated Vista Murrieta by two touchdowns last fall and plays in the Pac-5 Division, traditionally the toughest in California. The Celts lost in the quarterfinals to eventual champion Anaheim Servite, which played Concord De La Salle in the Open Division state bowl game.

"Can we pick off Vista or Crespi?" Jones asked aloud. "We're going to give it our best shot but realistically, if we can play them close, that's a win for us."

Venice has been the team to beat in the league for years and always plays top-flight teams before league to "toughen up" for the playoffs. Jones hopes emulating the Gondoliers' proven formula will serve his team just as well.

"Coach [Angelo] Gasca loves to throw it over there--that's what they do and I don't expect that to change," Jones said of league champion Venice. "I don't know what Fairfax has back, but they won Division II last year and Coach [Shane] Cox will have something up his sleeve since we beat them [with our trap] last year. Hamilton is homecoming and we put up 63 [points] on their homecoming last season, so they'll be out to get us. Westchester beat us last year and always has athletes." 

The Week 8 game at Fairfax is listed for Thursday, but Jones said he was hopeful it will be moved back to Friday, October 28. Palisades' regular season finale versus Venice will be played Thursday because Friday, November 11, is Veterans Day. 

Two-hour conditioning practices start Monday, helmets and shorts will be allowed the following week and full pad practice begins August 15.

2011 PALI HIGH VARSITY FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Sept. 9 -- @ El Camino Real, 7 p.m.

Sept. 16 -- vs. Santa Monica @ Santa Monica College, 7 p.m.

Sept. 23 -- vs. Crespi, 7 p.m.

Sept. 30 -- @ Granada Hills, 7 p.m.

Oct. 7 -- @ Vista Murrieta, 7 p.m.

Oct. 14 -- @ L.A. University, 3 p.m.*

Oct. 21 -- L.A. Hamilton, 7 p.m.*

Oct. 27 -- @ Fairfax, 7 p.m.*

Nov. 4 -- Westchester, 7 p.m.*

Nov. 10 -- Venice, 7 p.m.*

* Western League game

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