Palisades rallied from a six-point fourth-quarter deficit and leaned on two critical defensive stops to defeat University 14-13 Friday night, keeping the Dolphins unbeaten in Western League play.
LJ Stephens powered in for the go-ahead touchdown with 7:16 remaining, and Amadeus Ayanbedejo converted the extra point to put Palisades in front for the first time. The Dolphins then stopped University on fourth-and-3 at the Palisades 43-yard line before quarterback Robert Holohan III kneeled away the final seconds.
The win was Palisades’ third straight after victories over Brentwood and Venice. The Dolphins improved to 3-3 overall and 2-0 in league play.
The defense established the tone on University’s opening possession. Gabe Golub dropped the Wildcats for a 12-yard sack that pushed the ball back to midfield and helped force an early punt.
Neither offense scored in the first quarter, and University missed a field-goal attempt in the second. The Wildcats regained possession at their own 30-yard line with 4:03 left before halftime and drove to the Palisades 2. A short touchdown run and the extra point gave University a 7-0 lead with 56 seconds remaining.
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Palisades answered with its sharpest offensive sequence of the half. Holohan completed three consecutive passes to Jesse Wolfson as the Dolphins covered nearly 50 yards and reached the red zone. He then found Malachi Ross in the left corner of the end zone to complete an 80-yard drive in approximately 40 seconds. The extra point tied the game at 7 with 10 seconds left in the half.
The defensive struggle resumed after halftime. Palisades opened the third quarter with a short possession and punted, and University quickly returned the ball with another stalled drive. The Dolphins went three-and-out again, while the Wildcats spent much of the quarter trying to turn improved field position into points.
University finally broke through late in the third quarter when D’Elliott Jones scored on a 6-yard catch-and-run. The Wildcats attempted a two-point conversion, but Palisades stopped it, preserving a one-score margin at 13-7.
That failed conversion became decisive in the fourth quarter. With approximately nine minutes remaining, freshman linebacker Silas Marucci made a critical stop on fourth-and-3 near midfield, giving the Dolphins the possession they needed to change the game.
Stephens took over from there. Running through contact and into the second level, he broke a touchdown run of at least 20 yards. Ayanbedejo’s extra point moved Palisades ahead 14-13 with 7:16 to play.
University mounted one final threat, but the Palisades defense again held on fourth-and-3, this time at the Dolphins’ 43. The turnover on downs allowed Palisades to place the game in Stephens’ hands and work the clock. He drove into a stack of defenders and moved the ball to approximately the University 40 before the Wildcats used a timeout with 1:30 remaining.
Holohan handled the final sequence, taking the last snaps and kneeling as the remaining 40 seconds expired.
Palisades returns home to face Hamilton on Friday, October 16, at Stadium by the Sea.
Photo: Mariana Flynn @Barnburnershots
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