Palisades boys basketball team returns to campus

On Thursday evening, the Palisades High boys’ basketball team savored one thing it had not skilled since halfway through last season: homecourt benefit.

Hosting a sport inside their own health club for the first time in 388 days, the Dolphins didn’t let their followers or their classmates depart disenchanted, beating Fairfax 75-28 to keep on observe for their first outright league title in 30 years.

“It’s great to be back … it was cool,” junior middle Julian Cunningham said. “We haven’t had a game here in over a year. There’s no way we were gonna lose. It was a great atmosphere and we beat ’em by 50, so that’s pretty good.”

Palisades’ boys had last taken their home flooring for an official contest on Jan. 6, 2025 — sooner or later before the Palisades fire broke out and dealt extreme harm to their campus and group. First-year coach Jeff Bryant had to scramble to discover someplace — anyplace — to follow for what would prove to be 42 video games.

“I never thought it would be this long,” Bryant admitted. “When the fire happened, I was thinking we’d have some access to our gym in the summer. I remember at a parent meeting saying we’ll 100% be playing our league games at home. When the new [school year] started we were told September, then October, then November, then the start of the second semester. It kept getting pushed back.”

The team held its first follow at Palisades on Monday and college students returned to campus Tuesday morning after attending courses for 9 months at what got here to be recognized as “PaliHi South,” the outdated Sears division store building in close by Santa Monica.

“UCLA, Memorial Park, Paul Revere, St. Bernard …” Bryant said, rattling off just a few of the websites his team practiced at while ready for the inexperienced gentle to return to campus. “We’ve been road warriors for over a year now and I definitely think it’s been an advantage, but now we’re looking forward to being home and we’re going to feed off that energy starting tonight.”

Pacing the Dolphins on Thursday have been 6-6 junior twins OJ and EJ Popoola, who bought the home crowd cheering by combining for six dunks. They have been raised in Las Vegas and transferred to Palisades in June. Two of the most extremely touted prospects in the 2027 class, the brothers shined in their first sport at their new faculty, scoring 19 and 16 factors, respectively.

“It was amazing — I’ve been thinking about this game for so long,” said OJ, who had 10 factors in the first quarter as Palisades stormed to a 45-14 halftime lead. “Even though we weren’t here last year, we feel like it’s our community too. EJ and I have been playing with each other for so long and I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

EJ Popoola is averaging 21 factors per sport, OJ Popoola is averaging 18 and junior Jack Levey, the most excellent participant in the Western League last winter, is the part’s most harmful long-range shooter, averaging 45% from past the arc.

Another cause Palisades is one of the favorites to win the Open Division is the all-around play of freshman guard Phillip Reed, who is averaging 17 factors, six assists and six rebounds.

“It felt surreal — I was really nervous,” EJ Popoola added. “The energy was there, the fans showed up and we’re finally finding our rhythm as a team. It’s a work in progress, but me and OJ have been through it all together and I thank God I’m a twin!”

OJ Popoola soars for one of his two dunks in the Dolphins’ first home sport since the Palisades fire.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

AJ Neale scored 13 factors and Reed added 10 for the Dolphins, who scored 10 seconds into the competition on Levey’s alley-oop to EJ Popoola and never trailed.

Guards Kameron Augustin and Jomari Marshall scored seven apiece for the Lions (15-8, 5-2).

Palisades went 12-7 in its last 19 video games of 2024-25, falling to Chatsworth in the City Section Open Division semifinals before reaching the Division III regional semifinals (internet hosting three video games at Birmingham High in Lake Balboa). The Dolphins are off to a 13-11 start in 2025-26 while enjoying the hardest schedule of any team in the City. They have grown accustomed to enjoying in hostile environments and hope their “us against the world” mentality works in their favor once the playoffs start.

Thursday’s win saved the Dolphins alone atop the Western League standings at 8-0, 2½ video games forward of Fairfax with only 4 left. If Palisades seals the deal, it should mark this system’s first league crown since it completed in a three-way tie for first place with Westchester and Fairfax in 2011-12 under then coach James Paleno.

What a distinction a 12 months makes. Westchester, which beat Palisades twice on its approach to profitable league and capturing the City Open Division title last February, is fifth in league at 4-5 and misplaced its first assembly with Palisades by 38 factors.

“The environment was amazing and I was a little stiff on my shots for the first 20 minutes or so, but after that I was feeling it,” said Levey, who swished two of his team’s 10 three-pointers. “This was personal. We can’t lose our first game back. Winning City is the standard, but [state] is what we really want to win.”

Palisades High’s Phil Reed makes a layup against Fairfax in the first half Thursday.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Palisades misplaced 10 of its first 13 video games, including six straight while a number of key gamers recovered from accidents — but Bryant never misplaced religion. “That losing streak strengthened us,” he said. “I could’ve lost the team. Instead, guys stuck to the plan. Now we’re trending in the right direction. We haven’t played our best game yet. Our biggest challenge is what’s next.”

Through this ordeal, Bryant has realized endurance and perseverance.

“The hardest part has been communicating with the parents,” Bryant said. “You have to go with the flow. They want answers and sometimes you honestly don’t know. When games are canceled, it hurts the younger kids most because lower-level games aren’t going to be made up. So they really miss out.”

The Popoola twins are motivated to lead Palisades to its first undisputed league championship since their father, Chris, helped the Dolphins to a third consecutive Western League title in 1995-1996. One of Popoola’s teammates that 12 months was Donzell Hayes, who piloted this system from 2016-23 and attended Thursday’s sport.

Palisades is chasing its third City title and first since profitable Division I in 2020. Chris Marlowe, who captained the USA volleyball team to the gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics, led the Dolphins to a 21-1 report and the City Section basketball championship in 1969, beating Reseda in the ultimate at Pauley Pavilion under this system’s first coach, Jerry Marvin.

Jack Levey celebrates a big win in the Dolphins’ return to their home court against Western League rival Fairfax.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)