PACIFIC PALISADES — Connor Petoyan saw glory — a trophy returning to his team’s locker room and a chance to bookend the 17th edition of the Charter Bowl.
Or, maybe, the Palisades High linebacker saw nothing at all.
“I was seeing stars,” Petoyan said. “I was dizzy and tired, but then he came around the edge and I just committed.”
Relying on instincts to guide him, Petoyan wrapped up Granada Hills running back Logan Brock in the backfield to prevent the Highlanders from converting a crucial fourth-and-8 with 3:10 remaining. His tackle clinched the Dolphins’ 42-28 win over Granada Hills, their 10th victory in the last 11 years in this annual nonleague rivalry game.
The Highlanders (2-1) traveled to Palisades last season and trounced the Dolphins, ending their streak of nine consecutive wins in the Charter Bowl. Nine months prior to that, the Highlanders beat the Dolphins in the LA City Section championship.
Their dominance stopped Friday. Their comeback effort fell short, directly into Petoyan’s waiting arms.
Palisades (3-0) might have secured its win on that play, but it was Granada Hills’ compounding mistakes that overshadowed its running back Nasir Enilolobo’s team-leading 161-yard game, and gave the Dolphins the opportunity to control the outcome.
“We got to make sure we don’t beat ourselves,” Highlanders head coach Bucky Brooks said.
It’s a retrospective comment. One Brooks will surely drill into his team after Friday’s performance, in which the Highlanders started multiple drives inside their own 5-yard line after misfielding kickoffs, committed untimely penalties, failed on 2-point conversions, and couldn’t get off the field in crucial defensive situations.
The Highlanders defense was sound on first and second downs, but its indiscipline allowed Palisades’ to make chunk plays and convert multiple long third downs.
On the second play from scrimmage, Dolphins quarterback Jack Thomas, who threw for 310 yards and four touchdowns, hit receiver King Demethris for a short completion. Demethris turned upfield, evading Highlander defenders to score a 67-yard touchdown. On a third-and-19 in the second quarter, Thomas connected with Lehenry Soloman for a 34-yard gain, which set up another touchdown.
“They outplayed us all night,” Brooks said.
The Highlanders, though, fought back and had a chance to even the score with 2:08 left in the first half. Jonathan Hernandez scored a touchdown to make the score to 22-20, but the Highlanders failed to convert the 2-point conversion. They also left enough time for the Dolphins to score before halftime as Soloman turned a short zag route into a 44-yard touchdown.
The worst defensive gaffe came with 5:10 remaining in the third quarter. On third-and-26, the Dolphins put Soloman at wildcat quarterback, showing the Highlanders their hand. He breezed past everyone for a 27-yard touchdown.
After all that, the Highlanders still had a chance to position their offense for a late game-tying drive. The Dolphins faced a third-and-10 on their own 45 with 7:43 remaining. Thomas hit Max Hejazi short of the sticks but the Highlanders grabbed his facemask.
“Penalties are a thing we harp on,” Brooks said. “Anytime we have a facemask or personal foul, it just hurts us.”
Self-inflicting wounds led to a late fourth down from an uncomfortable distance for a team that relies heavily on running the football.
The Highlanders had a chance. They had shot themselves in the foot, but it wasn’t fatal until Petoyan shot that gap.
